Holes and chewing damage on leaves
Holes, notches, and skeletonised patches on leaves usually mean a chewing pest has been at work — caterpillars, beetles, and similar leaf eaters — rather than a watering or light problem.
Identify before you treat. Different pests need different responses, and many leaf holes on outdoor-grown plants come from visitors that never establish indoors. Indoors, start with physical removal and isolation; sprays come last, and only products labelled for indoor use on that plant and the pest you actually found.
General beginner information only — not a substitute for advice from your local agricultural extension service. For edible plants, use only a product that is labelled for that particular edible crop, for indoor use, and follow any harvest interval on its label; try non-chemical steps first, and never use a product that is not labelled for indoor use on that plant.
Checklist to diagnose
- Are holes round, ragged, or between the veins, and are they on old leaves, new leaves, or both?
- Look under leaves and along stems in daylight: can you see caterpillars, beetles, or their droppings?
- Is damage spreading fast, or has it stayed on a few leaves?
- Is the plant indoors now, or did the damage happen outdoors before it came in?
- Are neighbouring plants affected too, or just this one?
Rescue steps
- Isolate the affected plant from neighbours so pests cannot walk across to them.
- Pick off visible caterpillars and beetles by hand and remove badly chewed leaves with clean scissors.
- Rinse the foliage gently to dislodge anything you cannot see, and let the plant dry before it goes back near others.
- Recheck the undersides every few days for a week or more: new holes mean the pest is still active and you have not found it yet.
- If physical removal does not stop the damage, use only a product labelled for indoor use on that plant and for that pest type, follow its label exactly, and test on a small area first.
When to give up
- The plant is repeatedly stripped of new growth as fast as it appears, and no pest can be found or controlled after repeated checks.
- Stems are girdled or the growing tip is destroyed with no side buds left.
Plants on this site
These plant guides on this site already mention this problem: