Q.Cucurbits Devastated!!
I grow several plants from the cucurbit family including cucumbers, gourds, melons, and watermelons every year. I have had pretty good yields every year but this year pretty much all the species got wrecked by disease I am not sure about, only the ridge gourds were left and gave an exceptional yield. Please help me identify what this calamity of a disease is! Cucurbits are my favorite food to grow and I really really don’t want it to repeat the next season. The disease starts with yellow spots on the the lower leaves, progresses to upper mature leaves and in a weeks time, the plant starts dying. P.s. I used to spray chemical pesticides previously but I have completely abandoned them from this year and used no pesticides at all, chemical or organic.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
This is very typical of magnesium and/or potassium deficiency. This could be an actual deficiency or an interaction between them. There is a balance between them, or one will get locked out. pH imbalances could be a factor as well.
I recommend testing your soil for nutrient deficiencies and pH imbalances. This article will help you:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm
