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What's wrong with my peony and its distorted leaves?

#1 · 30th June 2024, 6:02 pm

Please help. Something is happening with my peony, the leaves are mis shapen and it didn't flower this year. It's a Coral sunset. Could you please help identify the problem and hopefully find a solution?

Thank you

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#2 · 4th July 2024, 3:35 pm

Quote from Lee Garden Ninja on 4th July 2024, 3:35 pm
Hi @sunnyspot

Good question about your Peony leaves. Are you wondering what's causing the distortion? The quick answer is it looks like a Peony leaf miner. This pest lays eggs that they pupate and start chewing through parts of the leaf veins, causing all sorts of appearance issues. The good news is it won't usually kill your Peony but leads to odd-shaped leaves.

What do Peony leaf miners look like?

Larvae: The larvae of the peony leaf miner are small, yellowish-white maggots that burrow into the leaves.

Adult Moths: The adult moths are small and grayish, often difficult to spot as they are not particularly distinctive.

Damage from Peony Leaf Miners

Mined Leaves: The most obvious sign of an infestation is the presence of winding, discoloured trails or "mines" on the leaves. These mines are created by the larvae as they feed between the leaf layers.

Leaf Distortion: In severe cases, the leaves may become distorted, wilt, or drop prematurely.

Aesthetic Impact: While leaf miners typically do not kill peony plants, they can significantly affect their appearance and overall health by reducing photosynthetic capability.

Life Cycle of Leaf Miner

Egg Laying: Adult moths lay eggs on the underside of peony leaves in spring.

Larvae Development: Once the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the leaves and begin feeding, creating the characteristic mines.

Pupation: After feeding, the larvae exit the leaves and pupate in the soil or within the leaf litter.

Adult Emergence: Adult moths emerge from pupae to start the cycle again.

How to stop leaf miners on Peonies

There are a few ways to help reduce leaf miner and keep your peonies in tip-top shape.

1. Cultural Controls

Remove Affected Leaves: Regularly inspect your peonies and remove and destroy any leaves showing signs of mining. This helps reduce the number of larvae and pupae in the vicinity.

Maintain Plant Health: Healthy plants are better able to withstand pest damage. Ensure your peonies are well-watered, fertilized, and mulched to reduce stress.

https://youtu.be/5BhGtCjT2TQ

2. Biological Controls

Encourage Natural Predators. Beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps can help control leaf miner populations. Avoid using broad-spectrum insecticides that might harm these natural predators.

3. Chemical Controls

Whilst there are plenty of chemical controls out there in spray form, I wouldn't advise using them as they have a serious knock-on effect on more beneficial wildlife like honeybees, butterflies, lacewings and ladybirds, all of which are vital friends in our gardens.

My advice would have been to just leave the leaves on until the Peony has finished flowering. I know you said it had missed a year, but I think given the weird weather, there may still have been a chance; however, without leaves, it may struggle. Give the Peony a good liquid feed, and fingers crossed, next year it returns with a bang!

All the best

Lee Garden Ninja

Hi @sunnyspot

Good question about your Peony leaves. Are you wondering what's causing the distortion? The quick answer is it looks like a Peony leaf miner. This pest lays eggs that they pupate and start chewing through parts of the leaf veins, causing all sorts of appearance issues. The good news is it won't usually kill your Peony but leads to odd-shaped leaves.

What do Peony leaf miners look like?

Larvae: The larvae of the peony leaf miner are small, yellowish-white maggots that burrow into the leaves.
Adult Moths: The adult moths are small and grayish, often difficult to spot as they are not particularly distinctive.

Damage from Peony Leaf Miners

Mined Leaves: The most obvious sign of an infestation is the presence of winding, discoloured trails or "mines" on the leaves. These mines are created by the larvae as they feed between the leaf layers.
Leaf Distortion: In severe cases, the leaves may become distorted, wilt, or drop prematurely.
Aesthetic Impact: While leaf miners typically do not kill peony plants, they can significantly affect their appearance and overall health by reducing photosynthetic capability.

Life Cycle of Leaf Miner

Egg Laying: Adult moths lay eggs on the underside of peony leaves in spring.
Larvae Development: Once the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the leaves and begin feeding, creating the characteristic mines.
Pupation: After feeding, the larvae exit the leaves and pupate in the soil or within the leaf litter.
Adult Emergence: Adult moths emerge from pupae to start the cycle again.

How to stop leaf miners on Peonies

There are a few ways to help reduce leaf miner and keep your peonies in tip-top shape.

1. Cultural Controls

Remove Affected Leaves: Regularly inspect your peonies and remove and destroy any leaves showing signs of mining. This helps reduce the number of larvae and pupae in the vicinity.

Maintain Plant Health: Healthy plants are better able to withstand pest damage. Ensure your peonies are well-watered, fertilized, and mulched to reduce stress.

2. Biological Controls

Encourage Natural Predators. Beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps can help control leaf miner populations. Avoid using broad-spectrum insecticides that might harm these natural predators.

3. Chemical Controls

Whilst there are plenty of chemical controls out there in spray form, I wouldn't advise using them as they have a serious knock-on effect on more beneficial wildlife like honeybees, butterflies, lacewings and ladybirds, all of which are vital friends in our gardens.

My advice would have been to just leave the leaves on until the Peony has finished flowering. I know you said it had missed a year, but I think given the weird weather, there may still have been a chance; however, without leaves, it may struggle. Give the Peony a good liquid feed, and fingers crossed, next year it returns with a bang!

All the best

Lee Garden Ninja