I've grown a ton of cool weather veggies over the last 30 years, but have never seen leaves do what ours are doing - turning to variegated. We thought maybe we had some kind of critter, although I couldn't find any on a plant search. We went ahead and sprayed them with sevin a week or so ago, but it hasn't made a bit of difference, and now the leaves are also curling. This is affecting everything except the lettuce ... caulif, broc, brussel spts, cabbage. I'm stunned. The only other thing I can think of is that we are on the sand -- major sand, like after the 14 inches of rain we got in the storms a while back, we have dust flying when we mow. Could there be some nutrients that they are lacking, making them change colors like this? Any info will be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks to all!! Sally
well shoot ... now I see the insert/upload a photo button - after I sent it to the photos page. argh!!! uploading here now. ( photo / image / picture from gramma drake's Garden )
After looking it up on the internet the only thing I can find is Nitrogen deficiency but that makes the leaves turn yellow. So maybe you have a bacterial problem or something? I'm not experienced with these problems so I'm not much of a help.
Thanks for the reply! We're really stumped! Hubby said he checked the pH before we planted and it was good and he has fertilized. Went out and looked closer yesterday evening (dodging these darned buffalo gnats!!) and realized as well as the lettuce being okay, there were two broc plants that were still green. But this morning, some of the tomato and pepper leaves are showing signs of turning. Hubby is on the net now, doing more research. (This is an almost-62 year old man that will not use e-mail and swore years ago he didn't "need" a computer, but in the past 8yrs, since he has retired, he has become the research wizard! LOL Hopefully his talents will turn up something on this stumper!!)
well, according to some responses on gardenweb, it seems we may have mosaic virus. I had never heard of it, but I guess I'd best study up on it! Anybody know anything about it?
I really don't think you are looking at a mosaic virus in your plants, I don't think I have ever seen mosaic in the brassica family, although I could be wrong, but I agree with herbgod, I think you are looking at a vitamin/mineral deficiency. All the rain we have had would be very capable of depleting the soil very quickly , by washing it down through the soil. Try spraying a liquid fertilizer on the foliage, something like miracle grow. see if that makes any difference first. If you have a mosaic virus in your garden your plants will not survive it. They will wither, shrivel or dry up and there will be no crop. Cucurbits, tomatoes, beans and peppers are generally the first plant affected by the disease. The virus is spread by aphids in the garden. If your plants do die and you even think it may be the virus, bag your plants and dispose of them in your trash, DON'T compost or burn them. Wash and disinfect your hands before touching anything else in your garden. I hope you don't have the virus, anyway!!!! Tobacco use in the garden, SMOKING or PIPE SMOKE or CHEWING, will also spread the disease. Tobacco is a great carrier of a mosaic disease.
Thank you for the reply and the great information, Carolyn!! As a matter of fact, yesterday evening, we mixed up Miracle Gro and watered everything and we plan to continue that practice. hopefully we'll be able to bring everything back to looking good again!! I never thought about all of the rain depleting the soil, but it makes perfect sense, especially since our soil is so sandy to begin with. Even the potato plants were beginning to show signs of it yesterday, and I sure hope you are right and we can bring everything out of it!!!! We had to laugh yesterday after someone mentioned the virus and told us to get rid of everything showing signs of it, because we started this season off fighting rabbits to try to get the cool weather veggies in the ground. This was the THIRD planting and when we planted the third batch, we made a fence and surrounded the whole area so the bunnies couldn't feast. I told hubby I think the rabbits jinxed us "If WE can't eat them NObody will eat them!" LOL
You are welcome, I hope your garden now thrives for you. AND I NEVER let anybody smoke in my greenhouse or garden!!!!!Flowers can be diseased by the tobacco mosaic virus. NO one was ever allowed to touch the geraniums in the greenhouse I worked at if they smoked.
I sure never knew that about tobacco, but thankfully none of us smoke (for more reasons than one)! Now every time I see someone smoking I'm going to think about this, leading to a conversation ... "Did you know ......" ROFL!! Just ONE more good reason to quit smoking!!
It is definitely a mineral deficiency gramma, the question is which one? To have any chance of getting the right one more information is needed. Is the soil chalky [do you know the approx ph?]weeds can give a clue if you don't know. Is it on the youngest leaves getting worse as the leaves get older or does it appear as the leaf gets near maturity? The two front runners are induced iron deficiency, due to a high ph value [chalk] I don't suppose the plot was limed prior to planting? The other possibility is a trace element, possibly manganese if the newest leaves start off alright then 'marble' it would indicate this. It isn't magnesium as this starts around the edges of the leaf. It is difficult to be certain from a picture as there are so many variables, such deficiencies can be the very devil to get to the bottom of as they can be induced rather than real. It would be more accurate to call them a nutrient imbalance in many cases. If you can answer the ph question, what weeds are prevalent, was it limed, does it water log and if it is new or older leaves we might be able to come up with an answer. Simply dumping general fertilizer on them is unlikely to help much. Best guess at the moment would be to get a small pack of iron sequesterine and give it a dose in line with what it says on the pack. But I stress, this is at best a guess because if it is iron diff, then it is almost certainly induced. If there is visible chalk in the soil then a dose of flowers of sulphur will help, about an ounce per square yard, then hoe it in and water well.
I've been doing some research for you gramma and found this information about manganese fertilizers. "The only solid manganese fertilizer marketed by Incitec Pivot Limited is Granular Manganese Sulphate. It is applied dry to the soil, either on its own or in blends. It is not fully soluble and is therefore unsuitable for use in sprays. Manganese can be applied in solution (dissolved in water) to the soil or foliage as manganese sulphate or manganese chelate. The chelated forms are less subject to fixation in the soil, but are more costly. The use of manganese based fungicides such as maneb and mancozeb, e.g. Dithane M45, will often supply sufficient manganese to correct deficiency." Information taken from Incitec Pivot Limited -Fertfacts. I also found a photograph that matches yours which shows manganese deficiency.
We are also on deep sand and it helps if you will add a good composted manure to your garden. Or just a good compost that any garden center has. That will keep the soil from washing out.
