Content
Eggplant is a plant from the Solanaceae family, like its “relatives,” which is especially loved by many pests. They often feed on plant tissue, so eggplant leaves in a hole is a problem that most gardeners are familiar with firsthand. To save plants and the future harvest, you need to be able to quickly and correctly identify the problem and know how to deal with it as effectively as possible.
Why do eggplant leaves have holes?
Most often, holes in eggplant leaves are the result of an attack on the bushes by pests that feed on plant tissue. Their list is quite long, but as a rule, there are no problems with “identification”: their “appearance” is very characteristic.
Spider mite
A pest that leaves holes in the leaves of both indoor plants and garden crops. In the latter case, his area of interest includes eggplants. It first settles on the underside of leaf blades, “piercing” the outer shell and sucking the juice out of them.
It more often affects plants in a greenhouse than in open ground, because its activation is promoted by high temperature and low air humidity.When rainy and cool weather sets in for a long time, the pest falls into a kind of state of “anabiosis.”
It overwinters in the soil and lays eggs in the spring, so holes appear on the leaves of eggplants closer to mid-summer. Adults, and even more so the intermediate stages of spider mite development, are practically indistinguishable to the naked eye. However, by “indirect” signs it is identified unmistakably.
In addition to holes on the leaves that appear when the infection has gone too far, eggplants, especially the tops of the stems, buds, and young leaves are entwined with thin translucent “cobwebs.” First, the greens become discolored, become yellowish-beige, and gradually dry out.
Spider mites are not insects, so insecticides are useless in the fight against them.
Colorado beetle
Contrary to popular belief, the Colorado potato beetle eats up to the “skeleton” of veins not only potato leaves. His diet includes any nightshade, including tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants.
Any gardener knows what the Colorado potato beetle looks like. Adults have a convex yellow-black striped back, orange-black legs and head. The larvae are legless, red-orange, with black dots on the sides of the body and a black head. The insects are small - about 1 cm and 6-7 mm long, respectively.
Holes in eggplant leaves are left by both adult Colorado potato beetles and larvae. They are distinguished by their rare gluttony, and the first ones are also fertile.During the season, from one to three generations of pests appear (depending on how warm it is in the region).
Only adult individuals overwinter; to do this, they bury themselves in the ground. In spring, the Colorado potato beetle becomes active quite early. Therefore, holes in the leaves appear not only in adult bushes, but also in eggplant seedlings recently transplanted into the ground, which are a real “delicacy” for the Colorado potato beetle and suffer the greatest damage from it.
Colorado potato beetles fly very well, but when danger approaches they often prefer to fall to the ground and pretend to be dead.
Slugs
Essentially, these are snails without shells. Grayish-brown slugs become more active in rainy, cool weather. They are practically omnivores, feeding on the tissues of any plants, eating large holes in them. Eggplant leaves also suffer from shellfish. Their teeth are more like a grater, so first they “scrape” the surface shell from them, and then gnaw out large holes in the internal tissues.
Since slugs have no natural protection, direct sunlight and heat are harmful to them. Therefore, they are predominantly nocturnal; gardeners discover holes in the leaves of eggplants in the morning. Additionally, a sticky coating that turns silver in the sun will help identify the pest.
The peak of slug activity lasts 1.5-2.5 months. It coincides with the breeding season of mollusks, which is interrupted only when the air temperature drops to 5 °C.
In the garden, slugs have quite a lot of natural enemies that effectively reduce their population numbers - mice, hedgehogs, lizards, birds
Other
The list of pests that feed on plant tissue and leave holes in eggplant leaves is quite long. The most common are:
- Aphid. An “omnivorous” pest that leaves holes on the leaves of not only eggplants, but also most other garden crops, both fruit-bearing and ornamental. Small “bugs” settle on plants in numerous colonies, preferring to stick to the youngest tissues. Aphids feed on the sap of plants; in places where punctures are left by insects, the tissues first become discolored and then die. Multiple small round holes form in eggplant leaves.
Garden crops are affected by different types of aphids, differing in color and size.
- Whitefly. A small grayish-whitish “butterfly”, very reminiscent of a moth. It also feeds on plant sap, the characteristic damage is similar to that left by aphids - eggplant leaves become holed and turn yellow. If a whitefly is “responsible” for the damage, it is very easy to understand. It is enough to touch the plant, and the insects rise en masse into the air.
