Monitoring leaf miner

[geoff]

The official line is that leaf damage by 'miners causes no long term damage to the trees as by the time major defoliation occurs, enough starch reserves have been produced and stored for the following growing season.

 

But to my mind, continual year on year defoliation has to have a stressing effect and weaken the tree, possibly allowing other pathogens a chance to colonise.

 

Thats about the long & short of it.

We can help the HC's by removing & destroying the fallen leaves,and agood mulch around them helps with compaction problems.

It has been sugested that fresh prunus chippings(high in sugar about now)make a beneficial mulch.I have used these cheap & easy methods for a few years on affected trees at one loication(regular client),and for the first season in 3 years they are bearing good sized conkers,the leaves now are only slightly affected by the miner.

I do wonder if anything is feasting on the miner,having had a few years to adapt but that may be just speculation.

I am no authority on this,just my observations .

[nepia]

Thats about the long & short of it.

We can help the HC's by removing & destroying the fallen leaves,and agood mulch around them helps with compaction problems.

It has been sugested that fresh prunus chippings(high in sugar about now)make a beneficial mulch.I have used these cheap & easy methods for a few years on affected trees at one loication(regular client),and for the first season in 3 years they are bearing good sized conkers,the leaves now are only slightly affected by the miner.

I do wonder if anything is feasting on the miner,having had a few years to adapt but that may be just speculation.

I am no authority on this,just my observations .

 

That's interesting: I can see how mulching helps the tree but what explains the lack of miner I wonder? You'd think that a healthier tree would be all the more attractive to them.

 

Patent that idea quick!

[janey]

It's the removal of the fallen leaves that reduces the amount of adult miners hatching out and continuing the (re)infestation cycle, especially the last leaf fall of autumn as these leaves will produce the first generation for next year's cycle.

 

And mulching has so many benefits already covered in depth by others more eloquent than I .

[nepia]

It's the removal of the fallen leaves that reduces the amount of adult miners hatching out and continuing the (re)infestation cycle, especially the last leaf fall of autumn as these leaves will produce the first generation for next year's cycle.

 

And mulching has so many benefits already covered in depth by others more eloquent than I .

 

Got it. Thank you.

 

Jon