Please help me identify these issues - Lots of pics!

[OrganicTexasMama]

I've been taking lots of pictures of the garden and the things I'm seeing that look a little off. I'm new to it all so I have no idea what I'm looking at - are these things good, bad, indifferent? How should I go about dealing with them, if at all?

All of my plants are in containers. This is my first attempt at gardening and I'm hoping for at least some success! I greatly appreciate any input to help this be a successful endeavor.

You can see all the pictures here:
https://homepage.mac.com/hvbarrett/garden/index.html

Many thanks for any input!

Strawberry plants:
[img]https://homepage.mac.com/hvbarrett/garden/Images/1.jpg[/img]
Big holes in strawberry leaves, including one half-gone leaf. Clearly a bug of some sort - but what? How do I save these plants?

[img]https://homepage.mac.com/hvbarrett/garden/Images/7.jpg[/img]
Bugs I found on the strawberry. I think the larger, white thing is a bug, but it didn't move. The smaller dot to the left of it is a tiny spider. It was under the white thing when I first picked up the leaf. Are these harmful or helpful? What to do?

I can't find the picture, now, but I also have a few strawberry leaves that seem less full and smooth - more wrinkled and tighter together. They're on two different plants. I'm not sure what would be causing that or if it's any reason for concern.

Zucchini:
[img]https://homepage.mac.com/hvbarrett/garden/Images/3.jpg[/img]
I was late in transplanting these and am just hoping they survive! Is this just from drying out too much here and there before being repotted? I am also seeing little bits of light colored flecks like on my other cucurbits.

Tomato:
[img]https://homepage.mac.com/hvbarrett/garden/Images/4.jpg[/img]
This seems pretty healthy, overall, but a handful of leaves have spots of white at the very edges. It seems almost like dried out spots, though I've not had the plant dry out at all.

I'm also seeing spiders on this plant. They're light colored. Beneficial or harmful?

Watermelon:
[img]https://homepage.mac.com/hvbarrett/garden/Images/5.jpg[/img]
I believe this is indicative of Leaf Miners. I've seen some flies around, so I'm thinking it's those. I've pinched off this leaf. Anything else to do be done to prevent them?

[img]https://homepage.mac.com/hvbarrett/garden/Images/8.jpg[/img]
More on the watermelon plants. I'm seeing these light splotches on all of my cucurbits (cucumbers, watermelon, zucchini) and it seems to be increasing. What is it? What do I do about it? It appears to be in the leaf and not on it, but I could be wrong.

Lettuce:
[img]https://homepage.mac.com/hvbarrett/garden/Images/6.jpg[/img]
I haven't paid too much attention to the outer leaves of the lettuces I'm growing (I'm not even sure what they are, as they were included free in my plant order). But this one struck me as unusual. Is it a problem? I have thought most of the outer ones were just splashed with dirt or damaged from transplanting or whatnot. This looks like maybe there's more going on.

And one last question - I'm seeing a good bit of wilting going on late in the afternoon, even on days that aren't all that hot. I have been going out and watering more, and the plants perk up a little bit later. I'm not sure if they're perking from the water or from the change in time/temperature. Is it normal for them to droop (particularly the zucchini and some other flowers I have that I bought in a big pot and have no idea what they are...) or are they really losing water that fast, already?

Thanks!!
OTM

[cynthia_h]

(Sorry, feel a migraine coming on, so will stick to only a couple of topics. )

The first picture, with the large holes in the strawberry plant, is most likely *not* indicative of any insect damage at all. It looks to me much more like snail/slug damage. Find these gastropods ("stomachs on feet") 1.5 or 2 hours after dark by sleuthing in the plants with a flashlight, armed also with a trowel or long stick. They've gotten fat off of your hard work; return them swiftly to the earth so that they may enrich it and complete the cycle. I call it "snail hunting," and there are some threads here at the forum where a few of us have detailed our methods.

The squigglies are, as you believe, the work of leaf miners. We've just had a very long discussion on leaf miners, but I'm not up to finding it for you. If no one else has found it for you by my next visit here, I'll take a look, but I'm losing my visual acuity by the minute....

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[OrganicTexasMama]

Many thanks, Cynthia! I hope the migraine passes quickly.

[OrganicTexasMama]

I went out looking for gastropods, but only found this singular, peculiar insect on some type of ivy that has been well-munched. Because it was dark, I got better video than I did pictures. I will try to get one up, but hopefully a description would help identify it.

