broad rapid leaf destruction - Ask Extension
I have searched the Internet but am having trouble identifying the answer, I left town for three nights and came back to my beautiful vegetable garden...
Knowledgebase
broad rapid leaf destruction #839921
Asked July 10, 2023, 2:32 PM EDT
I have searched the Internet but am having trouble identifying the answer, I left town for three nights and came back to my beautiful vegetable garden having experienced widespread leaf damage- specifically jagged crooked cuttings from the edges of the leaf into the interior part with some leaf material missing, looks like somebody took a scissors to the leaves - also hit my wild raspberry leaves and some of my annuals - can't see anything by day- such widespread damage to nearly every planting- kale, chard, spinach, sunflower leaves, beet greens! ugh!!
Cook County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hail? Sawfly larva, and/or grasshoppers, are my guesses. I have asked that your question be reassigned to an insect expert.
Hi Kristin,
Was there any severe weather when you were out of town? This looks like hail damage to me. Few pests are this destructive and feed on such a broad range of crops, so I would see what the weather was doing while you were away.
Marissa
Horticulture Integrated Pest Management Educator
Was there any severe weather when you were out of town? This looks like hail damage to me. Few pests are this destructive and feed on such a broad range of crops, so I would see what the weather was doing while you were away.
Marissa
Horticulture Integrated Pest Management Educator
thank you so much, I'm going to follow up with a neighbor to see if we had hail but I have had others suggest that it was likely hail damage as well so I'm pretty satisfied with that answer!!
it's definitely more appetizing to consider eating the greens knowing it was hail damage :)
Thank you again!!