7 different veggies sick, is it 7 diff problems or 1 common

[ndjimmyd]

Ok this is starting to affect my self esteem here!!!!! 100% of what I planted, all 7 veggies - straightneck squash, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, green pepper, and lettuce - are having problems. Any help would be appreciated!!!!


cucumber leaves have white spots that don't rub off, so I wonder if it's not mildew? I planted them in 2 different locations. One has evidence of aphids, the other does not. But both have the spots, both have chewed spots.






sweet potato leaves have holes.


pea leaves start out with white spots and eventually 80% of the leaf is white, in a sort of swirled pattern.


tomato leaves have spots all over, and not producing. 4' tall and only one flower.


lettuce brown on the edges and wilting




and finally, green pepper leaves are yellowing. plant is not growing, though there are a few sickly looking flowers.


A few possible common denominators (besides me haha! javascript:emoticon(':wink:')

Soil - I used a 10-10-10 fertilizer, 2 applications, 2 months apart. I added some humus about 2 weeks ago.

Ants - I keep reading contradicting things about ants. Some say they're not a problem, some say they are. All I know is we have a lot of them.

Watering - every 1-2 days in the evening.

Moles - having a big mole problem. could they be causing all the plants to die by chewing the roots? I'm sure they aren't helping matters, but with the amount of chewed spots / holes, they can't be the only problem.


I really really want to be a gardener but am failing miserably!!!! Please help! javascript:emoticon(':?')

[GardenJester]

I don't know what the other problems are, but the picture of the pea leafs with white swirly pattern is definately leafminer.

[applestar]

I agree with leafminer in the pea leaves. Clip off all affected leaves, put them in sealed plastic bag and throw away or keep in the sun until the leaves are "cooked" and the larvae inside the leaves are dead.

It might be just getting too hot for lettuce and they're ready to give up. You can prolong life by providing shade during mid-day, but it won't be long before they bolt (start elongating to flowerstalk and the flavor becomes bitter)

Tomato - Septoria Spot?

Sweet potato could be slugs or flea beetles.

Cukes -- possibly cucumber beetles? They as well as aphids can carry fungal diseases. I would start spraying with 10% Milk Solution.

Ants -- presence of ants usually indicate sucking insects on the plant. When I see them marching up and down or congregating on a leaf, I look under the leaves and usually find a pest to squish or dispose of in soapy water cup. Right now, my biggest problem is treehoppers, but the ants give them away, every time.

I'm thinking in TN, you might be getting into humid/muggy conditions and it would be a good idea to back off watering in the evening and start watering in the morning so as not to promote fungal diseases. In dry climates, the consensus on the forum in the past has been that you need to water in the evening to ensure the plants don't wilt from lack of water overnight.

[rainbowgardener]

Unfortunately, as noted above, you do seem to have several different problems going on, the leaf miners, the bacterial leaf spot on the tomatoes,
and aphids or flea beetles or something that is chewing the holes.

I don't think the moles have anything to do with it. They stay underground and never come up, so they wouldn't be touching any leaves. Mostly they eat earthworms and grubs and stuff like that in the soil.

Re the green pepper with yellowing leaves. Lots of things can cause that, including if it is in poorly draining soil and getting water logged, nutrient deficiencies, some diseases. What have your temps been like? Are the peppers in full sun (at least 6 hrs/ day) ?

[jal_ut]

It would be a rare garden that didn't have numerous such problems.
A lot of what I see looks like insect damage. Maybe slugs on the lettuce.
Try sprinkling some diatomaceous earth on the plants. This is a non toxic product that makes insects miserable . There are some tougher things available but I don't know how you feel about using toxins on your garden.

A mild soap solution will kill insects if you get it on them, but aparently you are not seeing what is attacking the plants. Also there are recipes floating around using various concoctions of herbs that are touted to deter insects. Maybe do a search ?

[GardenJester]

Mint and chive teas works pretty good at detering most insects.

[cynthia_h]

Nashville experienced unprecedented flooding a few weeks back; the ground is probably still wet, and insects have most likely had a field day breeding and eating garden plants.

Your garden, and those of others who escaped the worst of the flooding, are collateral damage to the flooding. The insects are voraciously chewing everything up.

It's nothing to do with your skills as a gardener, and everything to do with Mother Nature.

I second jal-ut's suggestion of diatomaceous earth. Depending on what specific insects are around, soap spray may also be useful (start with 1 tsp. liquid SOAP not detergent, a drop or two of cooking oil, and 1 quart water, apply with spray bottle to tops and bottoms of leaves). These are good first-line measures.

