Hello
While pruning my Thai Basil, I noticed a bunch of tiny dots on a lot of leaves. Can you guys please view the pictures and tell me what these dots are?
(please zoom in to take a close look)
https://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f24/weapons_hot/IMG_2279.jpg
https://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f24/weapons_hot/IMG_2280.jpg
After searching the forums, I'm suspecting that it is "water spots" since I admit I do mist the leaves with a spray bottle somedays. Can any expert out there take a look to see if this is just a classic example of water spots caused by my stupidity?
I'm pretty sure it's not insects, since I have been using insecticide, and I don't see any insects. FYI: I used to have leaf miners. I posted a while back about that.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15054&view=previous&sid=816547e343f4321bf300f10a0bdec868
The leaf miners went away after I yanked all the infected leaves and used insecticide. Funny thing is, I'm seeing leaf miners on plants all around town. There's been a recent leaf miner boom! o_O
Anyways, I would appreciate some confirmation that these symptoms pictured are indeed water spots and not insects or disease.
Thanks for your help.
--Alex
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
The bottom picture with the whitish squiggles is clearly leaf miners. That makes me think the other white areas might be as well, although I have never seen them with black centers like that.
Here's a post I did about leaf miners: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... er#p340418
The little yellow dots are probably marks from some kind of sucking insects like thrips.
Here's a post I did about leaf miners: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... er#p340418
The little yellow dots are probably marks from some kind of sucking insects like thrips.
I suspect mites may be causing the spots. Thrips and mites both cause scarring on the leaves, but if you have been using "insecticides" regularly, you may have had good initial knockdown but you also killed off predators. Mites are usually not that responsive to normal insecticides since they are more closely related to spiders than to insects. Sulfur and pyrethrins are effective on mites but cause the same issues since they also kill predators which can result in a rebound resurgence of pests down the line.
Mites can cause bronzing under a leaf or you may see webbing if it is severe. Thrips cause stippling but the leaves usually pucker and get deformed as they grow, and I did not see puckering on the leaf.
Instead of reaching for insecticides, try reaching for the water hose instead and use a strong jet of water to blast off pests. Identify your pests and select the least toxic effective control. Invite predators in by providing nectar, pollen plants, and habitat.
Cultural controls like isolating or removing sick plants from healthy ones, keeping the area sanitized and if the problem persists change the location of the plants next time and see if there is a better place for them. You may have to clean up the area and not bring in any new plants for a while and change the location to see if the pests have moved on. You can also use barrriers and traps for some pests, increase spacing so they have good air movement and the pests have fewer places to hide from predators. If you have to spray, target the pest and try to preserve the predators.
Mites can cause bronzing under a leaf or you may see webbing if it is severe. Thrips cause stippling but the leaves usually pucker and get deformed as they grow, and I did not see puckering on the leaf.
Instead of reaching for insecticides, try reaching for the water hose instead and use a strong jet of water to blast off pests. Identify your pests and select the least toxic effective control. Invite predators in by providing nectar, pollen plants, and habitat.
Cultural controls like isolating or removing sick plants from healthy ones, keeping the area sanitized and if the problem persists change the location of the plants next time and see if there is a better place for them. You may have to clean up the area and not bring in any new plants for a while and change the location to see if the pests have moved on. You can also use barrriers and traps for some pests, increase spacing so they have good air movement and the pests have fewer places to hide from predators. If you have to spray, target the pest and try to preserve the predators.
Much thanks for the responses guys!
@rainbowgardener, I had the same thought process. From what I could find online, it looked like leaf miner but the black dot was throwing me off as I found sites that had a similar issue. They said it was blotch leaf miner.
https://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions ... ots-photos
@imafan26, I've been reading conflicting ideas on wetting the basil leafs so I may try you initial advice and use insecticide. These basil plants are in an hydroponic system. Should I approach this any differently from plants in soil?
@rainbowgardener, I had the same thought process. From what I could find online, it looked like leaf miner but the black dot was throwing me off as I found sites that had a similar issue. They said it was blotch leaf miner.
https://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions ... ots-photos
@imafan26, I've been reading conflicting ideas on wetting the basil leafs so I may try you initial advice and use insecticide. These basil plants are in an hydroponic system. Should I approach this any differently from plants in soil?
Hydroponic plants are usually planted close together and disease and pests spread quickly. Most hydroponic systems are under cover. Unfortunately, bugs and disease can still get in, and once they do they are hard to stop. It is just something you have to keep ahead of. Pull the infested plants if you have to to keep problems from spreading.
Plants in hydro systems usually grow faster, but sanitation is even more important as bugs love fast growing plants.
Plants in hydro systems usually grow faster, but sanitation is even more important as bugs love fast growing plants.