My garden and its issues (or should I say mine?)

[Patrol_4x4]

Well, this is meant to be a long post, sorry. I wanted someone to see the plants that I transplanted not long ago in this sort of terrace that we have in the back yard. They have done incredibly good (for being new in all this I think I haven't done it so bad..) but I have had some issues that I would like to show you because I don't know if it's something to be worried about or not. I think I have figured out why some things have happened, but others remain a mystery for me.

This is the terrace in which I have tomatoes, bell peppers, chillies, rockmelon, cucumber, corn and basil (and some marygold seedlings growing)
You'll see there are some plants still in pots, this is because I have to find another place to transplant them, I think if they grow full size they won't all fit in that space.
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02116.jpg[/img]


When I transplanted the plants to the garden bed I thought I had to water them more because they were in an open space. I did the same with the ones that remained in the pots, I thought they were getting bigger and started to give them more water. Every day. I am pretty sure this is the reason why some plants have reacted by curling leaves, yellowing, getting leaf edges burnt. This is the case of my tomatoes, rockmelon and chillies and bell pepper (still a seedling). I am trying to get better at this
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02100.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02110.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02108.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02103.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02097.jpg[/img]


This is a pumpkin seedling (planted somewhere else), but I think I let it take too much sun and gave too much water, and that is the result (The same happened with all the pumpkin seedlings; one is recovering, tho)
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02114.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02088.jpg[/img]

The difference of colour in 2 rockmelons...
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02090.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02089.jpg[/img]


Holes everywhere... I've killed some chewing larvae, but to be honest, in some plants I haven't found anything, so to me, this is one of the unsolved mysteries...
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02113.jpg[/img]

My basil leaves disappear from one day to another... and now they are also getting this white freckles...
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02105.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02104.jpg[/img]

I know you are going to blame it on the slugs and snails, but I've tried the beer thing and nothing!!! Should I remove the leaves??? Another thing, I grew this basil in a tray, when it got bushy, I divider it into 2 parts and planted in the garden bed. I don't know if this is going to be a problem for the roots and I should have every plant separated...

I am super proud of my only survivor of cucumber seeds, I think it's doing great but now it's getting sort of chewed by the "invisible" thing. I think it's a minor proble and I don't have to worry... unless you tell me otherwise...
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02107.jpg[/img]



My corn is the worst!!! It was doing super good in pots and as soon as I transplanted it, it started to get devoured.... I haven't neen anything, just my friend the spider. Should I pull it off??
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02111.jpg[/img]



This is "The Spider". It's everywhere... It's actually in every plant with holes. I don't see anything cheawing the plants, not during the day, not during the night... only them. Thye don't eat the plant either, they just hop around.
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02127.jpg[/img]

Not everything is wrong....

My cherry tomatoes:
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02120.jpg[/img]

My jalapeños:
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02125.jpg[/img]


What do you think? All kinds of comments appreciated

[digitS']

Just for fun, I'm going to expose my ignorance.

First, I don't know much about diseases but since you are showing a number of species with similar problems, I'm inclined to think it is a nutrient deficiency. And, yet . . .

It would be easy to note that nutrients are washed out of potting soil fairly quickly because of the higher water needs that they have in limited soil. However, you have some of those plants in the ground.

I'd also think that you may have just had some wilting problems that resulted in brown leaf edges but you are assuring us that you are watering frequently and that yellowing near the edge of the leaf, doesn't really look like a dehydration problem to me . . .

The bug damage, first off I think you may have aphids under some of those leaves. That, may be what is keeping your spiders hopping. And yes, I think that slugs/snails are the ones chewing on that basil . . . The corn? What's that? Grasshopper damage?

Whatever the case with any of these plants - they don't look too bad, Certainly, I don't think you should be panicking or anything. (Yes, the corn looks the worst but it could pull out of it.) I am inclined to give plants a little balanced organic fertilizer on about a monthly basis. That's in the ground. In a pot, I think maybe once every 3 weeks would be a good idea. However, I'm not much for keeping things in containers very far into the growing season. Just their water requirements can get to be too much trouble.

Best of Luck and I'm sure I wasn't of too much help but I think you are doing okay with those plants.

Steve

[jal_ut]

I know you are going to blame it on the slugs and snails, but I've tried the beer thing and nothing!!! Should I remove the leaves???

You don't need to remove the leaves.

Go out after dark with a flashlight and look carefully for snails and slugs.

