Something nasty spreading to everything!

[pickledtink]

I'm battling various things I recognise anyway but something is happening very very quickly to leaves of Courgettes, Cucumber, Aubergines and looks like it's starting on Tomatoes and Pepper plants too. Unhealthy looking small brown spots all over some leaves and spreading already onto others.Not blight I think as I've seen that before and this looks different.
This almost seems to have come about overnight! I noticed a sort of odd floating scattering of tiny white specks in the air the day before yesterday. When I saw it on the leaves of everything yesterday I thought it was maybe white fly and used the bio bug spray. This was very effective against black and green fly last week. I expected things to be looking better today but it's a disaster! This white thing is not discernably an insect and having now searched google and read about white fly doesn't sound like it is.
My healthy plants which were all flowering and starting to produce in some cases now look like they may be destroyed very quickly.
Please help.

[sewer rat]

Hi Pickledtink and as I haven't yet welcomed you - Welcome
Although I have no idea if the floaty white things are in any way connected, I'd google "Mosaic Virus" and see if it's close to the symptoms you mention.

[Lozzie]

Hmmm... sounds like some sort of fungus infection to me. Maybe the white flecks you describe are spores? Try having a look at
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs//garden/m...ogy/index.html. It's like a sort of troubleshooter that lists all the diseases different veg can suffer from. I hope it helps you to identify the culprit.

[pickledtink]

head in hands

Hi Pickledtink and as I haven't yet welcomed you - Welcome
Although I have no idea if the floaty white things are in any way connected, I'd google "Mosaic Virus" and see if it's close to the symptoms you mention.

Oh no! That looks like what it is. I also have a lovingly nurtured batch of seedling Winter Squash which is my pride and joy having been grown from my own seed from favourite varieties. They have only been out of the greenhouse a couple of days to get aclimatised and they are also affected!
Googled. Saw pictures. Could be.
However further search pulled up very detailed info. It affects curcubit family so Melons, courgettes, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins ( actually think my powdery mildew might be this in fact which is still v v bad) BUT no mention of tomatoes, peppers, aubergines so maybe is something else which can be treated. I'm ready to do anything. Bugger organics if my babies are being murdered before my eyes! Grrr!!

[pickledtink]

Hmmm... sounds like some sort of fungus infection to me. Maybe the white flecks you describe are spores? Try having a look at
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs//garden/m...ogy/index.html. It's like a sort of troubleshooter that lists all the diseases different veg can suffer from. I hope it helps you to identify the culprit.

Dunno. Thank you very much. Had a look at that but can't see anything that rings a bell. I've seen this before and think it's bad news but can't place it. I've lots of dormant childhood knowledge from being reared in the country by my Granny who grew, gathered and made everything we ate or wore. I know the white thing meant much muttering and squirting, dowsing with liquid etc but what or why I have no idea.
I'm going to drench in soapy water mix tomorrow.
One of the courgette plants bought from a boot sale was dodgy ( probably downy or powdery mildew, seen it before) though the most vigorous. I moved it out from the others and potted it then treated it with fungacide. Obviously too late because the other two that were in the grow bag with it now are infected too. However those two also have the unnamed 'nasty thing' and are in the same area as the cucumber, peppers and aubergines. Whereas the 'sick' one moved away by itself hasn't got it!

My mini garden is hacked out of a cliff face and I practically have to abseil to tend it. Planting a few spring onions is tantamount to an adventure weekend and watering anything the equivelant of Army basic training on a daily basis.
Losing them at this stage is unbearable as my varied horde are all grown in tiny amounts in truly unhospitable circumstances. I am deeply proud of coaxing life into a lettuce clinging to a crevice.
Please help me save my veg.

[Lesley Jay]

Pickledtink have a look at www.defra.gov.uk/planth/ident.htm Could it be Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus?

[pickledtink]

Pickledtink have a look at www.defra.gov.uk/planth/ident.htm Could it be Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus?

Eeeeek!! Nasty indeed but no I don't think it's that thank goodness. I've removed all leaves which have it. None of the salad leaves appear to be affected but they're in a different spot. So far the courgettes and cucumber are flowering and fruiting well but that won't last if they're stripped of leaves.

Could someone confirm for me that this on th ecourgettes is in fact powdery mildew?



I should have photographed the mystery nasty but after I took all the leaves off I burned them before I thought of posting a photo.

[Alice]

Hello Pickledtink, your garden sounds absolutely fascinsating. I would love to see it. As for the courgette - well it looks as if it's growing vigorous and healthy and the fruits look fine. As for the leaves, well, all plants don't have perfect leaves. If there's no problem other than the leaves I wouldn't worry. If the white stuff is producing a disaster can you post another pic so that we can get a better look and a better idea of any problem. Hope the disaster has been averted. Good luck.

