Problems with spinach
Identify what's wrong by where it appears and what you can see.
Where is the problem?
Start by selecting the part of the plant where you see the problem.
Start with the symptom
Or pick from the symptoms most often seen on spinach.
Common problems with spinach
The problems recorded on spinach, the most common first.
16 problems
-
Bolting (running to seed)
A tall flower stalk from the centre of a leafy crop. The leaves turn bitter and tough. -
Damping off
Seedlings collapse at soil level with a thin, dark, pinched stem. -
Heat stress
Afternoon wilting, dropped flowers and stalled fruit in a hot spell, even in moist soil. -
Leaf miners
Pale, winding tunnels or blotches inside the leaves. -
Aphids
Small, soft insects clustered on new growth and under leaves, leaving sticky honeydew. -
Late blight
Dark, water-soaked patches that spread fast in warm, wet weather, killing leaves, stems and fruit. -
Slugs and snails
Ragged holes in leaves and seedlings gone overnight, with silvery slime trails. -
Birds
Torn, stripped brassica leaves, pecked fruit, and seeds or seedlings pulled from the soil. -
Caterpillars
Holes chewed in leaves, often down to the veins, with green droppings below. -
Cucumber mosaic virus
Mottled yellow and green, puckered leaves, stunted plants and warty, mottled fruit. -
Downy mildew
Yellow, angular patches on top of leaves with grey-purple fuzz underneath. -
Flea beetles
Lots of tiny round holes in young leaves, and small beetles that jump when disturbed.