Just do as much as you can to encourage good drainage in your garden, make sure that you don't get splash-back when you water, and don't over-water your plants, esp. this year, b/c of the flooding. The ground is probably still pretty wet a foot or so down.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9 (but I lived in the South for about 12 years)

[garden5]

I'd say you have leaf miners in your pea leaves. As stated earlier, remove infected leaves and dispose of far from garden (and not in the compost, either).

The sweet potato and cuke damage is likely the result of insects. The suggestions offered up by other members will likely work well.\

The spots on your tomatoes may be septoria or early blight. Prune off the infected leaves, remove far from garden or compost, and water during the morning and also attempt to keep the dirt from splashing up on the leaves as you water as this is usually what causes the disease. Some people who live in humid climates remove all of the lower leaves on the tomato plants. The benefits of doing this are two-fold: There are no lower leaves for soil to splash up on to cause disease and there is more air-circulation amongst the plants to help prevent disease as well.

[farmerlon]

...
I'm thinking in TN, you might be getting into humid/muggy conditions and it would be a good idea to back off watering in the evening and start watering in the morning so as not to promote fungal diseases.

I agree with that... and I can confirm that it is VERY humid/muggy here.
I would go a step further, and recommend that you only water the garden about once a week; a good "deep" watering... and, that's only necessary if you have not had sufficient rainfall.
Every garden is different, so what works for me may not give you the same results. I use mulch to retain soil moisture, and don't water unless I absolutely have to (typically, when it has not rained for almost a week).

[farmerlon]

... Soil - I used a 10-10-10 fertilizer, 2 applications, 2 months apart. I added some humus about 2 weeks ago. ...

Are you Composting to make your own humus? If so, that's great!

This is my personal opinion... I would avoid using the chemical fertilizer (10-10-10 etc...) if you can. I think you will notice an improvement in the overall health of your garden if you can stick with organic soil amendments (compost, manures, and rock minerals).

Best of luck with the garden!

[ndjimmyd]

Thanks all, for the expert advice!!! I'm armed with a lot of theories now and consequently lots of great things to try. Temps have been in the low 90's and humid, and yes the gardens are in full sun by 6:15 until about 3 pm. I took a lot of your advice... yesterday I sprayed with a soap solution to kill slugs and aphids, today I sprayed with a milk solution to hopefully stop the fungal growth on cukes and squash. (How long until I can reapply, by the way?) I've removed all the leaf spotted tomato leaves (which didn't leave too many) as well as all the leafminer infected pea leaves. Is there anything additional I can do for the tomatoes?
In general it sounds like I might be overwatering, and that combined with poor drainage is part of the problem. I didn't realize this would promote fungal growth. I'm now watering in the morning. Any suggestions on how would I improve drainage in a garden that is already well established????
Thanks again, your advice and suggestions have renewed my excitement and my momentum in my garden!!!

[rainbowgardener]

Any suggestions on how would I improve drainage in a garden that is already well established????

Keep adding compost, humus, organic matter

Keep your soil "fluffed up" In a small garden, you can just go around with a trowel and loosen up the soil between plants; in a larger garden, hoe between the rows.

Provide a little grade away from the garden area. If you have any areas of standing/ puddling water, dig a channel away from it.

Mix a little vermiculite in with your soil.

In extreme cases, you can install drain pipe with holes in the top to catch the water and carry it away...

[applestar]

How often can I reapply the milk solution - if it keeps spreading after 4-5 days or so???

I think that sounds about right -- if it keeps spreading or if you don't see improvement. I would also up the concentration somewhat. I think it IS possible to over-apply however, and affect the fungal health (there ARE also good fungi living in the phyto and rhizosphere = leaf and root zone).

Is there any deterrant to [cucumber] beetles?

I don't know but someone else may, so I'll post it here. I *have* heard of using strained crushed Japanese beetles and water to deter them, so maybe you could do the same with cucumber beetles. Hey, how about mixing up a "cucumber beetle milk shake spray"?

[mmk1982]

I am not a whole lot of help, but I am having a lot of the same problems and I live very near where you live. So I am thinking it is the darned hot humid muggy conditions we have been having.

I did stop watering at night (unless I have no other choice) and I have been using a milk treatment once a week. It seems to have helped my tomatoes a little bit. I also did one hydrogen peroxide treatment on them.

I had to give up on my lettuce because it just was beyond saving. Insecticidal soap seemed to help my okra that was bug eaten.