Hello Debs and any one out there,

We seem to have a problem in this village. I went out to pick some mint yesterday and instead of the dratted stuff poking up every where I could find only a couple of miserable shoots and one in a pot. Talking to a friend up the road today she says that her large mint bed is in the same condition. What is happening? In all the years (too many to state) that I have been growing mints of all kinds I have never met this before when vertualy all of it dies. Mine certainly was not rust as I grow Bowles which does not seem to suffer and it generally runs round the garden into different areas so not stale soil etc. Strange! Any ideas? I shall ask around to see if any other mint beds are affected.

Jane

Hi Jane

Some years the pests get a jump on everything and can cause havoc with sets of plants, its possible that either the local slug population is eating all the mint, but there could be a large colony of mint beetles in your area due to the mild winter? http://www.britishnature.co.uk/BeetlesBugs/Index.html In 2006 in the South of England there was a lot more rosemary beetles than usual and rosemary plants down there suffered. The mint beetle will also chew on other plants in the labiate family such as lemon balm, catnip and hyssop.

The mint beetle, Chrysolina menthastri can cause quite a bit of damage to mint plants. Despite the fact that each beetle is no bigger than ¼in. long, they have a huge appetite for mint foliage. They're most active between May - August, in late Summer if you look closely at the mint you may also spot the larval stage of the mint beetle, a blackish, squidgy-looking grub which also munches its way through the mint leaves.

The only way to get rid of them is to pick them off and 'squish them' or find another way to dispose of them. So check for the pretty irridescent beetles on the mint foliage in the day and the local slug populace at night. Let me know what you find. I wonder how many other pests there are that we don't know about, mayhap time to do a section of pests that affect herbs?

Debs

Too dry?

Hello Debs and Kate,

Will go an look for pretty(!) beetles' they haven't been seen so far but as my eyes are getting a bit ancient perhaps I should wear my glasses and the ground certainly is not too dry as we have had a fair old bit of rain here and we are on clay which does not dry out too quickly especially as the ground is well covered with other foliage. I shall have to have a good dig and see what I find. Blooming nuisance now the new spuds are around. Hey ho, that's gardening.

Jane

2 years ago I had mint problems such as yours and it was due to insufficient water. We were in a drought in the Midwest USA but it sounds like you may have a bug infestation. Good luck.

Hi Dorice

Nice to see someone from the other side of the pond on the forum, what kinds of herbs do you grow? I'm interested to see what grows both sides of the pond and if there are things you grow that we can't and vice versa.

Debs

Hello Dorice,

Water or rather lack of it has not been a problem here in the West Country this year. Have had several warm days but it looks as if we shall be getting more rain later in the week. I have been searching through the undergrowth and have found one stem with very chewed leaves so I expect it is bugs that are causing the trouble. I think I shall try some Neem oil on them. It works with blackfly. Will let you all know if it works.

Jane