So I normally make my rounds every day, but skipped a day or two due to heavy rains.
When I next looked, I saw a lot of plant damage in one of my raised beds. Mainly squash, but also my watermelon (or cantaloupe, not sure which it is).
https://imgur.com/a/Cfvpu
https://imgur.com/a/rEZ0Z (this one is REALLY bad)
Any ideas? I looked under all the leaves and saw no caterpillars.
I thought about it being weather related, but we likely didn't get hail, and unless God had it out for a few particular plants, it doesn't fit. One plants was totally destroyed, like the one in my second link. Another just had a few leafs touched, and the bush beans nearby weren't touched at all.
But last time I saw a plant eaten to pieces like that, I found a million little caterpillars on the leaves, so I'm not sure what's up, unless a horde of hungry critters marched through the bed, eating, and then left.
But last time I saw a plant eaten to pieces like that, I found a million little caterpillars on the leaves, so I'm not sure what's up, unless a horde of hungry critters marched through the bed, eating, and then left.
The yellow spots on the leaves may be the start of downy mildew so check the bottoms too.
If it rained hard enough it could have torn the leaves. The larger leaves would be more vulnerable than smaller thicker leaves which are usually more flexible and move out of the way. It looked like some of the holes could be put together so not a lot of the leaf is actually missing in some of the pictures.
If it rained hard enough it could have torn the leaves. The larger leaves would be more vulnerable than smaller thicker leaves which are usually more flexible and move out of the way. It looked like some of the holes could be put together so not a lot of the leaf is actually missing in some of the pictures.
- Lindsaylew82
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