Ragged rosemary

[hvrlon]

We have two small rosemary bushes at the allotment and both have some sort of leaf damage (photo attached). I have never noticed this on the rosemary bushes I've previously grown in pots or in the garden. Does anyone have any idea of what this might be?

(We are still cooking with it!)

Thanks,

Hx

[crichmond]

Looks like somthing has munched on it

[hvrlon]

Yes, that's what I thought - though I wonder what that might be at this time of year (it has appeared recently).

[rustylady]

Snails would be my best guess. I often get moth caterpillars making their homes in my rosemary bush, but they don't actually eat the leaves cos as soon as I spot them I cut the shoot off. Mind you, my rosemary bush is in the open border and is huge. You can still use shoots for cooking as long as you wash them and remove any foreign bodies (specially if you're vegetarian - you wouldn't want to be eating snails or caterpillars, would you?)

[hvrlon]

I haven't spotted any snails recently, but an allotment newsletter informed me that we have some sort of endangered species of snail on the plot! (Not that I imagine this piece of information will make much difference to what plotholders do to get rid of them.) Perhaps it's a special rosemary-munching type. I will inspect the rosemary carefully and give it a good rinse.

[srodders]

Ahh just spotted this after posting my query - i'm having a big problem with rosemary leaf beetle at the moment. It could be that - but to be honest that looks more like caterpillar damage.