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New grower needs help. I have a 720 Welty that is approx 20 days old. It seems undersized and both cots have totally dried up and wilted. The first and second true leaves dont look much better. I also have a 1056 Dueck that is a few days younger and had been doing very well. I noticed that one of the first true leaves has a yellow spot and several light brown spots. Both plants have been protected by a cold frame and I have been using the Agro-K program to fertilize. Also we have had way above average rainfall. I posted pictures in my diary. Please I need help before things get worse. Thanks, Tony

5/23/2004 1:19:26 PM

Eugene,OR

Have you used any pesticides or fungicides on the plants that may have "cooked" them? Neem oil perhaps? New plants are like little babies...fragile and not to be treated harshly.

5/23/2004 2:12:38 PM

Wroclaw, Poland (51 N, 17 E)

I have the same problem (I gues). There are some photos of this in my diary. I don't know what t odo either.

5/23/2004 2:43:30 PM

[email protected]

Pumpkin_lovers pictures are up. Rpumpkin I haven't seen yet.

Looks a bit like a leaf spot disease but could also be Ozone damage.

You guys know how the the plants have been treated better than us. SWometimes the best picture is the one taken from several hundred feet in the air so we can see where the plant is in releationship to roads, buildings, dryer vents, neighbors who spill hot coffee, children who blow bubbles, .....etc. You get the idea.

Look at this link & tell us more information about what's going on.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/cucurbit/indexleaf.html

5/23/2004 3:16:08 PM

Kenyon, Mn.

Not passing judgement here; but, in your diary , april 27 thru 29, sounds as though you were fertilizing them before they broke soil, I have to doubt disease and a closer look at the soil, what are the small, brown chunks? The stem looks awfully white.

5/23/2004 4:35:22 PM

Puyallup, WA

Ozone damage??????

5/23/2004 4:47:40 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Are you guys harding off your plants or just putting them outside from your grow tables? I have noticed a few burnt cripsy leaf pictures. That look like plants that were not hardened off or planted on cloudy days to allow the plants to stabilize to the suns U.V.Rays which are 10 times brighter than any light source in a house.

5/23/2004 5:01:54 PM

40n 74e

Ozone is a dangerous thing which can cause damage to living things. While it is a good thing way up in the atomosphere it isn't good for us or plants to be breathing/exposed to.

Ground Level ozone is created by air pollution and sunshine.

Here's a good informative article:

http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/air/monops/lessons/ozoneinfo.html


"Ozone is the same molecule regardless of where it is found, but its significance varies. Stratospheric ozone is found 9 to 18 miles high where it shields us from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. A high accumulation of ozone gas in the lower atmosphere at ground level is air pollution and can be harmful to people, animals, crops, and other materials.
Elevated levels above the national standard may cause lung and respiratory disorders. Short-term exposure can result in shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness, or irritation of nose and throat. Individuals exercising outdoors, children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing respiratory illnesses are particularly susceptible. Chemists say the materials damaged by ozone include rubber, nylon, plastics, dyes, and paints.

Ozone pollution, or smog, is mainly a daytime problem during summer months because sunlight plays a primary role in its formation. Nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons are known as the chief "precursors" of ozone. These compounds react in the presence of sunlight to produce ozone. The sources of these precursor pollutants include cars, trucks, power plants and factories, or wherever natural gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and oil are combusted. These gaseous compounds mix like a thin soup in the atmosphere, and when they interact with sunlight, ozone is formed.

Large industrial areas and cities with heavy summer traffic are the main contributors to ozone formation. When temperatures are high and the mixing of air currents is limited, ozone can accumulate to unhealthful levels.
"

5/23/2004 5:08:25 PM

[email protected]

Let's keep in mind that salt, air pollution (ozone), & fertilizer damage all look very similar. Those falling out necrotic spots that look like Angular Leaf Spot, probably aren't. It's too early in the season for leaf spot in my opinion.

5/23/2004 5:15:17 PM

My pictures should post tomorrow. Apparently they take a full day to go through. To answer a couple of your questions, I guess I did not harden off the plants. Also I have not used any pesticides or herbacides near the plants. Also the patch is far enough in my backyard that there is not much of a chance that they were tampered with or effected by neighborhood kids or road pollution. Thanks for your responses, and please check out the pictures tomorrow.

5/23/2004 6:25:02 PM

Dagobah Ohio, USA

[quote]I guess I did not harden off the plants.[/quote]

Sorry was going to reply earlier but couldn't remember my PW.
By your description I would say that you have answered your own question.
If you start your seeds indoors under artificial or very weak window lighting they will need to be hardened off before transplanting into their permanent home.
This is done by slowly introducing the plant to the intense UV rays of the sun bye placing it in a shaded area for several days to a week and or only leaving the plant outside for a few hours increasing the time left out by an hour or two per day until the plant is acclimatized.

IMHO,, your plant is suffering from a severe case of sun poisoning, has experienced some shock and will return to normal growth within a week.
Good Luck!

5/23/2004 7:28:16 PM

[email protected]

Agreed. If the plants got a full dose of natural sunlight all at once, this the normal response. Keep an eye on the new growth. It should not exhibit these symptoms. If it does, we have real trouble.

5/23/2004 9:06:06 PM

Ga.

Steve,,dont think its leaf spot..I have it now,,nothing like that...Maybe the black plastic heated up with warm temps and burned a young plant with tender leaves.....Just my 2 cents.
Jeff

5/23/2004 10:12:07 PM