serialplantkiller
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: Texas

What's eating my cantaloupe leaves?

I am very new to gardening and have learned enough to be able to get this far, although I did kill quite a few plants in the process.

I have managed to get very good results of out growing cantaloupe but as it progressed on, something seems to have started to kill out the leaves and seems to be spreading.

It starts out as small yellow spots on the leaves, progresses, and eventually kills the entire leaf. My concern was that this was going to affect the fruit and/or that this was a lack of watering but even after a week of a good watering every 3 days it's still spreading.

I have attached pic below with a good idea on how it progresses. Any thoughts or ideas are welcome!

[img]https://lh3.ggpht.com/_xX5_uZoxYfw/TFn0OScEnjI/AAAAAAAABIA/FnvQPfB4Pvo/s720/100_3094.JPG[/img]


[img]https://lh3.ggpht.com/_xX5_uZoxYfw/TFnzvAthT7I/AAAAAAAABHM/8OZz7JO1k3k/s720/100_3092.JPG[/img]

[img]https://lh3.ggpht.com/_xX5_uZoxYfw/TFnzvTQQHNI/AAAAAAAABHQ/IREBDaEYNpM/s720/100_3090.JPG[/img]

[img]https://lh5.ggpht.com/_xX5_uZoxYfw/TFn0BUMG1II/AAAAAAAABHw/cY_QjCsdsiU/s720/100_3089.JPG[/img]

[img]https://lh3.ggpht.com/_xX5_uZoxYfw/TFn0O2dmp-I/AAAAAAAABIE/acA6sgzdOlQ/s720/100_3095.JPG[/img]

JONA878
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1014
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:14 am
Location: SUSSEX

Hi SPK
This looks like Alternaria Leaf Spot.

It's a nasty fungus infection that can defoliate a plant quite severly.
Warm and damp conditions are ideal for its spread.
Control is by keeping the area free of debris and if severe then fungacides may have to used to stop the complete dessication of your plants before the fruit is mature enough to pick.

When your crop is finished remove and destroy the plants and also any weeds that are in the locality as well. They act as a host for the fungal spores.

serialplantkiller
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: Texas

I appreciate the response and the advice.

I went down to a local garden supply store and purchased a small bag of potassium bicarbonate to help knock this out. I plan on spraying them all down once a week to keep up with the treatment.



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