The body is yellow, elongated, with black spots - 2x2 or 3x2 - down the back. The head appears also to be yellow. Maybe 5mm long?

I'm not entirely sure it's responsible for the strawberry damage, as the damage on the ivy seems to be much smaller patterns, but, alas, I didn't get to hunt any gastropods.

[Kisal]

You're right about the leaf miners on the watermelon plant. Removing the leaf was the proper control. The adult flies usually swarm around April/May-ish, possibly varying a bit with weather patterns. Sticky traps can capture the adults, resulting in fewer larvae in the leaves of your plants.

[OrganicTexasMama]

Thanks! I read the thread on sticky traps and am terrified of capturing the various sorts of lizards and such we have around here. I wonder if I could put it on a stake in the pot, though? I think that would be safer for lizards than on the wall... Hm...

Anyone have any ideas about the spots on the cucurbits? I am really hoping it's either not a big deal or something I can fix!

Also noticed dark brown/black on some of the lower leaves of my tomato today. Didn't have my camera so no pics, yet, but those are the first really unhealthy looking ones I've seen.

I am so hoping not to have major issues and lose all my plants! Eek!

[applestar]

if the spots are silvery and occurs radiating out of leaf vein junctions, then they are part of the leaf and nothing to worry about.

But if they are more like spots, then I think you are seeing first signs of powdery mildew and "10%" Milk Solution in greater concentration of 2-3 parts milk to 9 parts water would be my recommendation. 10% is sufficient as preventative when humid weather arrives and fungal diseases are likely.

Spray both top and bottom sides of the leaves. Might as well go ahead and spray tomatoes and any other fungal disease prone plants. I spray strawberries, mints, roses, fruit trees, Magnolia, etc.

Watering -- dig with your fingers after watering and see how far your watering has soaked down.

[billtyus]

Many thanks, Cynthia! I hope the migraine passes quickly.

I know on your tomatos that the branches at the bottomm that are turning you can remove them I see that your fruit bearing branches are starting to grow in.but even when you are watering and you splash water on your tomtos you will cause damge to them.usually I turn the water on real weak with no nozzle and slowly water the tomatos until I stick my finger in the ground before watering if imy second knuckle is wet be sticking my fingr in the dirt,I don't water but if it is dry I water.I give 3 to 4 inches of water a week in florida due to the heat.but I doont allow my tomatos to bush,for 1 reason if you don't have the sun or wind to dry then=m out fast you wasted your time.you usually lose your plants.less branches more fruit.and big branches mid to lower part of plant is a sucker branch,unless its your fruit branch.I have learned these tricks through generations of gardners in my family with florida soil,heat,water,ect...but any sign of brown,yellow,ect I take it off the plant making 45degree cuts.this helps water to drain faster off the the plant and to dry faster..

[billtyus]

Many thanks, Cynthia! I hope the migraine passes quickly.

I know on your tomatos that the branches at the bottomm that are turning you can remove them I see that your fruit bearing branches are starting to grow in.but even when you are watering and you splash water on your tomtos you will cause damge to them.usually I turn the water on real weak with no nozzle and slowly water the tomatos until I stick my finger in the ground before watering if imy second knuckle is wet be sticking my fingr in the dirt,I don't water but if it is dry I water.I give 3 to 4 inches of water a week in florida due to the heat.but I doont allow my tomatos to bush,for 1 reason if you don't have the sun or wind to dry then=m out fast you wasted your time.you usually lose your plants.less branches more fruit.and big branches mid to lower part of plant is a sucker branch,unless its your fruit branch.I have learned these tricks through generations of gardners in my family with florida soil,heat,water,ect...but any sign of brown,yellow,ect I take it off the plant making 45degree cuts.this helps water to drain faster off the the plant and to dry faster..

oh yyeah I forget the name of this organic mechincal killer for slugs catipillars,ect,they crawl over it and it dehydrates them it work great and its harmless to humans even kids you could eat it and it wouldny hurt you great stuff to stop those kind of bugs.it get aggervating with all the work you d9o to get your veggies and fruit grto grow and overnight something can destroy it

[OrganicTexasMama]

Thanks. Would that be diatomaceous earth? I know it's good for a variety of things but I haven't used it yet in my garden.