Brown Spots on Vegetable Plant Leaves

[bocondo]

I am in Central VA and I have this small garden where I am growing Cucumber, Tomatoes, Eggplants, Green Pepper, Zucchini and long Squash. It started with Zucchini, which got powdery mildew and it got zucchini completely so I pruned it and now Zucchini is almost gone and I am not much worried about it.
Last couple of weeks I am seeing Cucumber, Tomatoes and Long Squash also started getting brown spots on their leaves and and the leaves are turning brown completely. I googled many times and find it could be a fungus and suggestions were to use "milk" or "neem extract" as fungicide to control and eliminate the disease. But I am not seeing much improvement in Cucumber and Tomatoes and now I am very concerned about them. Please Help!!!
Cucumber Pic

Tomatoes Pic

Long Squash
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[mogull13]

The tomatoe problem looks like blight to me. I've had the same problem in my garden. It's been a bad year for this in the eastern states apparently! I used a spray fungicide which helped a bit, but not totally. I just remove the spotted leaves when they appear, sometimes having to remove a whole stem. I haven't noticed a problem with the actual fruit, in fact I have an abundance! The positive to this is it doesn't seem to be affecting the tomatoes, you just have an ugly plant. Best of luck!

[bocondo]

The tomatoe problem looks like blight to me. I've had the same problem in my garden. It's been a bad year for this in the eastern states apparently! I used a spray fungicide which helped a bit, but not totally. I just remove the spotted leaves when they appear, sometimes having to remove a whole stem. I haven't noticed a problem with the actual fruit, in fact I have an abundance! The positive to this is it doesn't seem to be affecting the tomatoes, you just have an ugly plant. Best of luck!

Thanks for reply, it does seems like some people are having this problem on east coast, I know couple of friends who are having this problem, but it' not for all. Yes fruits looks OK for now, but I am seeing Cucumber getting less fruits now and I don't want to wait till it start effecting Tomatoes also.
What fungicide are you using?

[rootsy]

Cukes have anthracnose.... Squash most likely also... but the lesions look dark...

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/notes/ ... din011.htm

[starflare]

Me and my husband have the same problem with the spots on the leaves but the fruit are growing nicely we are from ny(longisland) high water table.

[bocondo]

Cukes have anthracnose.... Squash most likely also... but the lesions look dark...

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/notes/ ... din011.htm

Thanks for the help identifying the correct disease, now what is the best fungicide should I use? Neem Extract and milk, which I am using right now, I read somewhere, is organic and good fungicide. Should I use some chemical fungicide or stick with Neem Extract and Milk?

[cynthia_h]

Are you alternating the milk with the neem? I don't recall seeing any recommendations to use them together; they have different modes of action.

The usual recommendation is 1 part milk:10 parts water so that the lactobacillus can create a fungus-hostile environment.

Then, a few days later, the neem around late afternoon to avoid killing pollinators. Evil-doers seem to like the dark (hmm, in literature as well as insects, it would appear!), so the neem will be waiting for them.

Given the news these days re. late blight, let's hope you *are* dealing with anthracnose, which itself is *usually* thought to be a terrible scourge. But at least a manageable one...

Cynthia

[rootsy]

The last photo with the yellowing round the lesions almost looks like downy mildew damage. Don't hold me to that though.

[bocondo]

Are you alternating the milk with the neem? I don't recall seeing any recommendations to use them together; they have different modes of action.
Cynthia

Cynthia,
Thanks for your reply I am not apply Milk and Neem together, but the way you instructed, first I applied milk(1:10) then after 5-6 days I applied neem couple of times in a week. Would a chemical fungicide be better at this point or should I keep applying neem every 5-6 days?
If anyone have any other or better suggestion please let me know.

[cynthia_h]

Is it possible that the plants are suffering from late blight? Your regimen should have helped with any normal tomato-plant affliction.

Please see the article at http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... hp?t=17344 and read the discussion referenced there re. late blight (Phytophthora infestans).

Meanwhile, keep up your defenses. You may need to call the county agricultural extension office for local particulars.

Cynthia