HELP!! What's killing my veg?

[JasonBruce]

So I've been really unlucky with my veg so far and today I did my usual water/check and upon checking my corn on of the very dead looking plants just slipped right out the ground with no roots... I squeezed a little and this popped out



Any ideas? All I know is that I can see straight through it and see it has clearly eaten into the roots and up the plant

[Scarlet]

I think that's a chafer grub. I'm not really sure how you get rid of them...you could water the ground well, cover with some plastic bags and hope they come to the surface. How big an area are they damaging?

[muddled]

I thought chafers were whiter, less see through, have little 'legs' and orangey brown heads?

Are there different types of chafer or might this be some other sort of beetle larvae?

[JasonBruce]

Think it may be "root maggots" been looking around on google and I see a lot matching. Maggots look the same, stunted growth, wilting and dying (and the obvious fact I found the last one in the root) anyone had experience with these?

[Scarlet]

Root maggots...usually a problem on cabbages etc, I'm not sure they bother sweetcorn?

[Scarlet]

I thought chafers were whiter, less see through, have little 'legs' and orangey brown heads?

Are there different types of chafer or might this be some other sort of beetle larvae?

Yes, you are right..I should put my specks on and not give advice when on my phone!

[vixylix]

could it be a leatherjacket? I have no idea really, just matches what they look like in my head!

[Muddy_Boots]

Looks very much like a leatherjacket, can be controlled with nematodes. They usually eat grass roots so would be about right at attacking your sweetcorn.

[JasonBruce]

Looks very much like a leatherjacket, can be controlled with nematodes. They usually eat grass roots so would be about right at attacking your sweetcorn.

Thanks to both you and vixylix if t is his where cannon buy some nematodes? Any suggestions

[WendyC]

Not a leatherjacket. They are more leathery looking.


Whatever it is, it's revolting!