What is eating my poor vegetables?

Eagle Mountain, TX

My tomatoes and peppers are still growing, and most of my marigolds. But the marigolds leaves look awful, they are purplish and the plant withers. The withering, and some of the white spots are very similar to the white spots on the tomatoes and peppers, and also my citronella plant. In addition to the white spots, it seems to spread and worsen on those particular leaves, and they eventually die. The condition does not affect all the leaves, and there is still new growth. There are also holes, as if they are being chewed, but not on every leaf with the spots and on healthy leaves. I tend to think these are unrelated problems, then. I planted the marigolds with the tomatoes because I read they can deter pests. Please help.

Thumbnail by kg2943 Thumbnail by kg2943 Thumbnail by kg2943
Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b)

I think you have several things going on.
The first thing that I saw in your post was the comment about the leaves being purple. Next, the mis-shapen leaves in the pictures. The sunken areas, too. The scorched edges. All of these are signs of nutrient deficiencies. Not saying that there may not be other causes, but I would start with fertilizer problems.

Are these in natural garden soil? Raised planters? Pots?
Have you added anything to the soil?
Have you grown other things in this soil prior to these crops?

Fertilizer problems:
1) Using nothing. Especially if the soil has been growing other crops.
2) Using an incomplete fertilizer, especially if there were plants in there before. An overdose of certain minerals can lead to a deficiency in others.
3) Using an unbalanced product. Something that is not the right fit, does not supply the fertilizers that are lacking in your soil.

If you can get the soil tested, that would be great. There are home-soil test kits, and that is a reasonable place to start.
If you cannot test the soil, then I would study up on the fertilizer needs of the plants you are growing, and try to figure out what nutrients your soil may be lacking.

If even that seems like a lot of work, then fertilize with a complete fertilizer that is labeled for vegetables. Make sure it has some trace minerals (usually iron) as well as N, P and K.

Here is a link to fertilizer deficiencies. The pictures are not much, but there are descriptions that are brief and to the point. The test crop is potatoes, which are related to tomatoes and peppers.
http://customers.hbci.com/~wenonah/min-def/list.htm

Plantersville, TX(Zone 9a)

You might have a bacterial virus. It comes from the soil or it could have been in the seeds. Did you plant your own seeds? If you bought plants from somewhere, it sounds like the virus was in the soil of the Marigold or the other plants.

Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a)

You can't have a bacterial virus. It could be either one but they are 2 different pathogens.

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