It's official, my plants are gone...

[Omri]

Not too long ago, I asked about bright spots on leaves.
Some suggested it's merely a kind of deficiency, and that was the most logical cause.
A couple of days later (after applying both liquid fertilizer for instant affect and "Humus" for long-time affect), the yellow spots got bigger, with dead parts within the now much larger spots.
Like that's not enough, other plants started to show the same symptoms, even ones that got the best care a plant can get.
Being the "genius" I am, only then I took several plants to a plant specialist I know (working at the Agriculture University).
He said it's a type of "tissue eating bacteria", I have no idea what it means, but it sounds bad!
I told him how the plants were "born" indoors and never went outside, and he said it's more likely that some of the seeds I used were already infected!!!
Now the seeds I got myself are from healthy plants, plants I've seen with my own two eyes. my guess is someone here sent me those seeds.
I don't hold a grudge or anything, I'm just not going to use any of the seeds I got left from the packages I already opened.
Because he said it might spread by air, I isolated the plants that had the symptoms, but today ALL of my plants showed signs of illness.
Some of the older plants are already yellowish with massive holes surrounded by dark border.
Needless to say I got rid of them. 4 months of plants are now gone. not the end of the world, but kinda sad, isn't it?

Well just wanted to share... time to start the season all over again.

I am looking on the bright side, maybe now I'll have the time to build myself a little "grow box" like AJ did.

 

[AlabamaJack]

I feel for you Omri. Losing a crop is disastrous. Do you know of anyone else in your area that is having this issue?

 

[Scorpion]

Omri I feel your pain man...Last winter I grew indoors I had over 130 plants at the 2 month stage. Due to disease and other mistakes I lost over 80% I tell you what though I certainly learnt a few things.!!!!

 

[Omri]

I feel for you Omri. Losing a crop is disastrous. Do you know of anyone else in your area that is having this issue?

It's not exactly an "agriculture" area.
I don't think anyone in a radius of at least 3km is growing anything more than some flowers.
I have some "Cyclamen" and they don't seem to be affected.

Do you think I should "sanitize" the house?

Omri I feel your pain man...Last winter I grew indoors I had over 130 plants at the 2 month stage. Due to disease and other mistakes I lost over 80% I tell you what though I certainly learnt a few things.!!!!

Thanks.
I've learned some things as well.
First of all I'm isolating each batch of seedlings (from each source), so if one of them is infected, the rest won't.

 

[stillmanz]

Got pics? I'm curious. I know the pics ofthe speckling you put up a week ago or so and I stand by what I said "nutient deficiency", you sure you didn't maybe OD them on ferts and burn them maybe?
I'm just guessing.

regardless thats always annoying when you lose plants but you got a while before your summer you can always start again.
I'm sure there will be a heapof people whowilloffer you more seeds here.
Chin up

Mick

 

[AlabamaJack]

Did the person you took the plants to identify the bacteria that was eating our plants? First order of business needs to be identification of the culprit.

 

[Omri]

Got pics? I'm curious. I know the pics ofthe speckling you put up a week ago or so and I stand by what I said "nutient deficiency", you sure you didn't maybe OD them on ferts and burn them maybe?
I'm just guessing.

regardless thats always annoying when you lose plants but you got a while before your summer you can always start again.
I'm sure there will be a heapof people whowilloffer you more seeds here.
Chin up

Mick

I'm not an expert so I had no idea what reason is.
That's why I took them to one.

He told me to get rid of them, so I did. I wasn't aware of the fact I should take pictures.
I still have the relatively new ones I hoped didn't get infected (like I wrote before, today I found out the did).
I guess I could wait a couple of more days for it to get worst and take some pictures.

Did the person you took the plants to identify the bacteria that was eating our plants? First order of business needs to be identification of the culprit.

Not really, he explained it as simple as he could.
Said there's a bacteria in the plant's breathing system, eating the live tissue around it.
Also said it will most likely spread by air.
I'll give him a call on Sunday and ask him (not sure if he uses the phone on a Saturday).

lol your questions tell me I wasn't too strict getting all the info.

Sorry about the lack of info.

 

[AlabamaJack]

Not a problem on not getting enough info...this issue you are having has sparked an interest in "what kind of bacteria, where did the bacteria come from, and what can you do about it". I just googled "plant eating bacteria" and got something about bacteria in terimites digestive track that digest cellulose (could that be cell, you lose?). But the subject was ethanol production.

 

[Omri]

I'm searching for "spots on leaves" pictures on Google, and I see a lot of similar things, but they're not the same and not a "pepper illness".

 

[AlabamaJack]

Omri:

I found the following at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3123.html

an excerp follows and the link has pictures - its called Bacterial Spot of Pepper...

"Symptoms
Characteristic bacterial spot symptoms can appear on the leaves, fruits, stem, and petioles. On leaves, symptoms begin as small, yellow-green circular lesions surrounded by a yellowish halo (Figure 1). These spots appear water-soaked under wet conditions. As the lesions mature, a general yellowing extending from the area around the lesions develops on diseased leaves and the center of the spots become brown to black and sunken. Tissue in the center of the lesion often dries and breaks away, giving a "shot-hole" appearance to the leaf. When spots are numerous, they may join together and form irregular discolored streaks along the veins and leaf margins. Edges and tips of leaves may die, then dry and break away, causing leaves to appear ragged. Severely spotted leaves turn yellow or brown and fall from the plant; young leaves can be distorted. Fruit spots begin as green, circular, slightly raised lesions which eventually become brown or dark, raised, and about 1/8 inch in diameter. Centers of the spots become necrotic, corky, and scab-like (Figure 2)."

