How Do I Determine The Cause And Cure For Leaf Curl On My Tomato Plants, Blackened Joints On Peppers And White Blotches On Zucchin

Question

We have started a new garden and are having trouble determining the cause of some conditions with the plants: A zucchini plant has white blotches on the leaves. Flowers and fruits seem to be developing OK. Our tomato plants’ leaves are curling up. The soil is moist. Its rained almost daily lately. Its a little windy but not that much. No one is using pesticides/herbicides anywhere nearby. Deer were eating the new growth, but I put up a fence that keeps them out now. Not sure what to do. The pepper plants are black where the stems join the main stalk. It just doesn’t seem healthy, though the plants seem otherwise OK. They are making peppers.

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Answer 1

The peppers do this, naturally. All of them will develop black or purple at the branch crotches.

The rest of your issues stem from water issues. Soils that remain moist can often succumb to infection. This is evident from the leaves rolling upward. This mechanism is the plants' attempt to evaporate extra water.

Since these are outdoors, you will be at the mercy of rain. The only thing that you can do is provide preventative treatment to infection.

Fungicides will be in order. Biofungicides can be added to soil to prevent and correct issues.

Here are some articles that will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/biofungicide-information.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/homemade-fungicide.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm