| Author | |
Natalia
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Louisiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1343
|
| Posted: May 23 2007 at 7:39pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
The leaves on my basil plant are being eaten by something.Does anybody know what I can do to get rid of whatever it is? can I still use those leaves even though they have holes? I am no gardener but this year we are trying a square foot gardening. It has been so much fun!
Thanks a lot
Natalia
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 23 2007 at 7:48pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Since you're in LA, your garden is way ahead of mine. How big is your basil?
In my area the Japanese beetles come out late June and July and eat up holes in my basil. But usually you will see they hanging around.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Natalia
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Louisiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1343
|
| Posted: May 23 2007 at 8:15pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
That is the thing, I can't see evidence of any bugs. I didn't start the basil from seed but bought a plant at a nursery. What do you do for Japanese beetles?
Natalia
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
chicken lady
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 27 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2315
|
| Posted: May 28 2007 at 9:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Take lemon dish soap dilute it down and spray the leaves of your plants.
Another idea is turn the leaves over, do you see small aphids, if so quickplant Nasturtiums, Aphids LOVE these and they will attack them and leave your herbs and veggies alone.
Go ahaead either way and try the lemon scented dish soap diluted, just make sure you hit all the leaves. Also cayenne pepper is a good thing to repel the buggers!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 28 2007 at 9:46pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My basil is intact, but I came back from the weekend and found some of my marigold flowers are being eaten! Would rabbits do that? I was planting them to keep things away!
What keeps those little buggers out of marigolds?
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
guitarnan
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10883
|
| Posted: May 28 2007 at 10:02pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Could it be slugs in the basil? I moved my basil pots today (to put in marigolds, ironically) and found several slugs. Time to break out the "Slugweiser," as my dh says...ugh. Dead slugs in beer.
Jenn, don't know about the marigolds...weird. Bunnies don't usually like them (they go for my strawberries instead). I'll ask dh...he loves plants and reads gardening books for fun. (I read cookbooks. We're even.)
For slugs, set out a pie pan with some beer in it; you'll drown more slugs than you ever wanted to know about.
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Natalia
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Louisiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1343
|
| Posted: May 28 2007 at 10:07pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks Lady! I'll try that. I don't see anything in the back of the leaves and the holes seem small to be slugs but we do have a lot of those. I guess I need to set a pan with beer close to the garden. Can I still use the basil? or should I cut it back?
Natalia
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
chicken lady
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 27 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2315
|
| Posted: May 28 2007 at 11:03pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
The basil is fine to use, just wash as usual. I would go ahead and sprat them with soap.
As for the marigolds I plant them around my garden as the deter many pests, my guess would be a rodent of some sort or slugs. Go for the slug solution first!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 29 2007 at 8:01am | IP Logged
|
|
|
chicken lady wrote:
| As for the marigolds I plant them around my garden as the deter many pests, my guess would be a rodent of some sort or slugs. Go for the slug solution first! |
|
|
The plants were completely decapitated, almost gnawed down to stubs. It's not all my marigolds, just those in one patch. Would slugs leave that kind of destruction?
I plant them to keep away the buggers, so it's just surprising to see something EATING them.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Something is eating my basil
