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DANGIT !!! All this work and my plants looks "SICK" !

Katrina

Katrina

After all the back breaking work I've done it looks like I could be fighting some "nasties"! All plants are in huge 20-40 gal pots, 100% OLD compost.
I am pretty stingy with the water, but I am wondering about drainage.... I guess they COULD be waterlogged, but i really doubt it.

Any ideas? (I have my suspicions but I wanted your opinion).

Fatalli !

pepperleaves.jpg


And my tomatoes new growth is all "crinckly". :(

tomatoleaf.jpg
 
Possibly Mites or Aphids, I use a Neem Oil/Scorpion Juice/detergent mix to spray em, the mites are tough to see even at 30X.
 
as far as water, how are you testing the lower part to see if it is not too wet? try sticking a chop stick through one of the drainage holes to see how wet it is. also this damage unfortunately looks like quite a few of mine when i had a broad mite infestation. and i used malathion concentrate and made 1 gallon mix and drenched the plants and soil, and waited 4-5 days and did it again then waited 4-5 more days and did it again. and so far the growth on the plants have been good.
this is soley based on my experience and what was wrong with my plants, i am not saying this is what is wrong with your plants. you can always take a jar of alcohol and put it under the bad section of plant and clip it off and take to a lab to have it tested.

best of luck to you!
 
100% compost could cause nutrient issues, but I don't think thats the issue here.

I was thinking aphids... But I hear mites can cause this too...

Do you have any friends in the medical field, or chemistry student friends? IE someone with access to a microscope. IF so, they might have an easier time finding out if you have mites... Else a digital with a nice zoom?
 
I had asked when you potted those up if you were adding any perlite or anything else, and you felt all compost was good.

I bet they are soaked at the bottom, poor drainage.
 
jsschrstrcks said:
100% compost could cause nutrient issues, but I don't think thats the issue here.

I was thinking aphids... But I hear mites can cause this too...

Do you have any friends in the medical field, or chemistry student friends? IE someone with access to a microscope. IF so, they might have an easier time finding out if you have mites... Else a digital with a nice zoom?
Click to expand...

I actually have a professional B&L Microscope and all I saw was a few aphids!

armac said:
I had asked when you potted those up if you were adding any perlite or anything else, and you felt all compost was good.

I bet they are soaked at the bottom, poor drainage.
Click to expand...

I have potted in 100% compost for many years with great success, I had no reason to think this season would be any different.

Oh well :(
 
Capsicum said:
That is the issue. It is the compost. You should never plant in 100% compost. Some compost is more rich then others but still should of cut it with something.
Click to expand...
That was my first thought. The compost will be awfully dense after it gets wet, the roots just may not be drying out enough in the center of the pot. Does the compost have any soil in it, or is it all organic matter?

edit: I should add that I use my own compost, which contains soil sprinkled in every few layers, so I have to use some kind of 'loosifier' or it gets so dense it's not a good medium any more.
 
PaulG said:
Capsicum said:
That is the issue. It is the compost. You should never plant in 100% compost. Some compost is more rich then others but still should of cut it with something.
Click to expand...
That was my first thought. The compost will be awfully dense after it gets wet, the roots just may not be drying out enough in the center of the pot. Does the compost have any soil in it, or is it all organic matter?

edit: I should add that I use my own compost, which contains soil sprinkled in every few layers, so I have to use some kind of 'loosifier' or it gets so dense it's not a good medium any more.
Click to expand...


There is plenty of soil worked in during the process of making the compost. Using a bobcat to scrape it up and mix it. :)
 
Look on the bottom sides of the leaves with a microscope and you will see mite eggs. I used a 60X-100X scope and they were easily identifiable. Google broad mite damage and look at the image results and you will see numerous photos and info on broad mite damage on pepper and tomato plants that look EXACTLY like yours.
 
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