I am going to assume that you started most of these things in pots then planted them out?

A lot of the spots and bad edges look like hardening off problems and transplant shock. Look in the center of those squashy type plants and see the new leaves coming on and looking great.

The corn. Wow! something for sure is getting after it. I would get some Diatomaceous Earth and powder everything. Have you seen any grasshoppers around?

[url=https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/problems/organic-snail-control-how-to-control-garden-snails.htm]Here are some ideas[/url] on snail control if you decide it is snails.

[Patrol_4x4]

It makes sense that it's a nutrient problem. Is Seasol a good organic fertilizer to use? I also read in a gardening book that covering grass clippings in water in a sealed container makes a good fertilizer. It smells like cow poo. What do you reckon?

I have also read somewhere that when tomato plants reach a considerable size you have to "feed" them every 2 weeks. I assume this means to use some fertilizer, but I don't want to use too much because I have read that too much fertilizer is also bad.

About the aphids... well, I think this is the only thing I don't get because I spray them with the garlic insecticide every now and then....

About the snails and slugs... Evil creatures!!! The don't go into my trap!! I think I have to be more perseverant and I will eventually win.

Grasshoppers... nope, I havent seen any, and believe me, I can go almost every day to my plants and make an inspection in each one of them... I think by now I should have seen some... or maybe not...

I started most things in pots, but I thought I had hardened them off properly, because they were always outside where it was windy and sunny. I think I didnt do it at all with the pumpkins, and you can see the photo... Anyway, you are right, the new leaves are just doing great, but unfortunately they are being chewed by the mysterious bug, potentially a slug/snail.

So, I think less watering, a bit of organic fertilizer, catch slugs and Diatomaceous Earth are the best advice??

[Gustav]

I had the exact same problem with the exact same plants 2 years ago. The tips of the leaves in my opinion is due to transplant shock, but more because of hardening off. I just took the small plants from where they were in my home directly outside where I planted them. I think it would be better to gradually expose them to the outside weather eg. 2 hours 1st day, 4 hourd next day, 5-6 hours the day after that untill a full day period before planting them outside.

The other problem was over fertilization that burnt my plants a bit & over watering that caused the leaves to go yellow. Usually yellow leaves also shows the lack of nitrogen.

[Patrol_4x4]

The other problem was over fertilization that burnt my plants a bit & over watering that caused the leaves to go yellow. Usually yellow leaves also shows the lack of nitrogen.

Sounds familiar...

[rainbowgardener]

Several people have mentioned hardening off. The third picture down shows that most clearly. That is sunburned leaves. Leaves that are not used to direct sun are tender. When moved into the sun, they tend to burn like that. As jal_ut said, the new leaves that come out will be adapted to sun and will be fine.

The ones with the little holes are leafhoppers (not grasshoppers) as you found in a different thread that you linked this one to.

The yellowing is probably from over-watering. One of the things that over watering does (as well as waterlogging the roots and making it difficult for them to get oxygen) is flush nutrients out of the soil, so then they start to starve as well.

[Patrol_4x4]

Yeah, the chillies were stuggling when I first thinned them out, so I guess when I transplanted them, they suffered. My poor things I was bad with the pumpkins... I left them in the harsh sun from the very first moment, and I guess that burnt them. Some are recovering and looking very healthy now

By the way, I have found the mysterious chewers....

And the culprits are:

Holes in my rockmelon:
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02129.jpg[/img]
A very well hidden caterpillar... it was between a copuple of new leaves

Chewed and rechewed basil:
[img]https://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/DSC02133.jpg[/img]
Is this called an armyworm? I've read in some threads that they can be devastating... Last night I went outside again to see if I saw any slug or snail, but instead, I find 3 fat black caterpillars hanging around on my basil stems...

I have read that a chilli/garlic insecticide will stop them from chewing around... is that effective? I am going on holidays next friday and I won't be able to get any product from the shop in town, so it has to be homemade. I would get depressed if after a week in Bali I find my garden empty...

[rainbowgardener]

They recommend the garlic pepper spray more against insects than crawlers,
but here's and article that says it works against caterpillars too and has a recipe:

https://littlegreenladies.blogspot.com/2009/07/garlic-pepper-spray-for-creepy-crawly.html

When you can buy something, I suggest diatomaceous earth or Bt (bacillus thuringiensis, sold where I am as Dipel or Thuricide). The Bt is a bacterium that infects various caterpillar/ larvae and nothing else.