Question
Damaged Basil Leaves
I'm growing and expanding my herd garden at home. Suddenly my basil look wilted and leaves show spots with black nuclei and white edges as seen in the picture it is moving to other plants in the garden (mint family) and causing discoloring of the stems as well turning from green to black woody color
AnswerGarvin:
The yellow areas look like the "trails" made by a leaf miner- a type of insect. These areas look like lines on the leaf. The leaf miner eats the tissues in between the upper and lower leaf surface. The larvae mature inside the leaf and then emerge as an adult. You may need to use a systemic insecticide- one that penetrate inside the leaf. Check with your local garden center to find out what is safe to use. In the meantime, if it is feasible and practical hand pull the affected leaves and destroy them. This method is very effective if you just have a few affected leaves.
Regards
Steve