What pests attack spinach?

Black Bean Aphid (Blackfly), Chafer grubs, Flea beetles, Leaf Miner

What diseases affect spinach?

Downy Mildew, Tomato spotted wilt virus, White mould (Sclerotinia), Cercospora leaf spot

Spinach pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which spinach problems need quick action?

Downy Mildew: Badly affected leaves shrivel and turn brown or yellow and fall early; plants become stunted and some may die. Tomato spotted wilt virus: Dark brown streaks on stems and leaf stalks; tips die back, and plants are stunted or grow lopsided. White mould (Sclerotinia): Masses of fluffy white, cotton-like mould on the affected parts, especially in cool, damp weather.

Spinacia oleracea

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for spinach in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	8
Pests	4
Diseases	4
Need quick action	3

How to grow spinach · All pests and diseases

Pests

Black Bean Aphid (Blackfly)Ants running over the colonies, sticky honeydew on the leaves, often with black sooty mould, and whitish cast skins.Also called: blackfly, bean aphidPhoto: Sascha Kohlmann from Berlin, Deutschland, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chafer grubsPlants with eaten roots turn yellow, wilt or die; often nothing shows above ground until harvest.Photo: Сарапулов, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Flea beetlesTiny beetles, 2–3 mm, black or metallic green or blue, some with a yellow stripe, that jump away when the plant is disturbed.Photo: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Leaf MinerHeavily mined leaves dry up or drop early; badly affected tomato plants can lose most of their leaves.Photo: Flowersabc, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Which spinach problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Downy Mildew: Pale green, yellow, purple or brown blotches on the upper side of leaves, often angular where they are bordered by the veins.
Tomato spotted wilt virus: Fruit with pale yellow or light green rings, often raised in the centre; ripe tomatoes blotched red and yellow; peppers with ring spots.
White mould (Sclerotinia): Later, hard black seed-like bodies (sclerotia) 0.5–1 cm across in the mould and inside hollow stems.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.