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President - GPC

We have noticed yellowing leafs at the Nursery spreading on a few plants. Starts on the older leaves first. Turning the entire leaf yellow. I tapped the leaf over a white paper and it did appear to drop tiny dots that smeared. Im thinking mites. I also saw some longer ones that snaked their way along, tiny threads maybe 1/32". Thrips? There also is dirt underneath the leaves from splashback. WHat should I be spraying and the dilution rate. It is spreading to the other plants too. My too new plants are dark green but the older plants are turning lime green with the leafs turning entirely yellow. Underneath the leaf one can see a white type of residue. I dont believe its PM cuz we have not watered that much and no rain, It looks like a salt spray if you were on the coast on the under sides of the worse leaves. We were not able to do a soil test at the nursery yet so I know our soil is out of whack. We have just started to spray with Argo-K (Calcium)last nite, so thats not the problem.....ANy ideas......will try and get a pic posted soon. Tonight there are going to get seaweed relief.....These plants are only 3 weeks old. Were doing great, almost ready to run. Now this

7/19/2006 9:10:29 AM

President - GPC

Looked at Mike Frantz pics......similar but ours starts on the older leaves first......and that salty residue underneath the leaves bothers me.......will washing it off help? Since we cleared the nursery of all those weeds I figured the bugs were going to head to the only green stuff there....

7/19/2006 9:49:29 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

You need to examine those "dots" under a very strong magnifying lens. 7X or better should yield a decent picture. There are many types of mites that injue plants. The "Two-Spotted Spder Mite" has been very common this year.

http://www.oznet.k-state.edu/hfrr/extensn/POW/2005/August_3.htm

The threads are probably webs.

7/19/2006 10:04:14 AM

President - GPC

Tremor,
They are not webs but it actually looks like salt spray or a crystallation. Not PM cuz its not powdery.....LongMont Pete said to try bifenthrin......should I??? I cant find it yet via the name Othomax. Ill get pics tonight fo sure. Ill do the paper trick again tonight because we did spray under the leave prior to testing them. I do have thrips....very small...those were the threads I was talking about.....
Check this out: http://www.diatectresults.com/antinki.html?gclid=CPK5xv-knoYCFQ8THgodSg9usw

Have you heard of this stuff to kill the bugs it appears similar>

7/19/2006 1:10:32 PM

President - GPC

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/cucurbit/indexleaf.html

This seems to be a great site as it has all kinds of pics of punkin leaf disorders......although I did not see my exact leaf......I need a mag glass.

7/19/2006 1:25:10 PM

President - GPC

It has been very hot lately in Colorado. I have watered the plants daily including a good drench. We did put on organic soil fertilizer on all 6 plants. The new plants dont seem to be affected but they were also covered up with a towel to diffuse the light since they were new. All of the plants did not wilt under the heat. We did use some pond sludge threw out the patch. Ground was hard as concrete but was dark when wetted. Ill try to capture a PH reading tonight if we can get a meter. Any clues?

7/19/2006 2:15:43 PM

Mastic Beach, New York

talstar one = bifenthrin i dont think othro make it

7/19/2006 6:24:23 PM

Danville, CA (petman2@yahoo.com)

Ortho Max - Red Bottle has bifenthrin. Check the label to be sure it is bifenthrin as they seem to make everything look the same. Not very high concentration, I think 3%. It is what I use though and Tremor has called it the new benchmark over Lambda.

7/19/2006 11:52:20 PM

Kalamazoo, MI (Jpwrhse@charter.net)

I've been using ortho Max because I saw it was Bifenthrin. Used it according to instructions, solved my SVB and Cuke Beetle problem. Might have caused yellow spots on a couple of the leaves though. Has anyone ever noticed that happening with Talstar?

7/20/2006 9:52:58 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Wiz,

Those look like Peach Tree Scale! Theyt're definately SOME kind of Scale. I never saw them on Cucurbita before now but there's a first time for everything.

7/20/2006 9:58:43 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/ornamentals/1-34.jpeg

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=52899

Side by side the size of these 2 images leaves some doubt. But Soap or Oil would control both mites & scales. If the temperature permits (under 85*F) then get spraying those undersides.

Stylet-Oil would be my first choice since it also controls Powdery Mildew.

7/20/2006 10:03:55 AM

President - GPC

Gordon's Diary says it all, in viewing those pics it is an identical match. Thrips are going to get zapped too. We have a break in the temps under 85......I think Ill use the ortho max as it saved LongMont Petes plants and hes just up the street in CO.......
Thanks to You all Ill keep you posted ........
Wiz

7/21/2006 9:17:40 AM