Holey leaves - what could be behind them
If an angel's trumpet shows holes in the leaves, that's an unpleasant thing, but usually not a really threatening problem. Because usually there are pests behind it, which can be successfully combated with the right measures. You should do that, however, because in the long run the infestation will of course affect the plant and can also lead to the failure of flowering.
also read
- When angel trumpets get sick - risks and measures
- What to do when the angel's trumpet sheds its leaves
- Holes in the lawn - causes and effective countermeasures
The most common parasites that like to feast on the large, delicate leaves of the angel's trumpet and leave hole-like traces of feeding on them are:
- Leaf bugs
- Caterpillars
- Catchy tunes
- Snails
Detection and control
Leaf bugs
Leaf bugs leave medium-sized holes in the angel's trumpet leaves. You should first fight them "humanely" and without chemicals by removing them manually in several stages. Shake the angel's trumpet in the morning when the hard-to-see bugs are still stiff, and pick them up from the floor. Repeat this until the traces of eating diminish. Otherwise, you can also spray the plant with neem oil, which is harmless to bedbugs and angel stropmets, or, more brutally, with soapy water.
Caterpillars
When caterpillars are at work, you can tell by the very large and rapidly spreading holes - after all, caterpillars are insatiable. So you should take countermeasures immediately - the best way to do this is to do a thorough search of the plant and collect the caterpillars. This is usually sufficient and is preferable to chemical treatment in any case.
Catchy tunes
Earwigs are actually more beneficial insects than pests, since they can also eat mites or aphids in addition to a few bites of tender angel's trumpet leaves. So you'd better make friends with them and offer them an alternative instead of the angel's trumpet: Clay flower pots filled with wood wool and placed upside down in the bed or hung in a tree have proven successful will. That's where they settle Ear pince-nez usually immediately turns over by itself.
Snails
You can clearly recognize snail damage by large holes with snail slime. Snail infestation is quite critical for the angel's trumpet. Either hunt the snails in the evening hours and place the plant in a clay pot on a dry terrace.
