We have some leaf miners on the chard. I’m learning more all the time. I noticed these odd tracks on the leaves – obviously some sort of insect damage. There were also some white eggs in little groups on the underside. I hadn’t looked up the culprit yet but removed the damaged leaves and discarded them (I should have saved the undamaged portions & stalks, next time.) This morning I did a search and discovered what was behind the problem. Easy enough to deal with.
It always amazes me how quickly everything discovers our tiny porch garden. Just a few containers but the bugs show up right away. Last year the aphids were around a lot – particularly on the squash. This year with the chard we have the leaf miners. As the growing season went on last year it was fascinating how things developed. The aphids and other bugs came – and soon there were spiders busy catching things. Later in the year we had the frogs living among the plants on the containers. We create a habitat with fresh plants, no pesticides, and everything shows up for the party. It makes me want a bigger garden.
Next week we should get our first box from the Boistfort Valley Farm CSA. That’ll help make up for not being able to have a big garden here.
