What's eating my red-veined sorrel?

Red-veined Sorrel faces the same outdoor pest pressure as other sorrels. Slugs and snails are the primary threat, devouring leaves overnight. Aphids colonise soft new growth, and leaf miners leave distinctive pale tunnels. Rabbits readily graze sorrel plants. The ornamental red veins make leaf damage especially visible and cosmetically damaging.

Large, ragged holes in leaves overnight; silvery mucus trails left on and around plants Hand-pick after dark; apply iron phosphate pellets; surround plants with grit or crushed eggshells

Distorted, sticky new leaves; colonies of small insects visible on shoot tips and leaf undersides Knock off with water spray; treat with insecticidal soap; attract beneficial insects by planting nectar flowers nearby

Entire plants grazed to stubs, especially in spring when foliage is tender Protect with fine-mesh wire guards or rabbit-proof fencing; grow in raised beds to deter access