Topic: brown leaves on celeriac plants

[tricia]

Hi everyone,

I'm usually to be found on the Ponds 'n Stuff board, but I lurk here and have been impressed with the number of gardening tips I've been able to pick up! Now I have a problem which I hope someone will be able to help me with! :)

Can someone tell me why the leaves on my celeriac plants have turned brown and papery now that the plants are in their final positions in the veggie plot? I babied the plants from seed to strong healthy specimens and I'd hate to lose them. The patch was well manured last Autumn, so I don't think it can be due to lack of nutrients. The plants get watered with the rest of the patch and I water the soil - not the plants. There is some new growth appearing from the centre of the plants, but the plants look rather scruffy and I'm afraid they may not mature. I've never grown celeriac before - but they do make great chips! ;D

Tricia

[Svea]

i have the same thing, tricia.

it may be celery leaf miner (or any other varient leaf miner) - the flies lay eggs into the leaf (you can spot little dots, like someone has stabbed the leaf repeatedly with a very fine needle), the larvae eat the inside of the leaf, making it blister and brown, then emerge and the cycle begins again. 21 day cycle

i have only just found out myself - i too thought it was lack of watering, or something. have now picked all the affected leaves off and will keep doing that until the pest is under control. :)
burn or dispose of the leaves, not the compost heap.

other plants that may be affected: celery, lovage, parsley (yes i found some there :() and also my parsnips.

hth
svea

[tricia]

Thanks svea for your speedy response.

I had to go out but first I rushed out and picked off all the brown leaves - poor plants look even worse now :(, but hopefully they will pick up in a few days.

Funnily enough, last year my parsley went all brown too, but I just dug it up and threw it away thinking it had dried up!

I'll now keep my fingers crossed that the new growth will not get infected and that I'll be able to enjoy some celeriac chips in due course. About when are they ready for harvesting? Do they get left in the ground till needed or should they be harvested and stored?

Again many thanks for your help.

Tricia

[Debs]

My celeriac are still in their 3" pots, and are looking green and lush.

...Just hope this lasts when I transplant out to lottie :D

Debs

[tim]

Thanks for the reminder - my Parsley has got it.

PS See http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,10453.0.html