Went on vacation and all was well. They looked healthy and green and had a few small fruit. When I got back I found the leaves brown on outer edge, with brown patches and holes and the leaves turning yellow. Does anyone know what's up?
This message was edited Jun 28, 2010 5:22 PM
Another Pic:
And another...
one more...
Looks a little like Downey Mildew, but the edges turning brown does not fit. Possibly Anthracnose - but brown spots don't seem to be the first sign. Any ideas? I'm using a mancozeb product. I've used copper in the past for blight or Anthracnose unsuccessfully. So, I'm using the mancozeb.
I'm puzzled that not one person has seen anything like this before. I know that I've listed the broad list of treatments, but I don't know if I should remove the affected foliage, pull the entire plant up, put it in the compost pile or not.
And I had a thought - two things happened while I was gone:
1) Fruit production expanded. (there were a couple small fruit before - now there's a bunch)
2) Friend watered my garden with Chlorine treated water. (at my request of course. - did not worry about this until I read this last week it could damage the plants) This may have been from the top. I always water the ground beneath the foliage.
Any ideas?
This message was edited Jul 1, 2010 8:06 AM
It could be burn from the chlorine. Fertilizer burn shows similiar symptoms, yellowed leaves with brown edges. If your plants are still producing, it maybe correcting itself.
With all the talk about disease, I think its easy to get paniced when you see some yellowed leaves. Yellowed leaves quite often can be environmental factors like fertilizer burn, over/underwatering or nutrient defeciencies.
I use Garden-Tone, and organic, hope I have not put too much fertilizer. The watering could also be an issue. I'm having my house re-plumbed to use well water for my garden anyway. It has a little iron, but no chlorine.
Heres a link that might help http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/diagnostickeys/CucurLeaf/CucLeafKey.html#Alternaria
I use Garden-Tone, and organic, hope I have not put too much fertilizer. The watering could also be an issue. I'm having my house re-plumbed to use well water for my garden anyway. It has a little iron, but no chlorine.
Here is how they look a week later.
here are some more leaves - the plants are a weekend from being pulled up. Could this be bacterial?
How depressing! I don't know what's happening, but it sure would upset me, too!
I have 2 earth boxes containing squash. Your June 28th pics resemble the leaves in one container. The 2nd container leaves looked good except for 2 leaves starting to show signs of a fungus infection. I sprayed with the following: 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 tablespoon shampoo and 1 gallon of water. It brown leaves did not return to green but the plants threw out new beautiful green leaves. I finally decided a week ago to cut off all the brown leaves in the first container. The 2nd container tipped over on me .... Too plant heavy on one side. some of its leaves were damaged as a result. The container is now being supported by cinder blocks on the plant heavy side.
I will post pictures of both containers later today.
I think I need to spray the leaves again!
Sorry my finger got in the way.
Squash container #2.
Other side of #2
remove the brown leaves, they are spent, yours are way too leafy for so small a container, the leaf echoes root distress, they are lookin for more dirt, and thirsty to boot, you can remove the large leaves up to 18" away from where the fruits begin and that will relieve some of burden the plant feels in trying to feed so much bush. if you're skeptic, try the experiment on one plant first, but definetly trim back the dead leaves like the plant is asking
Thank you for that. I'm having the same problem - for the same reason!
on yello squash, straight or crook neck, the plant lays across the ground, and can root at the joints, aiding it in feeding the hi moisture requirements, as the leaves age and die, they yellow, they are the plant performing urban renewal. If you do see the beginning of fungus, or rot, remove the disease fast, then treat if the cost is worth it, as the rot will spread to whatever it touches, and let the plant dry out a bit, receive air circulation-esp this wet summer we're having, and good luck guys!
I removed the affected leaves. Added a natural fertilizer. (Gardentone) And treated with fungicide. They seem to be rebounding. I'll let you know. It could have been the heat, drying out for a brief time, watering in the middle of the day - I'm not sure. I a couple of people looking after them while I was on vacation. But since they have rebounded some, I think it was somehow due to the watering.