The whitefly prefers “greenhouse” conditions; most often it leaves holes on the leaves of eggplants in closed ground
- Medvedka. A large insect with a “mixed” diet. Roots, above-ground parts of plants, and soil fauna are suitable for food. The mole cricket leads a predominantly underground lifestyle and rarely rises to the surface.But it can leave behind large holes on eggplant leaves, reminiscent of those made by slugs.
The mole cricket looks creepy, but poses no danger to humans
- Cruciferous flea beetle. Small glossy black bug. It feeds mainly on garden crops from the family of the same name (cabbage, radish, radish), but if they are deficient, it can switch to other plantings. After attacks by the cruciferous flea beetle, eggplant leaves become covered with small round holes and blind holes, turn yellow and dry out.
The cruciferous flea beetle does not tolerate shade, so eggplants, which prefer good light, are suitable for it as food
What to do if eggplant leaves are in a hole
The more advanced the problem, the more powerful tools are required to solve it. If there are still few holes on the leaves of eggplants, and insects have not had time to colonize them “en masse,” it is quite possible to get by with folk remedies. In severe cases, you should not even waste time on them; you must immediately use agrochemicals or at least preparations of biological origin.
When choosing the right product, you need to keep in mind that insecticides will only help get rid of insects. Spider mites are arachnids; acaricides or insectoacaricides are needed to combat them.
Any drug is used in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Increasing its concentration in the working solution or carrying out treatments more often, hoping to quickly get rid of problems with holes in eggplant leaves is a very bad idea.
The use of at least a minimum set of personal protective equipment should not be neglected
Knowing the nuances of lifestyle and other “weak points” of pests, you can do without chemicals. This concept of fighting against slugs, which easily fall into traps - containers dug into the ground and filled with bait, is especially effective. Also, sand, ground eggs or nut shells, and pine needles become an insurmountable obstacle for them if you surround the base of the stems with a “ring.”
Once every 7-10 days, the bait in the slug trap must be changed, while simultaneously getting rid of the caught specimens
Pest prevention
It is easier to prevent any problem in the garden than to look for ways to solve it later. To avoid having to guess why holes appeared in the eggplant leaves and how to get rid of the pest, it is recommended to take simple preventive measures in a timely manner:
- Compliance with crop rotation rules. Crops from the same family suffer from similar pests. Their eggs and larvae gradually heat up in the soil, and the risk of holes appearing on the leaves increases.
- Regular inspections of eggplant beds for holes in the leaves and other suspicious symptoms. The earlier a problem is noticed, the easier it is to deal with it.
- Proper care of plantings. Proper agricultural technology, primarily watering and fertilizing, is the key to normal plant development. Powerful and strong eggplants are better able to resist any negative external influences, including pest attacks.
- Timely weeding. Many insects that leave holes on the leaves use weeds as “intermediate hosts” and lay eggs on them.
- Cleaning the beds from plant debris in the fall, digging them thoroughly.In these residues and shallowly in the soil, many pests successfully overwinter, leaving holes on the leaves of eggplants - adults, their larvae, eggs. In greenhouses and greenhouses, it is also advisable to disinfect the frame and all surfaces.
- Regular ventilation of the greenhouse. Most insects that cause holes in eggplant leaves prefer moist, “stale” air. Good ventilation will provide them with serious discomfort.
- Compliance with the planting scheme recommended for a given variety or hybrid. “Crowding” also contributes to the creation of a “stuffy” atmosphere.
- Planting herbs and ornamental plants with a pronounced aroma next to eggplants. Many insects that leave holes in their leaves do not like strong odors.
Eggplants in a greenhouse are more likely to suffer from diseases and pests, so prevention indoors is especially important.
Conclusion
Hole-shaped eggplant leaves are a fairly common problem in the crop. Many voracious pests feed on green plants. Simple preventive measures will help prevent them from “invading” the bushes, but if this cannot be avoided, it is necessary to quickly and correctly “identify” the pest and use folk remedies or drugs that are effective in this case.
There are midges on eggplants, briefly how to save them - recipe
Good afternoon.
There are several ways to combat midges on eggplants.
You can treat the soil and eggplants with soapy water. Prepare a solution based on laundry or tar soap, treat the soil and eggplants.
Dusting soil and plants with wood ash.
You can also use ready-made preparations against midges:
• Reftamid anti-fly aerosol – spraying soil and plants.
• Aktara, Grom-2, Inta-Vir, Fitoverm solutions - dilute in accordance with the instructions on the package, treat the soil and plants.