Symphylans are very small, white, many segmented organisms that you may see in your soil when you pull up a struggling plant. You will notice them darting and scurrying quickly about the root ball or seedling plug. They are also known as symphlans, or “symphys”, pseudocentipedes, or garden centipedes, even though they are not centipedes. They are […]
Also referred to as: Spotted Cucumber Beetles, Striped cucumber beetles, western striped cucumber beetle, southern corn rootworm, Western corn rootworm beetles Acalymma spp., Diabrotica undecimpunctata Physical Description: Light green to yellow little beetles with stripes or spots (very much like a ladybug, but with yellow-green instead of red background). Striped cucumber beetles can overwinter in […]
Don’t grow tomatoes near petunias or potatoes, which are hosts for this mite. Physical Description Very tiny mite – must use at least 20x hand lens to see. These mites are whitish yellow with pear-shaped bodies, move very slowly Species & Taxonomy Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus Species: Lifecycle Plants Affected Tomatoes Plants […]
Fusarium is a soil-borne fungus that can survive for a decade or more in dormant stages. It enters the plant through roots and invades its water distribution network, where the fungi partially or completely block the vascular tissues, usually by gum-like formations, causing wilting and eventually death of the plant. General Description Widespread fungus that affects a wide […]
Green caterpillars that chew large holes in leaves; handpick – not seriously damaging. Physical Description Google images Green caterpillar that inches along. Species & Taxonomy Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus Species: Trichoplusia ni Lifecycle Plants Affected Plants Unaffected Geographical Range Signs & Symptoms Whole Plant Leaves Large holes chewed in leaves […]
Quick Intro Physical Description Bacterial disease of the fruit or tubers of a vegetable, characterized by watery and soft decay of the tissue. Species & Taxonomy Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus Species: caused by several types of bacteria, but most commonly: Erwinia Pectobacterium Pseudomonas Lifecycle These pathogenic bacteria can grow at a wide range […]
Powdery mildew is a common fungal disease that effects many types of plants, and is fairly easy to manage. It causes poor growth and lower yields, but seldom kills the plant. There are many different species of powdery mildew that cause the disease on many different species of plants. See list of species and their […]
Also known as Alternaria Blight. Physical Description Early blight begins as light-colored spots on leaves, eventually leading to the leaves dying and falling off. Google Images Species & Taxonomy Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus Species: Alternaria solani Lifecycle Plants Affected tomatoes potatoes peppers (not a serious problem in peppers, but if it appears, […]
Sudden wilting is caused by various reasons, Bacterial Wilt being one of them. Bacterial wilt is caused by different pathogens, depending on whether you are dealing with nightshades (pepper, tomato, potato, eggplant, tomatillos) or cucurbits (cucumber, melons, squash). In tobacco, it is known as Granville Wilt. Since there are various reasons for a plant to […]