Help, holes in my peppers!
Amateur Gardening|November 07, 2020
Help, holes in my peppers!
Anne Swithinbank
Help, holes in my peppers!

Q I grew sweet and chilli peppers for the first time this summer, but the plants produced few fruits that didn’t reach full size. They also had small holes in them. What caused this, and how can I grow them better next year? Chris Nightingale, Hartlepool, County Durham

A This sounds like the work of tomato moth caterpillars, which (despite the name) seem to find both sweet and chilli peppers tastier. Eggs are laid on leaf undersides and feeding caterpillars cause white papery patches. The growing larvae disperse and often make holes to enter and feed inside developing or ripe fruits. When fully grown, they pupate just below the soil surface or in other debris. Watch for early leaf damage and young caterpillars to squish before they do more harm. I welcome birds into my greenhouse – and regular visits by wrens, robins and hedge sparrows help to reduce pest numbers. A pheromone trap will lure and hold male moths, to reduce mating and egg-laying. If the problem keeps recurring, you can try spraying on a biological control nematode that targets caterpillars.

この記事は Amateur Gardening の November 07, 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Amateur Gardening の November 07, 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。