| |  | | Basil Pests
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Janice Forsyth
Posted on: July 5, 2002
I have been growing basil successfully for years and for the last two years in the same spot. I added compost this year and planted basil -- something is eating my basil! I have holes in the leaves – any suggestions?
Slugs and earwigs love basil. Since you added compost to your soil you not only provided better conditions for your basil, but also for those two pests! Put a 10 centimeter wide band of diatomaceous earth (fossil dust, Richters catalogue number T2140) around each plant and renew after heavy watering or heavy rain. This will discourage both pests. A 10 centimeter wide or high copper foil collar will stop slugs and snails and neem spray would discourage both pests, the earwigs more than the slugs. A slitted sticky strip collar on the stems would stop earwigs. Spraying the area with scanmask, or predatory nematodes(#T2600) would eventually control the earwigs as well as various beetles that might be the night-time culprits as well.
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