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Vegetable Gardening

White Spots on Leaves

8 years ago

Hi all, I'd appreciate some help identifying and treating these white spots on my zucchini plans. The white spots are rice paper thin, not powdery at all. They appear in the "body" of the leaf (not the veins) on some leaves and on others there is white/silver on the edges moving inward (see leaf on the right). I've searched and cannot decide exactly what it is?

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Comments (4)

Tracy Brothers
Original Author
8 years ago
digdirt2
8 years ago
Several possibilities so please begin by giving your location/garden zone as that will help narrowing it down a bit.

Meanwhile carefully check the undersides of the leaves for pests like spider mites and/or aphids. And something has been munching on the leaf edges.

Then has it been excessively windy of late, were the plants well hardened-off before planting, and what fertilizer have you been using that could account for the edge burns?

In other words, much more info is needed.

Dave
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The white stuff are whiteflies and their eggs, we have an infestation problem with them in South Florida. Whiteflies are from the tropics and can carry a disease called tomato yellow leaf curl virus. Leafhoppers also carries it. Once your plant is infected with leaf curl virus, the plant will almost stop growing and not produce anything, there is no cure. I'm not saying whiteflies definitely carry the virus, they may not, but it is something I've very wary of. I was not able to grow tomatoes for the most of 2015 because of them. Whiteflies like warm temperature so there are much less of them during the cooler months. They prefer shade, warmth, and protection from wind. They are attracted to nightshade plants, the virus infect nightshade plants such as tomato, pepper, goji, potato, basil. But they are attracted to a wider variety of plants while not infecting them, like the "bidens" plants (common lawn "weed"), brassica crops, banana and other type of leaves that may provide good shades. This season growing tomatoes in spring with the cooler temperature I have less problem with them. Also with mulching and keeping the plants healthy reduces my pests issues. I notice whiteflies like to attack the lower sick leaves, so I pruned them and maintain a good airflow in the bottom.
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Tracy Brothers
Original Author
8 years ago
My location is just north of Atlanta. They were planted in pikes potting soil in new raised beds just a week ago, no additional fertilizer added. I believe I ripped the middle leaf myself. After inspecting under a microscope, I do not see any pests. It is possible they were not hardened off they way they should, and it has been windy here as well.
digdirt2
8 years ago
Ok , thanks for that info. I t makes a big difference. My first question would be about planting zucchini this early. Even in your location it seems awfully early for heat loving summer crops that can't tolerate to the many variables of early spring weather. That plus the wind factor and the possibility of incomplete hardening would indicate it is all environmental damage, damage from exposure. If that is the case and the plant survives and adjusts then the new growth should be fine but some plant protection may be required to insure its survival.

The leaf edge burning/blackening I see is often a result from a spray of some kind or from excess nitrogen. I don't know what pikes potting soil is or its contents so can't address any nutrient problems it may have.

Dave

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