A few thoughts... Was the weather hot this year? I know it's tough growing on concrete or blacktop, that usually makes matters worse. Also, maybe you had SVB problems... currently or in the past (growing in the same spot, they can hatch this year right under the plant.) It's hard to tell if it's SVB or bacterial wilt... bacterial wilt often takes down the entire plant... yours looks like just part of the plant. The fruit aborts can be heat related, especially since they are on pavement. I have a rear main vine on blacktop and no fruits set there, plus some leaves have crispy edges. The dried up leaves near the middle look similar to aged leaves near the beginning of a plant--they get that look from a combination of things--age, heat, wetting of the leaves during high heat, etc. I would look for signs of frass & holes in the vine section that's wilted, close to the stump. Also kinked or broken vines can cause the rest of a section of vine to wilt like that. See if you have any cucumber beetles in the flowers too. Hope this helps. Mark

OP said "Well my coleus are indoors." Thanks. As said, it won't get rid of it. When it comes to the suggested homemade sprays, they *might* slow the infection rate on the new leaves, or not. It may still be the end of your coleus' life. So if you have "clean" stems, you might grab some cuttings and root them.

I have that on my pumpkins this year. I assume it is some kind of pest damage (I have cuke beetles and squash bugs, in manageable amounts.) I have a very nice crop of pumpkins starting to turn nice colors and there is still plenty of healthy plant so I am not worrying about it. I think powdery mildew can also leave behind damage like that, and I have that too. IMO a spray of water is exactly what to do for PM - nothing works better than a simple spraying of the leaves with water - washes the PM off.

We do have a wildlife cam out back, but on that particular night, it was not pointed toward the spruce. (Murphy's Law!) I am fairly certain, though, after getting some responses here that it is buck rub. I am not upset... things happen. We enjoy the wildlife in our yard. They don't bother anything that is in the fenced portion of our lot. This spruce was planted in a wooded area outside the fence. It just never occurred to me when I planted the spruce that two years later a buck would rub his antlers all over it and tear it to shreds.... live and learn. Mike... it is encouraging to know that I may be able to salvage what is left of my spruce. I haven't cut off the top yet, just staked it up. I have no idea how to train a new leader... I guess I can look into, though. Luckily, this tree isn't in an area where it can easily be seen (like in my front yard), so if it doesn't look good for a while, that's okay. I just wish spruces grew faster. I think in the two years I had it, it may have grown two inches! We'll see what happens... Thanks again for the responses! Page