Zucchini under attack
I have a home vegetable garden in Fort Worth. This is my first garden. The zucchini are black beauty. They are all the same variety. They are planted in a raised bed with native soil, Scott's premium topsoil, and peatmoss. I have used BT (twice, last was April 29) as well as spinosid (once, on May 30) on occasion for insect control. I water them every other day with a garden hose (on shower) for about 3-min per plant (except once a week they get watered with the sprinkler system for about 25 min). The zucchini have developed some light/dark spots. The zucchini spots are on the leaves, not the fruit. The zucchini has produced one full-size fruit. I think it is cucumber mosaic virus. Is there anything I can do to treat this? Is it okay to eat any fruit that the plant produces while under attack. Thanks!
Cucumber mosaic virus gives the leaves a yellow blotchy swirl effect. Your flowering will be reduced and at times the plants will die. The only control is to destroy your affected plants, keeping it from touching other plants.
Sounds like downy mildew due to the watering. Try not to water your plants over head. Water down at the soil line. And water good and deep once a week. One can use a copper fungal spray or just remove the leaves affected and toss in a plastic bag.
Sounds like downy mildew due to the watering. Try not to water your plants over head. Water down at the soil line. And water good and deep once a week. One can use a copper fungal spray or just remove the leaves affected and toss in a plastic bag.