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Princeton Kentucky

The pics in the following link are Horrifying, weak stomachs need not click! All my years of gardening and growing. My entire melon patch has taken a left turn into SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Looks like a major fungal infection from the nearby damaged row crops has blown in and taken up camp. Do any of you think my 3 melons will last for any time and if so for how long. I've never encountered such a fast sweeping infection like this. You can see in my diary of the double female pics leaves are perfect but the next day..trouble. Any input as always is very welcome round here. All 3 melons were growing at an incredible rate and sorta still are, Fiona especially. Holding my breath http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=295036

7/31/2018 8:17:04 AM

Princeton Kentucky

You can click on > Show Full 2018 Diary to see the other leaf pics. Thanks, Joseph

7/31/2018 8:18:59 AM

Home of happy lil plants

the cure is. walk inside, sit down for 3 days

7/31/2018 11:18:37 AM

Princeton Kentucky

Spence, is a couple cold beers required for that...maybe more?

7/31/2018 11:58:09 AM

Princeton Kentucky

Seriously Spence, thanks for taking the time and for your knowledge, lol

7/31/2018 3:50:52 PM

Franklinton ,La.

Just a thought, I am a maintenance man and have been for 30 years. I always look at what’s changed recently as it could possibility relate to the cause of the problem.....prior to the leaf issue you sprayed Malathion on the plants ,what was the active ingredient 50% ? Have you sprayed it on before prior to this application? What was the rate per gallon ? I have experienced the same symptoms with this product with watermelon plants in past years. It will burn ! Again just a thought.

7/31/2018 3:56:47 PM

SW Ohio

To my eyes, it looks more like spray damage. Its just so evenly covering the leaves. By any chance were the row crops being sprayed by air?

7/31/2018 5:16:37 PM

Princeton Kentucky

Hey Daryl, it was Ortho Max Malathion 50% mixed > 1 TBSP/1gal I've sprayed it before at this concentration with no problems but not with daconil. You may be right on target about burning because this afternoon it seems to have stopped increasing in size on the leaves. The melons are still growing strong. Will repost in a few days on plant and melon growth here to confirm the burning. By then if its the other I will know for sure. Thank You sir and again Congrats to you on a great season.

7/31/2018 5:26:16 PM

sevierville, Tn

i agree, didn't look like disease, way to fast and even. Keep the faith, your above the WR pace !

7/31/2018 7:05:49 PM

Princeton Kentucky

Thanks for your inputs BBT & Chris too, I can't believe I've possibly done this. The plants were so gorgeous. Fighting Japanese beetles bad here. BBT on the 28th Crop dusters were in the fields..again (ARG) spraying for the beetles. Either I did it or drift off the fields.

7/31/2018 7:23:41 PM

SW Ohio

Maybe they sprayed what you sprayed? So you got a double dose. Or maybe a strong surfectant was used.

7/31/2018 7:50:58 PM

Central NY

I was pretty nervous for ya too...bullet...dodged...

7/31/2018 9:04:25 PM

Grant, AL

That is an awesome growing melon Joseph! I agree with everyone else the coverage looks too even in the leaves to be disease and if they are already improving then it's probably just a reaction to too much of an insecticide. Don't freak out, be patient, and everything might correct itself in a few days. Keep her growing man!!

7/31/2018 10:23:38 PM

Princeton Kentucky

Sue I use a few drops of dish soap as a surfactant which might have aided in the burn this time around. Porkchop>Ditto & Charles hard not to freak out here OMG but it's getting better, lol. There is lots n lots of new growth in the plants so I'm hoping for recovery in plant strength. Thanks All top ta bottom here.

8/1/2018 5:48:47 AM

Bethlehem CT

Midwest keep them going, I look forward to reading your diary more than any other. The growth you get out of your melons is explosive. I am very impressed.

