Hi. I have read a million articles and can't determine the pests of these issues. I think the cucumber, watermelon and cantaloupe had some sort of bacteria or fungus. I pulled the cucumber & cantaloupe up completely. Now I have the following questions.
I also have a watermelon plant that has been affected but is still growing and has some green leaves for now. Should I pull that up too or can it recover?
When can I replant in that space again does the fungus or bacteria reside in that soil? If you think it's an actual insect that caused it can you also let me know hot to make sure the next thing I plant there doesn't get infected.It looks fungal. Cucurbits and any plant with gray green fuzzy leaves are designed for places that don't rain a lot. It is best not to plant in the exact same spot but some fungal spores will hang around awhile and they are in the air and on plant residues. Some can even be on the seeds.
When you plant squash or cucumbers wait until the weather has sufficiently warmed up. To prevent splashing on the leaves use a drip system and mulch to help with the splashing. Make sure the plants get good air circulation around them and trellis them up if you can. If the weather turns wet and humid, proactively start a fungicide program. Neem or horticultural oil will work to help water wick off the leaves. Sulfur can also be used but you cannot use sulfur and and oil together or they will burn the plants. Other things help like baking soda as a dessicant and milk spray which changes the pH and coats the leaves to make it more inhospitable to fungal problems. You have to repeat sprays every 3-7 days while the weather conditions persist. Ultimately all of my cucurbits end up succumbing to fungal disease, but I usually get a decent crop anyway. If it rains every few days, it is hard to keep the fungal disease away even with preventive sprays.
When you plant squash or cucumbers wait until the weather has sufficiently warmed up. To prevent splashing on the leaves use a drip system and mulch to help with the splashing. Make sure the plants get good air circulation around them and trellis them up if you can. If the weather turns wet and humid, proactively start a fungicide program. Neem or horticultural oil will work to help water wick off the leaves. Sulfur can also be used but you cannot use sulfur and and oil together or they will burn the plants. Other things help like baking soda as a dessicant and milk spray which changes the pH and coats the leaves to make it more inhospitable to fungal problems. You have to repeat sprays every 3-7 days while the weather conditions persist. Ultimately all of my cucurbits end up succumbing to fungal disease, but I usually get a decent crop anyway. If it rains every few days, it is hard to keep the fungal disease away even with preventive sprays.
- feldon30
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It's hard to tell from the photos but are you using any super-black dyed mulch? That can be bad news for melons. If not, then it sounds like you are getting great advice above re: fungus. Many folks place black plastic on their garden bed and then cut an "X" and plant the melons in the hole, then cover the plastic with straw or other non-dyed mulch.
Would it be ok, or a good idea, to use both a baking soda spray and a milk spray?imafan26 wrote:It looks fungal. Cucurbits and any plant with gray green fuzzy leaves are designed for places that don't rain a lot. It is best not to plant in the exact same spot but some fungal spores will hang around awhile and they are in the air and on plant residues. Some can even be on the seeds.
When you plant squash or cucumbers wait until the weather has sufficiently warmed up. To prevent splashing on the leaves use a drip system and mulch to help with the splashing. Make sure the plants get good air circulation around them and trellis them up if you can. If the weather turns wet and humid, proactively start a fungicide program. Neem or horticultural oil will work to help water wick off the leaves. Sulfur can also be used but you cannot use sulfur and and oil together or they will burn the plants. Other things help like baking soda as a dessicant and milk spray which changes the pH and coats the leaves to make it more inhospitable to fungal problems. You have to repeat sprays every 3-7 days while the weather conditions persist. Ultimately all of my cucurbits end up succumbing to fungal disease, but I usually get a decent crop anyway. If it rains every few days, it is hard to keep the fungal disease away even with preventive sprays.