It is inconclusive what is eating my basil. I haven't seen the perpetrator and I am a little bummed about that as I like to have a definitive answer to issues.
A few nights ago I looked at the plant with a flashlight to see if I would see any flea beetle's or brown beetle's jumping around on the plant. They are nocturnal, so this is the best way to view them. I also haven't seen any grasshoppers on the balcony lately, maybe our cat is scaring them away since she is a grasshopper murderer. We all know what a grass hopper looks like, here is picture of a flea beetle. The brown beetle looks very similar, but it is brown.
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| Flea Beetle |
From what I have read, to save a plant from insects such as these to use row covers as protection. I went to my local nursery and picked up a plant protection bag. It isn't pretty, but I am hoping it works. My primary concern with this option is how much is this bag filtering the sun and will the reduced intensity cause other issues. Also, it isn't as easy to water the plant, because you have to remove the bag to water (Or I need to position it differently on the plant for easier watering). It will be interesting to see what the next few weeks bring for my lovely basil.
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| Plant Protection Bag |
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