[voodoo veg]

This has happened to my two courgette plants, started off with some leaves curling under and going brown then I spotted the dreaded black fly which I sprayed, then chopped some of leaves off as they were badly infested underneath. They have now gone into quarantine away from everything else and one looks to be on its way out and the other touch and go. Unfortunately it seems to have made my baby courgettelings shrivel and die.

Never saw any of these "spore" things though but I've read it can be transmitted by aphids etc and there is no cure

[pickledtink]

Thanks everyone. I was feeling pretty glum but for sure the courgette and marrow fruit still looks fine and the peppers are still flowering.
The 'orrible mystery nasty has not resurfaced as yet but I've ruthlessly culled all leaves with any sign of it so can't even post a picture. It'll be great if I don't have to!

Baby squash plants are not looking good in some cases though. Leaves gone yucky round the edges and had to be removed and more worrying inner emerging leaf in one case looking deformed, curling and browning to edge.

Also hefty winds all day have battered everything to bits as all unsheltered on cliff face. I dashed out this morning when it started. Moved what I could and tied others up to supports but I watched them all take a right beating.
The cucumber has held it's own though! Probably the most vunerable and it was being lashed about all over the place. I fully expected it to lose it's fruit and break the stem. I have been so proud of that developing little cucumber. I watched with horror all day as it thrashed about in the wind. Still there! Yippee!
Storms here are harsh as I live by the sea and I've seen my very hefty pots with large shrubs just carried off and never seen again in these conditions so that cucumber deserves the vegetable Victoria Cross.

[pickledtink]

This has happened to my two courgette plants, started off with some leaves curling under and going brown then I spotted the dreaded black fly which I sprayed, then chopped some of leaves off as they were badly infested underneath. They have now gone into quarantine away from everything else and one looks to be on its way out and the other touch and go. Unfortunately it seems to have made my baby courgettelings shrivel and die.

Never saw any of these "spore" things though but I've read it can be transmitted by aphids etc and there is no cure

I don't know if you are a pure organic grower but I've found miracle grow really is the lifesaver for half dead plants. Chop off all infected , dead, half dead bits and give it a foliar feed and the soil a good drenching too. Keep it watered and you should see new healthy growth pretty quickly.

[voodoo veg]

I don't know if you are a pure organic grower but I've found miracle grow really is the lifesaver for half dead plants. Chop off all infected , dead, half dead bits and give it a foliar feed and the soil a good drenching too. Keep it watered and you should see new healthy growth pretty quickly.

I'll give it a go...cheers!!!

[JennieAtkinson]

Hi Pickledtink - love your descriptions about your garden and your gardening!

Sounds like you have weather like mine, but at least I have a relatively flat site. I find the wind is the worst - whether cold or warm. So I spend most summers building up a bit more shelter, but that must be difficult on a cliff face!

[pickledtink]

Hi Pickledtink - love your descriptions about your garden and your gardening!

Sounds like you have weather like mine, but at least I have a relatively flat site. I find the wind is the worst - whether cold or warm. So I spend most summers building up a bit more shelter, but that must be difficult on a cliff face!

I definitely envy you the flat space. I spend my time tottering about on tiny footholds trying to weed or sow hanging on to a branch for dear life but all is forgiven when I look out. The dense thicket up the cliff looks like it winds up into a forest and the illusion is truly gorgeous.
Masses of wildlife too as foxes badgers and birds love it.

We've managed to terrace it a bit but nothing wider than about 4 foot for growing. Got a bit of bush and hawthorn for windbreak but not much apart from the stubborn Hydrangea which takes no notice of anything and is huge.

We've suspended an old hop pallet from the stump of the fallen tree which is a fair way up and plan to use it as a base for hanging baskets for fruit and vegetables.
The hanging gardens of Babylon? *spits disdainfully*
The hanging fruit and vegetable gardens of St Leonards will leave the paltry Babylon version roiling in the dust in disgrace.

[Saoirse]

Wow!! Sounds lke you need Chris Beardshaw in his helicoptor to take a really fab photo of your garden from the air. Sounds incredible. I won't grumble about the wind tunnel effect of our allotment ever again!

Those courgette plants look fine to me: I think that the leaves always go a bit funny: almost as if the top layer is trying to separate away. I did read today in Sarah Raven's veg book that peppers and aubergines can succumb to tomato/potato blight, so maybe...I bought some Bordeux mixture today in an attempt to protect my outdoor toms. Might keep them alive for a while anyway: we always get blight on our patch. I'm trying Ferline toms this year as they are supposed to be resistant.

Good luck with your lurgy!

Nicky