skip to main content

Fruit & Orchards

Strawberry leaf scorch and tomato whitefly, with pictures!

13 years ago

Hello all! This is my first post on the forums, though this has been a great resource the past few months as I've embarked on my (balcony) gardening journey. I mostly grow edible stuff (with a few succulents thrown in because hey, it's SoCal and they're so interesting-looking) and I've had good success so far except for my favorite plants in the garden, the fruits!

I am pretty sure that my poor strawberries have leaf scorch, but I would really like confirmation from somebody who knows:

http://www.cuestapassrails.com/Valerie/strawberry-leaves_6-15-10.JPG

http://www.cuestapassrails.com/Valerie/strawberries_6-15-10.jpg

Sigh. Other factors might be the hard water I have to water them with (I see the build-up on the pots sometimes, unrelated to fertilizer), the general heat of the LA sun, and the proximity of a tomato with whitefly which I read might spread to strawberries. Tomato with whitefly:

http://www.cuestapassrails.com/Valerie/tomato-plant_6-15-10.jpg

http://www.cuestapassrails.com/Valerie/tomato-leaves_6-15-10.jpg

I have been spraying with a weak solution of dish detergent, vegetable oil, and water since I noticed the spots on the leaves and saw a few buzzing around. They seem to be well under control, but many leaves are still spotting and curling and wilting and the general condition of the plant seems only fair to poor.

I read that "renovating" the strawberries in a few weeks after they're done bearing (i.e. cutting off all the leaves on the top) should help with the scorch fungus since it spreads from leaf to leaf. Does anyone know about this? I could transplant them to new soil too.

Moral of the story: buy your fruit plants from a reputable supplier, not Target! Haha. I am purchasing some raspberries, a blueberry, and a lime tree from a local supplier in Stomis this weekend. His nursery is a drive, but he's very knowledgeable and grows great stock specially adapted to the low-chill conditions I live in. Uh... these diseases don't spread to berries, do they?

Thanks in advance for all the help! I look forward to your knowledge, experience, and insight.

Valerie

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

oregonwoodsmoke
13 years ago
If you spray oil on your plants, every place a drop of oil lands, the leaf will be burned and get a dead spot.

I don't think detergent is good for the leaves, either.
valberry
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the advice =). Well, the solution I made was very dilute; several places online recommended some variation of this so I thought it might be safe to try. That doesn't mean it is though! I will stop my 2x weekly spray now that the whiteflies are MIA and see if the plant improves. I did cover the soil while I did, so at least none of it dripped in there.

Now, the strawberry leaf scorch...
Related Discussions
tomato leaf questions
Q
Comments (14)
The damage that you're seeing on the leaf looks like several different things. That's the problem with tomato foliar problems---they could indicate any one (or more) of dozens and dozens of issues and often the symptoms are not unique enough to tell us which one it is. Can you tell us a little about the plant? Growing in the ground? Transplanted when? Is it heavily mulched? Are the leaf issues moving in a specific pattern---for example starting at the bottom and working their way up? Or, showing up on uppermost leaves only or maybe everywhere uniformly? What has your rainfall been like for the last 2 weeks? Has the plant been exposed to hail or high winds? Are you seeing the grayish-tan lesions on the stems of the plant or only the limbs? After you answer my questions, I'll take a stab at a diagnosis, but off the top of my head, it looks like it might be a couple of things happening at the same time. I just hate to "guess" without knowing more about the plant and how the disease appeared. One problem with attempting to ID an issue from a photo is that a photo is static and captures one moment in time, but diseases, nutritional deficiencies and even environmental stress are progressive. For me, it is a whole lot easier to figure out what something is if I have watched it appear and progress than to look at a photo that captures it at only one stage. Also if you haven't already compared your photos to the photos at the Texas A&M Tomato Problem Solver website, you might want to give it a try. That's always the first place I look, and then if I can't come up with a diagnosis from that, I go to Cornell Univ.'s Vegetable MD Website, and if I still feel like I haven't figured it out, I drag out my tomato disease book. Dawn
...See More
Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus
Q
Comments (2)
Pictures will not change whether or not you have experienced this disease ? Anyone ever have a confirmed case ? I see on here people who thought they had it ,then if was weed killer damage ,so I am asking anyone evry have this disease for sure ?
...See More
Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) vs. Mg deficiency?? (pics)
Q
Comments (5)
I am having similar problems with my tomatoes and peppers in the garden here in Maricopa. Your pictures duplicate what I am seeing. The only confusing part is that it's not prevelent on all of the plants. I have 6 varieties of tomatoes and several of peppers. Bush Champ has this problem, Bush Goliath to some degree and one of my heirlooms, a large plum variety from Sicily, is really sick. I'm using NEEM combo insecticide and fungecide along with Seven dust separately. The palnts get sufficient sun, water, and nutrients. Have you found anything that helps?
...See More
Weird tomato leaf issue, with pictures.
Q
Comments (5)
Make sure they have as much water as they need, and keep in mind that you'll have a few scorched leaves. I'm resigned to having some dead spots on my leaves from the times when it leaps from ten days of 85 to being 105 the next. :/ As long as the plants are otherwise happy, they'll still yield fine. --Alison
...See More
jean001
13 years ago
The strawberries -- that container is small for that much plant material.
valberry
Original Author
13 years ago
All right, I have "renovated" (removed all leaves and stems down to about an inch above the ground) and transplanted my strawberries into two larger containers. I will update this thread again when (if) they grow back to let posterity know how it worked.

The tomato is still limping along, but it does seem to like the shade better. The tomatoes are mostly small and ripening slowly, but taste pretty yummy. I guess I'll just let it finish its cycle and use a better soil and better plant stock next time!

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

SPRING GARDENING Summer Crops: How to Grow Strawberries

By Marianne Lipanovich

Pluck your own sweet strawberries right from the garden vine for smoothies, salads or eating then and there

EDIBLE GARDENS Garden BFFs? Why Your Vegetables Are Begging for Companion Plants

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Foster friendships among plants for protection from pests, pollination support and color camaraderie

EDIBLE GARDENS Houzz Call: Where Are the Craziest Places You Grow Edibles?

By Annie Thornton

Basil in a bathtub, spinach stacked up a wall ... If your edibles occupy an odd spot, we’d like to know

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING World of Design: 10 Home Gardeners Show Us Their Sweet Summer Harvests

From New York to Tokyo, these gardeners have turned their yards, terraces and rooftops into places of bounty

GARDENING GUIDES What Are Your Spring Gardening Plans?

By Annie Thornton

Tearing out the lawn? Planting edibles? Starting from scratch? Tell us what you plan to change in your garden this year

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Easy Edibles for First-Time Gardeners

By Marianne Lipanovich

Focus on these beginner-friendly vegetables, herbs, beans and salad greens to start a home farm with little fuss

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

EDIBLE GARDENS 12 Essential Herbs for Your Edible Garden

By Annie Thornton

Make home cooking and drinks even better with herbs plucked from your own backyard or windowsill pot

FARM YOUR YARD How to Grow Vegetables in Containers

By Annie Thornton

Get glorious vegetables and fruits on your patio with a pro’s guidance — including his personal recipe for potting mix

Sponsored

Structural Remodeling

Franklin County's Heavy Timber Specialists | Best of Houzz 2020!

More Discussions

Peach variety recommendations, please

2

Peach trees need help!

1

Peach tree dead buds

2

No flowers on my apricot tree?

6

Peach Tree Leaf Curl

6