All my plants are looking diseased. Help appreciated.

[Cyclone]

I am a total armature when it comes to gardening and this is the first year that I decide to start so many plants in doors. I have in the past but this year I decide to grow a lot more.

Months ago I noticed small red bugs on the Thunbergia Vines I started. Now more and more of the different variety of plants I have started seem to be having other different problems like white, black spots on the leaves, curling, parts of the leaves drying up, bumps and some of the other plants also have these red bugs. I think I have a few separate issues going on with my plants. Bugs, mould, fungus?

I have uploaded a bunch of photos and divided them into 3 pages with a few notes. Sorry if I took too many photos. I tried to be thorough.

http://www.inspiredvisuals.com/Cgtalk/Plants/plants.html
http://www.inspiredvisuals.com/Cgtalk/Plants/plants2.html
http://www.inspiredvisuals.com/Cgtalk/Plants/plants3.html

I think there are a few reasons for my problems. Overcrowded plants, too humid in the room, over watering, fertilizer burns but I have no idea if any of those are the cause. I only fertilized the plants twice (once with general purpose fertilizer and once with rooting fertilizer) and tried to be really careful with watering them making sure they weren't too wet. The weather is crappy and I cannot put the overcrowded plants outside. I think I started them too early. Some plants are even blocking the lights with their leaves… On the bright side I haven’t had a plant death yet.

Got any ideas on the cause of my problems? I have a bad feeling that everything is just getting worse and worse and I will end up with no plants.

Thank You
Have a good day.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Cyclone, we all seemed to have missed this.

I'm only an amateur too, but i think you are right that you have several problems.

I think the plants maybe suffering from aphid and red spider mite, the aphids can also spread viruses.

I think you need to get these problems sorted as soon as possible, either with insecticide or a biological control.
Once you have these pest under control and the plants start growing, a lot of the other problems might go away.

[Chantal]

Hi Cyclone, I didn't miss your posting, I just don't have the remotest idea what to say; I've never seen anything like it, sorry.

Welcome, by the way, we're usually much better at assisting than this

[richard p]

hi, again im no expert , but i would suggest getting the plants outside in fresh air and sunshine, if they cant be planted out they can go out in their pots. your problems look to be a combination of things, the root cause is probably the growing conditions indoors. once the plants are producing healthy growth the leaves with problems can be removed. good luck

[Johnboy]

Hi Cyclone,
I would suggest that most of your problems are due to a lack of ventilation. I would think that, as has already been suggested, you have more than one problem.
Lack of ventilation allows such things as Red Spider Mite and other pests to flourish and spread.
My advice is to remove all affected leaves and burn them. This may leave some oddly shaped plants but this doesn't really matter the important bit is having some plants at all. I am sure that some plants would do well to be place out of doors during the day and when they go back at night there must be a good ventilation draught. If this is not possible leave them outside and cover with a layer of fleece.
JB.

[Cyclone]

Thanks for the welcome and advice
I think you guys are right about the ventilation. I have already started hardening off the watermelon, cucumbers and zucchini. Still freezes at night so I can't plant them yet.


All my plants in general seem to be doing better (except for the peppers) or at least not getting worse. I think at least the bug issue is somewhat under control. I noticed within a day or 2 of removing the insolating plastic from the shelves that was keeping the plants warm that the plants seemed to stop getting worse to such a huge degree. I think that the environmental conditions were just right for the bugs to flourish. The plants had red spider mites, thrips, white flies, and other bugs, maybe aphids and white spider mites? Most of the watermelon has died though. The leaves were so dried up from bug damage and some stems broke when separating the plants and spraying and rubbing the leaves to squish the bugs.

Here is an update on the peppers. :’(

I fertilized the peppers last night. I was very careful to not get any on the plants. Today when I checked the peppers they looked a lot worse. The leaves looked even more bumpy, curly, and sick looking. Even the ones that I thought were the healthiest. They also have a lot of buds on them but they aren't opening up and are drooping. Either the fertilizer is poisoning the plants or they have a virus and I accidentally spread it to the other plants with physical contact from the watering can spout? It was practically impossible to not have it touch the plants when I was watering. I have fertilized 3 times I don’t see a single bug on the plants unless they are microscopic so I don’t think its bug damage. I think either a virus (Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV)?) or nutrient problems?

Any ideas. I would at least like to figure out what is wrong with them, even if they die so I know for next time.









Thanks for the advice.