Plant problem diagnosis thread

Hi, I don't know if folks want to glom onto here to post their plant problems or if it makes sense to keep these to individual threads - BUT! Allow me to begin with my weird plant problems.

I grow on a small second-storey deck where I have a series of cages (for plants to be trellised and/or protected from squirrels) and shelves with various containers on them. At the very bottom of the shelves, we have an experimental window box where we just let whatever from last year come up to grow, plus some clover seeds we tossed in earlier in the season. I noticed that there was quite a few forget-me-nots popping up but let them be. The result is it's pretty densely planted. Recently I noticed some of the clover in the corner started to develop white flecks all over it but it didn't seem to be spreading so I didn't get alarmed. Well, now it looks like those white flecks are on about half of the peas in the planter box beside it, with what appear to be black spores beneath those flecks on the underside of the leaves. I'm thinking it's a fungus, but would greatly appreciate anyone who might be able to recognize it and recommend a treatment. The peas are done producing anyways, so tearing them out isn't the end of the world.

THANKS GUYS, hope you enjoy all the cat hair in my photos.

Hayley Stewart wrote:
Well, now it looks like those white flecks are on about half of the peas in the planter box beside it, with what appear to be black spores beneath those flecks on the underside of the leaves.

Aha! I went out later today and saw little thrips scurrying around. We have our answer, ladies and gentlemen. Those black "spores" are thrip poop!
I removed the worst damaged plants and gave any other leaves where I saw them running around (but with less damage) a little castille soap + water spray. I did see some ladybug larva on the deck for the first time this year so I'm hoping they'll be around to chomp on any stragglers. We have oodles of spiders too. Do spiders like thrips? I hope so.

I saw your location, Ontario, CA and got excited that you are so close. I too am in the Inland Empire (near Ontario) of Riverside county CA(lifornia).... then I noticed zone 5 and realized you must actually mean CANADA and are much farther away that just an hours drive!! Good sleuthing to figure out thrips. I battle wooly aphids, scale bugs and the ants that keep moving them around.

Hey folks. I am growing strawberries in an old wash tub and I am having a few issues. I suspect the issue is nutrition since I am using bagged garden soil that I bought from a local store.  I am at a loss!  Help please!

The berries are starting to turn red but are deformed. Also the leaves are curling and have some yellowed regions. Please see the photos.

M Goforth wrote:Hey folks. I am growing strawberries in an old wash tub and I am having a few issues. I suspect the issue is nutrition since I am using bagged garden soil that I bought from a local store.  I am at a loss!  Help please!

The berries are starting to turn red but are deformed. Also the leaves are curling and have some yellowed regions. Please see the photos.

Overwatering, and/or nitrogen deficiency.  I would quick fix by use of a purchased liquid fertilizer,  higher in the N part of the 3 numbers (n,p,k) dosed at double the recommended,  plus a calcium/magnesium supplement in the same feeding.  Then let them dry out enough to be not moist to your first knuckle deep.

Some others here will likely suggest other methods that don't require a purchased fertilizer. And that's great, if you also have good homemade compost from your land. But I suggest if you already had that at hand you would have used it in the first place.
If you have or know someone who has a rabbit, you could make manure tea or just dig some fresh rabbit 🐇 💩  into the bed. No need to compost it.

Good luck. Let us know what you choose and how it works.

Cindy Haskin wrote:

M Goforth wrote:Hey folks. I am growing strawberries in an old wash tub and I am having a few issues. I suspect the issue is nutrition since I am using bagged garden soil that I bought from a local store.  I am at a loss!  Help please!

The berries are starting to turn red but are deformed. Also the leaves are curling and have some yellowed regions. Please see the photos.

Overwatering, and/or nitrogen deficiency.  I would quick fix by use of a purchased liquid fertilizer,  higher in the N part of the 3 numbers (n,p,k) dosed at double the recommended,  plus a calcium/magnesium supplement in the same feeding.  Then let them dry out enough to be not moist to your first knuckle deep.

Some others here will likely suggest other methods that don't require a purchased fertilizer. And that's great, if you also have good homemade compost from your land. But I suggest if you already had that at hand you would have used it in the first place.
If you have or know someone who has a rabbit, you could make manure tea or just dig some fresh rabbit 🐇 💩  into the bed. No need to compost it.

Good luck. Let us know what you choose and how it works.

I tried to get in contact with a local rabbit guy but unfortunately he doesn't have rabbits like he used to.  So, I decided to go with a liquid fertilizer called Miracle-Gro Performance Organics.  Any thoughts on this fertilizer?  I will post an update when I can tell how it works.

Hi gang! Back again with a pea problem... but this time it's this weird, raised, yellowy crystal-like growth on the pods. Anyone ever seen something like this before?

Looks like some kind of edema— a reaction to water imbalance in plant tissues.  See https://mtvernon.wsu.edu/path_team/pea.htm
 

Thanks so much for sharing this! I was looking all over but couldn't find a pea diagnosis chart with edema listed. Makes sense, considering we've had some really cool and wet weather here. Thank you!

Mk Neal wrote:Looks like some kind of edema— a reaction to water imbalance in plant tissues.  See https://mtvernon.wsu.edu/path_team/pea.htm

Hayley Stewart wrote:Hi gang! Back again with a pea problem... but this time it's this weird, raised, yellowy crystal-like growth on the pods. Anyone ever seen something like this before?

Neoplastic pea pod syndrome. Response to being bitten by pea weavil (though I have only seen it myself with thrips) and in the absence of UV light - so mostly seen in glass/greenhouses. Single dominant gene, and  although the link I post below says its not uncommon - I have only seen it in landrace pea accessions.  Hope that helps.

Cheers
Steve

https://www.jic.ac.uk/research-impact/molecules-from-nature/impact/peas/the-history-of-pea-research-at-the-john-innes-centre/neoplastic-pea-pods-2/

Oh wow that is exactly what it looks like! There has been tremendous pest pressure this year (it's a new sheet mulched bed) so this makes sense. Never heard of this before - thank you!

Steven Spence wrote:

Hayley Stewart wrote:Hi gang! Back again with a pea problem... but this time it's this weird, raised, yellowy crystal-like growth on the pods. Anyone ever seen something like this before?

Neoplastic pea pod syndrome. Response to being bitten by pea weavil (though I have only seen it myself with thrips) and in the absence of UV light - so mostly seen in glass/greenhouses. Single dominant gene, and  although the link I post below says its not uncommon - I have only seen it in landrace pea accessions.  Hope that helps.

Cheers
Steve

https://www.jic.ac.uk/research-impact/molecules-from-nature/impact/peas/the-history-of-pea-research-at-the-john-innes-centre/neoplastic-pea-pods-2/

I grabbed my neem oil and sprayed to treat a squash plant that had some beginning signs of pests.
Too bad it was bleach spray and not neem oil!