Disease concern turning to panic. Help appreciated!

[DogsandDirt]

Aren't Exel LG and Agri-Fos the same product, unless there's something remarkably different about the "other ingredients?" Maybe increase the concentration of the Exel LG in the foliar spray (my bottle says 2 tsp to 2 oz/gallon) and add it as a drench?

[RayR]

Yep, you're right. Exel LG and Agri-Fos are the exact same product.

[RayR]

Also, ORGANIC LABORATORIES changed the name of Exel LG to Organocide™ Plant Doctor.
I was just at a local nursery and they had both on the shelf.

[sfmathews]

Dwayne, are your plants looking any better? I did the bleach spray and Daconil, and new growth on mine looks good. Now to keep those blasted spider mites at bay!

[Dewayne mater]

Susan - I went out of town for 3 days on a campout with my daughter, so I haven't done bleach treatment yet. I did hit them with Serenade and Actinovate before a I left and with Exel LG and actinovate when I got back. Unfortunately, whatever this is has spread to more plants and is advancing quickly. So, desperate times mean that tonight, I'm going to try the bleach thing.

How much of your plants died with the bleach treatment?

I know I have at least 2 issues working...one is the gray mold. The treatments above have dramatically slowed that, but not stopped it and bleach may help. The second is causing leaves to yellow and drop/wilt, then turn brown and die. The advance of this condition is rapid! I do see some small circles on the yellow leaves that are maybe 1/3 the size of a dime, whatever that is. This one is the main concern for me.

I also refilled the water reservoirs with Cal Mag and a Fox liquid fert. that is a bloom and grow product...like a 6-2-4 if I recall correctly. Hopefully, I can stop whatever this is where it is and outgrow the dead stuff. Just when you think you know the tricks, nature throws some new stuff at you that makes you feel like a beginner again!

Dewayne mater

[sfmathews]

I just had most of the bottom parts of the plants brown and die off, which is where I was seeing the disease anyway. Prior to the bleach treatment, I had taken off anything that looked like gray mold or EB. I need to do a follow up with Daconil tonite, if I get home early enough from an awards ceremony at my son's school.
That yellowing and wilting thing is worrisome. Is this happening at the bottom or top of the plant, or only on one side? Is it only leaves or entire stems?

[Dewayne mater]

It did start on the bottom. However, it also is moving up in a non uniform manner, such that now there are green leaves below some of the yellow leaves. It is definitely both leaves and the branches that support them. So far, the main stems of the plants look normal. The leaves just lose all life, become extremely soft and flop together. I've seen some wilts before, and it was nothing like this. Just a pure guess, but, it seems like the stems supporting the yellowing leaves stop delivering any water or nutrients, so the leave just shrivel up and die. This happens a few days after a leaf starts to show some yellowing. That is as best as I can describe it.

[DogsandDirt]

Ditto for me. I'm guessing it's a fungus since I also have new green growth below the yellow branches, especially on the Sungold. I sprayed with Exel LG (increased to 1 oz/gallon) and Actinovate on Saturday. The affected plants actually looked worse on Sunday and I removed more yellow branches. I wanted to spray with B54red's bleach solution today but it keeps threatening to rain. Some plants show none of the yellowing, but the spider mites are going after them. I'm trying so hard to keep every plant consistently moist and avoid water stress a much as possible. I gave everyone some Fox Farm Tiger Bloom yesterday, too. Great minds think alike? Or despirate minds??

[Tracydr]

I had pretty good luck with spider mites on my roses recently using sulphur powder. Don't leave it on if hot, though. It will burn the leaves.
Thanks, Dsrtlzbn! Those darn mites were death to my tomatoes last year. The sulphur also helped my tick problem. I dusted the yard, especially the lemon grass and it made a big difference on the dogs!

[desertlzbn]

Yeah, the spider mites and russet mites got the best of me last year, miteacide is your friend!

[Crandrew]

Doesnt Neem also help against mites?

[sfmathews]

It never really set them back for me. I tried it for several years when it first came out. I even purchased the 100% Neem oil and used per bottle directions. Just didn't do the job. Maybe Texas mites are extra tough?

[Dewayne mater]

Corina

I used the Fox Farms Grow big...a 6-4-4 product thinking I wanted to hit with Nitrogen and try to outgrow this evil disease! Still, desperate and great minds!

Sorry you are experiencing this too.

I took the plunge this morning early with 8 oz of bleach to a gallon of water and doused the container plants top and bottom of leaves. I'm guessing I'll get a pretty big die off over the next day or two, but, if it stops this crud, it'll be worth it! Most of the plants are less affected so far and are blooming and setting well...but, I if I can't stop the fungus or whatever it is, not much is going to ripen before the plants are taken down.

FYI - I've now gotten verification that the smallest quantity that Syngenta sells Quadris in is 1 gallon, which costs a little over $300. My only hope is that one of their distributors takes it upon themselves to break the product down into a much smaller quantities, but that seems very unlikely. Sigh.

Dewayne mater

[babice]

I dunno if this is true but my companion planting book says that garlic will help repel mites. That is why I have it planted all around my roses and intend to plant it with my toms. I think there's a recipe in that book as well against mites. I can look it up for you when I get home tonight if'n you want.

[sfmathews]

Thanks Babice. I do actually have garlic planted in between some of the maters. I have to say I haven't seen any difference between those and others planted w/o garlic in between. I plant the garlic in October and it is getting time to harvest it soon. I usually plant one row of garlic in the fall and save room for mater plants to go in between, since space is at a premium for me. Maybe the mites like a hint of garlic with their mater leaves?