What's eating my dahlia 'ginger snap'?

Dahlia 'Ginger Snap' faces slugs and earwigs as the most damaging early-season pests, along with aphids on young shoots. Capsid bugs and caterpillars distort and shred foliage and buds. In late summer, red spider mite can weaken plants badly in dry weather. Vigilance from the moment shoots emerge is essential.

Young dahlia shoots are eaten to stubs at ground level; large holes in leaves higher up the plant. Apply iron phosphate pellets when tubers are planted. Use copper tape around pots. Hand-pick at night using a torch. Keep the area weed-free.

Dense colonies on shoot tips and buds; curled, sticky foliage with sooty mould; distorted flower development. Squash by hand or blast off with water. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil and repeat weekly. Encourage ladybirds.

Ragged, irregular holes in petals and young leaves, typically overnight; petals may look tattered. Set traps: stuff a flower pot with straw and invert it on a cane near the plant — empty and destroy earwigs each morning. Some predation on aphids is beneficial, so tolerate low numbers.

Pale, mottled or bronzed foliage with fine webbing on undersides of leaves in hot, dry spells. Increase humidity by misting. Spray with neem oil or a miticide. Introduce predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis as a biological control.