What is happening to my dahlia leaves? Why are there holes in the leaves? If you have noticed little holes in your dahlia plants, then this article will help you figure out what they are and how to treat them.

Why Are There Holes In My Dahlia Leaves?

There are holes in your dahlia leaves because pests are eating the leaf tissue. These pests are usually slugs or capsid bugs, which both LOVE eating dahlia leaves.

You should take a close look at your dahlia leaves to see if you can tell what is feeding on them. However, you may need to wait until nighttime…

Slugs are soft-bodied gastropods that glide along and leave slimy trails behind them wherever they go. They come out at night when it’s dark and damp because this is their favorite time to feed.

Slugs prefer tender new growth so they will devour any newly emerging or open flowers before moving onto the older leaves in late spring/early summer or fall when temperatures cool down. With enough slugs around, even mature plants may have holes eaten in their leaves!

How to Prevent Holes in Dahlia Leaves?

You need to stop the pests from attacking the leaves on your dahlia! This means using a combination of natural and chemical preventative treatments.

You can keep slugs away by applying a barrier of diatomaceous earth around the base of your dahlia. This powdery material is composed of tiny fossilized aquatic organisms and will dehydrate slugs as they pass over it.

If you don’t want to apply anything so harsh, then use a bed of wood chips to surround your plants. Slugs and snails do not like to cross over wood chips because it is difficult for them, so they will move on!

For capsids and other bugs, you can apply neem oil (Amazon link) to the leaves to keep them away. This oil is derived from neem tree seeds and it will kill off any bugs that come in contact with it!

It’s important that you stop pests from destroying new growth on your dahlia plants so you don’t lose flowers prematurely due to leaf loss Try one of these methods today and help control pest infestations naturally.

FAQ

Will the holes in my dahlia leaves heal themselves?

If the holes in your dahlia leaves are a result of slugs, then they will not close up on their own. You need to protect them from further infestation so new growth can emerge! This is done by preventing pests from getting into the center of your plants.

Are there any beneficial bugs/insects I should keep around?

Some insects love eating pests and will help keep them away, so they are beneficial to have around. Ladybugs are a good example of this!

What should I do if I find holes in my dahlia?

Take care of the problem immediately because left untreated it can cause irreversible damage to your plants. Start by using one or more preventative methods listed above until you see an improvement then maintain these treatments for future seasons as well.

Conclusion

In conclusion, slugs and bugs can eat holes in dahlia leaves if they are around. To prevent this problem, you should use natural barriers like diatomaceous earth or wood chips, as well as neem oil to keep the pests away from your plants.

Now that I know why there are holes in my dahlia leaves, I feel a lot better! It’s always good knowing what is happening to our plants so we can make sure it doesn’t happen again…