Eggplant is a favorite host of multiple species of flea beetles, which are mostly in the genus Epitrix. Flea beetles have chewing mouthparts and feed on leaves, making small, shot-like holes.
How do you treat eggplant with leaf spots?
Minimize periods of high relative humidity and free moisture on leaves through the use of drip, rather than overhead irrigation, controlling weeds, increasing plant spacing, and avoiding overirrigation. Bury infected crop debris or remove and destroy infected leaves.
What are the tiny holes in leaves?
Slugs are the most common cause of holes in leaves, but they often remain unseen because they feed at night. Sometimes larger slugs eat leaves from the edge inward, but small slugs make irregular holes inside leaves, as shown in the chard leaf on the right in the above photo. Slug holes always have smooth green edges.
What is the best fungicide for eggplant?
Fungicides registered for control of Verticillium wilt in eggplant are fumigants such as 1,3- dichloropropene + chloropicrin which has a general registration for soil borne diseases. There are no fungicides permitted for control of Verticillium wilt in eggplant.
How do I keep bugs off my eggplant?
Hosing off your eggplant with a strong blast from your garden hose can help control small flea beetle populations. Prevent the pests from even reaching your eggplants by covering seedlings and young plants with floating row covers.
What is a natural way to get rid of flea beetles?
How to Get Rid of Flea Beetles
- Try this homemade spray to control flea beetles: 2 cups isopropyl alcohol, 5 cups water, and 1 tablespoon liquid soap.
- Dusting leaves with plain talcum powder repels flea beetles on tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and other plants.
- Use white sticky traps to capture flea beetles as they jump.
What is eating the leaves of my eggplant?
Aphids and whiteflies both have piercing, sucking mouthparts used to suck the sap out of eggplant leaves and stems. Both pests are primarily found on the undersides of the leaves. As they feed, they secrete a sticky waste known as honeydew.
What does an overwatered eggplant look like?
An overwatered eggplant will also show symptoms of this problem on its leaves. Look for leaves that feel wet, soft, and limp. More symptoms of overwatering include premature leaf drop of new growth and soft, brown, or mushy roots that prevent the plant from taking water, causing leaf curl and wilting.
What is making holes in my eggplant fruit?
Small, irregular to oval-shaped holes along the fruit surface are signs that pepper maggots may be feasting inside. Pepper Maggots are a common pest of Eggplant and related crops. To reduce populations, sanitation and crop rotation is helpful.
How do you treat holes in leaves?
For both, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Sucking insects poke tiny holes in leaves and draw the juices out of them. Common sucking insects include aphids, squash bugs, and spider mites.
Should I cut off leaves with holes?
Fortunately, there’s good news! Greens with holes in them that were created by feeding insects or slugs should be fine to eat, if you cut away the damaged parts. However, there are times when you do want to avoid produce that has been damaged by the local wildlife.
How do I get rid of bugs eating my leaves?
Vegetable Oil
Use 1 tablespoon of mild soap (like dish soap or castile soap) to 1 cup of vegetable oil. Mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil mix to 1 quart of water and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the top and bottom of each leaf where the insects are dwelling and the stems if needed.
What is the common problem of eggplant?
Some of the most common include blossom end rot, wilt diseases, and various types of blight. Many of these eggplant diseases can be eliminated or prevented by practicing crop rotation, reducing weed growth, and providing adequate spacing and uniform watering.
What is the major pest of eggplant?
eggplant flea beetle
Eggplant – a solanaceous crop – has some of the same pests as pepper, potato, and tomato. The eggplant flea beetle and the eggplant lace bug are common pests, but twospotted spider mites can be more damaging.
What are the little black bugs eating my eggplant leaves?
A: That’s the work of flea beetles, the bane of eggplants. Flea beetles are tiny black bugs that chew holes in leaves like someone peppered them with miniature buckshot. They’ll attack mustard, radishes and sometimes cole crops, but eggplant is their favorite.
Is Epsom salt good for eggplants?
They do well with a drip irrigation system, but many watering methods work. When the first blossoms appear, spray the plants with a seaweed extract with one teaspoon of Epsom salts dissolved per gallon. The solution improves fruit set. Depending on the variety, fruit matures 60 to 100 days from transplanting.
How do I protect my eggplant from flea beetles?
For eggplant, drape the row cover over hoops – don’t let the material lay directly on plants. Spray a product like “Surround”, which are repellents made from kaolin clay mixed with water. They create a particle barrier after drying that inhibits flea beetles and greatly reduces feeding.
Do coffee grounds deter flea beetles?
Coffee grounds are a good repellent for flea beetles, but to get rid of them, the best and most effective option is diatomaceous earth, which will dehydrate the pests on contact.
What kills flea beetle?
At the first sign of flea beetles in your garden, turn to a trusted pesticide such as Sevin brand for help. Sevin Insect Killer Ready to Use2 kills flea beetles on listed vegetables on contact to help prevent damage to tender seedlings and maturing plants at the first sign of trouble.
What does flea beetle look like?
Flea beetles are small, shiny, black, brown or blue beetles that are 2-3mm long. They can be hard to spot, and jump out of sight when disturbed. Flea beetles appear in spring, after hibernating around the garden.
Do marigolds repel flea beetles?
Marigolds have long been used as companion plants to ward off flea beetles and other pests. Some plants to consider intercropping include dill, bunching onions, or marigolds.