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Leafminers...
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:46 pm
- My broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower has white vine like lines on the leaves. What are they and how do I get rid of them. My plants look like they are not thriving now.
- It sounds like you've got leafminers. They have a broad range of host plants and they seem to like your garden. The first thing to do is remove the affected leaves and dispose of them in the trash (not in compost). If you check the underside of the leaf you will most likely see small white eggs, you don't want those to hatch, so straight to the trash. There are several generations of this pest in one season so you will need to keep a close eye out for signs of their existence. You may see eggs, larvae and flys. Sometimes using sticky traps and row covers for the flies works well. If just removing the affected leaves isn't keeping the numbers down you might try using neem oil or beneficial insects such beneficial nematodes or parasitic wasps. I personally haven't had experience with beneficial insects as an intervention so I don't have any particular insight there. Start with removing the affected leaves and checking plants frequently for eggs and tunneling larvae. Good luck and good gardening!