Help - This can't be good

Bitwise Gamgee · April 16, 2007

It looks like things have took a turn for the worse in my 7 week old starts

. Two problems ... likely related???? ...

The bugs are a little blurry, but can anyone identify these critters?
img_9328_s.jpg

Also, anybody recognize the leaf problem below?
img_9334_s.jpg

Thanks for the help!
Bitwise

sirtanon · April 16, 2007

The bugs look like aphids.. PINK ones, but aphids nonetheless..

As to the spots on the leaves.. looks like it MIGHT be tomato spotted wilt virus.. but I can't say for sure.

johno · April 16, 2007

My aphids are pink, too. I'd second that opinion.

lavandula girl · April 16, 2007

Does the tomato problem run along the veins always, or just in these pics? This is a good diagnostic site - "match the pictures" is about my speed!

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/t...ver/index.html

Bitwise Gamgee · April 16, 2007

About 20 percent of my plants are infected with whatever is infecting the photographed leaf. The majority of the “spots” are on the veins ... however, I found a few that were not. The plant in the pict has the worst case and the most pronounced vein outline.

Thanks,
Bitwise

lavandula girl · April 17, 2007

The reason I ask is that there are some mineral deficiencies that run along the veins like that, too. Are all the affected plants grouped together, or are they spread throughout the plot? Could they be in a cold spot in the garden?

Bitwise Gamgee · April 17, 2007

They are still in cups. I have been moving them in and out of the cold. (in is an unheated garage that was quite cold for several nights) I think the cold might have stressed the plants, weakening them, and allowing them to become infected (the bugs certainly are not helping either). ???????

Thanks,
Bitwise

feldon30 · April 17, 2007

Have you gotten rid of the aphids yet? Spray the plants (top and bottom) with warm soapy water. The soap should be something mild like dish soap.

Have you fertilized at all? Now that the plants are 7 weeks old, I'd give them a good shot of fish or seaweed emulsion or any kind of liquid fertilizer at half strength.

That is if the leaf problems you are having are in fact a phosphorous deficiency.

lavandula girl · April 17, 2007

Warming their soil a bit will help with phosphorous uptake as well. If that is the issue....

gardengalrn · April 19, 2007

That is exactly what my aphids look like. Funny, when I first viewed this page I guess the pics hadn't loaded yet and there was a link in their place. I clicked on the first link and was taken to a T'ville page telling me that I was unauthorized to edit or some such. I wasn't trying to edit, just see the pics you were posting so I hope I'm not in trouble

Bitwise Gamgee · April 24, 2007

I don't think the leaf damage was the result of any nutrient deficiency ... perhaps nutrient excess? I used the MG mix with the pre-added fertilizer and placed a few rabbit droppings in the bottom of each cup. However, I think the problem pictured above was simply damage from the aphids. I washed the aphids off the plants with soap/water in a pressure sprayer. (Thanks for the solution Feldon)

Another problem ... I have been getting a lot of yellowing on the older leafs ... this symptom I contribute to either over watering and/or the rabbit droppings.

At 8 weeks old, my plants finally went into the ground yesterday. I am hoping for the best as they are the worst looking plants I have ever set out

. The condition of the plants caused me to cut back a little on what I put out ... I was originally planning on planting 72 (of 144 starts), but scaled down to 60.

Here is a photo taken the morning I planted:

img_9342_s.jpg

Thanks for all the help!

-Bitwise

sirtanon · May 3, 2007

Looking at that photo.. I'm thinking - Iron deficiency?

April 16, 2007	#1
Bitwise Gamgee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: TN z6 Posts: 103	Help - This can't be good It looks like things have took a turn for the worse in my 7 week old starts . Two problems ... likely related???? ... The bugs are a little blurry, but can anyone identify these critters? img_9328_s.jpg Also, anybody recognize the leaf problem below? img_9334_s.jpg Thanks for the help! Bitwise

April 16, 2007	#2
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	The bugs look like aphids.. PINK ones, but aphids nonetheless.. As to the spots on the leaves.. looks like it MIGHT be tomato spotted wilt virus.. but I can't say for sure. __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

April 16, 2007	#4
lavandula girl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 64	Does the tomato problem run along the veins always, or just in these pics? This is a good diagnostic site - "match the pictures" is about my speed! http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/t...ver/index.html __________________ Mostly Harmless

April 17, 2007	#6
lavandula girl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 64	The reason I ask is that there are some mineral deficiencies that run along the veins like that, too. Are all the affected plants grouped together, or are they spread throughout the plot? Could they be in a cold spot in the garden? __________________ Mostly Harmless

April 17, 2007	#9
lavandula girl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 64	Warming their soil a bit will help with phosphorous uptake as well. If that is the issue.... __________________ Mostly Harmless

April 16, 2007	#3
johno Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Arkansas zone 6b Posts: 441	My aphids are pink, too. I'd second that opinion.

April 17, 2007	#8
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Have you gotten rid of the aphids yet? Spray the plants (top and bottom) with warm soapy water. The soap should be something mild like dish soap. Have you fertilized at all? Now that the plants are 7 weeks old, I'd give them a good shot of fish or seaweed emulsion or any kind of liquid fertilizer at half strength. That is if the leaf problems you are having are in fact a phosphorous deficiency.

April 19, 2007	#10
gardengalrn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas, zone 5 Posts: 524	That is exactly what my aphids look like. Funny, when I first viewed this page I guess the pics hadn't loaded yet and there was a link in their place. I clicked on the first link and was taken to a T'ville page telling me that I was unauthorized to edit or some such. I wasn't trying to edit, just see the pics you were posting so I hope I'm not in trouble __________________ ~Lori "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

April 24, 2007	#11
Bitwise Gamgee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: TN z6 Posts: 103	I don't think the leaf damage was the result of any nutrient deficiency ... perhaps nutrient excess? I used the MG mix with the pre-added fertilizer and placed a few rabbit droppings in the bottom of each cup. However, I think the problem pictured above was simply damage from the aphids. I washed the aphids off the plants with soap/water in a pressure sprayer. (Thanks for the solution Feldon) Another problem ... I have been getting a lot of yellowing on the older leafs ... this symptom I contribute to either over watering and/or the rabbit droppings. At 8 weeks old, my plants finally went into the ground yesterday. I am hoping for the best as they are the worst looking plants I have ever set out . The condition of the plants caused me to cut back a little on what I put out ... I was originally planning on planting 72 (of 144 starts), but scaled down to 60. Here is a photo taken the morning I planted: img_9342_s.jpg Thanks for all the help! -Bitwise

May 3, 2007	#12
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	Looking at that photo.. I'm thinking - Iron deficiency? __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..