 

[stillmanz]

I'm thinking it may not be bacteria just burnt from overfert
note I have not scene pics etc so I'm talking out ofmy hat...
I just tend to find the simplist explanation is usually corect.
Doa quickgoogle on signs of overfertilized capsicums or chillis
It may be bacteria but trust me it would be better for you if it was something easy like fert O.D

 

[Omri]

Omri:

I found the following at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3123.html

an excerp follows and the link has pictures - its called Bacterial Spot of Pepper...

"Symptoms
Characteristic bacterial spot symptoms can appear on the leaves, fruits, stem, and petioles. On leaves, symptoms begin as small, yellow-green circular lesions surrounded by a yellowish halo (Figure 1). These spots appear water-soaked under wet conditions. As the lesions mature, a general yellowing extending from the area around the lesions develops on diseased leaves and the center of the spots become brown to black and sunken. Tissue in the center of the lesion often dries and breaks away, giving a "shot-hole" appearance to the leaf. When spots are numerous, they may join together and form irregular discolored streaks along the veins and leaf margins. Edges and tips of leaves may die, then dry and break away, causing leaves to appear ragged. Severely spotted leaves turn yellow or brown and fall from the plant; young leaves can be distorted. Fruit spots begin as green, circular, slightly raised lesions which eventually become brown or dark, raised, and about 1/8 inch in diameter. Centers of the spots become necrotic, corky, and scab-like (Figure 2)."

HOLY CRAP... that's it!!!
Can't seem to find anything there on infecting the breathing system, so maybe it's not the same(?).

EDIT:

The bacterium penetrates leaves through stomata and/or wounds

"Stomata" is the opening where it gets its air?

 

[AlabamaJack]

Further searches say it is one of the most damaging diseases pepper plants can have...looking for remedy now.

 

[Omri]

God, I hope it's not the same. :|
If it is, this explains why he told me to get rid of them. :O

 

[AlabamaJack]

What I have read so far says that soaking the seeds will help eliminate the bacteria that are resident on the seeds....There is a myriad of information available on the bacterial spot...one article identified three different bacteria, one that causes bacterial spot and two other bacteria that have similar sypmtoms.

 

[Omri]

Anyways, I'll just burn them all. :O

 

[LUCKYDOG]

That sucks Omri.... were your Nagas in the bunch as well? Could they have been hit with overspray from a cleaning solution?

 

[staffing]

Not too long ago, I asked about bright spots on leaves.
Some suggested it's merely a kind of deficiency, and that was the most logical cause.
A couple of days later (after applying both liquid fertilizer for instant affect and "Humus" for long-time affect), the yellow spots got bigger, with dead parts within the now much larger spots.
Like that's not enough, other plants started to show the same symptoms, even ones that got the best care a plant can get.
Being the "genius" I am, only then I took several plants to a plant specialist I know (working at the Agriculture University).
He said it's a type of "tissue eating bacteria", I have no idea what it means, but it sounds bad!
I told him how the plants were "born" indoors and never went outside, and he said it's more likely that some of the seeds I used were already infected!!!
Now the seeds I got myself are from healthy plants, plants I've seen with my own two eyes. my guess is someone here sent me those seeds.
I don't hold a grudge or anything, I'm just not going to use any of the seeds I got left from the packages I already opened.
Because he said it might spread by air, I isolated the plants that had the symptoms, but today ALL of my plants showed signs of illness.
Some of the older plants are already yellowish with massive holes surrounded by dark border.
Needless to say I got rid of them. 4 months of plants are now gone. not the end of the world, but kinda sad, isn't it?

Well just wanted to share... time to start the season all over again.

I am looking on the bright side, maybe now I'll have the time to build myself a little "grow box" like AJ did.

===========================================
Sorry to hear, Omri. Is there any chance that your friend in Agriculture can culture the bacteria? Knowing what it is will provide you with a starting point to dealing with it.

The advice given my me (and others) regarding nutrients was a best guess...and the likely culprit. A bacterium could be in the soil, the water, or airborne (or, I suppose, the pots) I don't think you should get discouraged. Soil and water would be a likely source....more so than the seeds, particularly since they came from healthy pods on healthy plants.

Ironic....I'm typing this while in microbiology lecture...

 

[macmanmatty]

What I have read so far says that soaking the seeds will help eliminate the bacteria that are resident on the seeds....There is a myriad of information available on the bacterial spot...one article identified three different bacteria, one that causes bacterial spot and two other bacteria that have similar sypmtoms.

good idea I use 10 percent bleach solution for this it will kill the bacteria if there are any.


sorry to hear for your loss omri I have lost many plants too and know how your feel.

 

[Omri]

Thanks for all the help.
I'm getting rid of all the plants, and my only real worry now is the possibility it'll come back.
How exactly do I use "bleach" or any other method to kill the bacteria in an infected seed?
I think from now, it'll be a routine.