8/1/2018 7:32:06 AM

Bethlehem CT

Here is an article with more than you ever want to know about surfactants.
http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1319&title=Using%20Surfactants,%20Wetting%20Agents,%20and%20Adjuvants%20in%20the%20Greenhouse

8/1/2018 7:49:26 AM

Bethlehem CT

A good read about phytotoxicity in plants.
https://ag.purdue.edu/arge/swpap/Documents/Pesticides%20and%20Phytotoxicity.pdf

8/1/2018 8:02:26 AM

Princeton Kentucky

John yer scarin me,lol. Thanks for the articles I will indeed check them out. We are impressed we your gardens, they put ours to shame! Still growing your eatin tomatoes here!

8/1/2018 11:16:51 AM

formerly RGG

Joseph, wow ! I just looked through your 2018 growers diary. Looks very professional and everything growing awesomely well. One little mistake was made and maybe it won't hurt you too much.You are in world record territory and the amount of grief you must have experienced from this is hard to imagine. You seem very careful and diligent.I believe you will get the world record this year with a little luck. It is great fun watching world records grow. Please keep posting and adding the excellent commentary. I also love the way you freely share information to help fellow growers. I am just very impressed.Keep up the good work!

8/2/2018 5:37:10 AM

Bethlehem CT

Sorry Joseph didn't mean to scare you. I think as far as mistakes go we are all still making them. Here is one I made recently. We have had so much rain here in CT. (inches upon inches.) My Ag's were looking deficient in N. SO I broadcast Urea over the top of them. Usually I have been able to do this with out harm to the leaf because I then go through with the blower and blow off the Urea from the leaves. Well this time the leaves had some moisture on them and the salt must have started to dissolve a little bit on the leaf. SO now I've got these little necrotic spots on my leaves in various places. All in all though, I know my plants will pull through just fine. Plus the Urea is definitely helping them right now.
PS thanks for the compliments about the garden!

8/2/2018 5:43:43 AM

Bethlehem CT

Perhaps the disease that you are seeing in the field crops is some type of soybean rust. Beans are prone to many diseases especially in wet weather. Try picking beans sometime from wet or dew laden plants and you will see disease come in really quick. I bet the disease was spread in that violent storm you had about a week ago.

8/2/2018 5:48:20 AM

Princeton Kentucky

John I was in town this morning and over heard some farmers talking about the rust & rot on the beans & the corn ears from hail strikes so I think your dead on buddy! Amazing how it looks so close alike. TD I think the seed has good genetics, my plants are coming out of 12" x 36" high mounds for drainage so the trunks stay dry and I'm just dang lucky to have my soil in check. The plants will do great if I & mother natures bad side stay the heck away,lol.

8/2/2018 1:34:02 PM

South Arkansas

It was good to see on your last diary post that your plants are looking better. Before you kick yourself too much, ask your county agent to check out your plants for herbicide drift damage from other farms. I am not sure what dicambra damage to watermelons looks like but it is becoming too common in areas where dicambra-ready soybeans are being planted. You are using two chemicals that can cause problems. Do be careful on the use of copper based fungicides as well as malathion. Stay away from malathion especially after melons begin to set. Copper based fungicides used in the same period as fungicides containing potassium phosphite do lots of damage and will kill plants. If you have to choose between the copper product and a potassium phosphite product, go with the potassium phosphite. You have some really pretty melons.

8/2/2018 1:44:21 PM

Bethlehem CT

Good advice and I agree those are really pretty looking melons. I don't use copper because I am afraid of it. It reacts with so many other chemicals and plants really don't like it. Although it is the only prevention for bacterial diseases, so I can see why people use it.

8/3/2018 6:29:32 AM

simpson,KS

Same thing here on my BD patch something came in one corner of patch and took down entire thing couldn't stop it even where it infected the melon it self the melon melted down. Sprayed everything with no luck. Hasn't infected the other patches though. Just weird.

8/3/2018 7:45:02 AM

Princeton Kentucky

lbright thanks! malathion is off my 'go to list' until I learn more about it.

8/3/2018 2:50:52 PM

Home of happy lil plants

Malathion is great

8/3/2018 3:31:43 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

I like it too.
Merit has become my go to with malathion and bifen as contacts.

8/3/2018 4:05:48 PM

East Tennessee

Malethion is a friend of mine

8/3/2018 5:21:44 PM