My mint some strawberries and a few other plants at having some black shriveles going on on their leaves .... what is this and how do I fix it? Is my garden getting burned ?
Can you take some photos of the plants for us? Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Also, where are they planted....full sun, no sun, half/half... how often do they get watered.....have you put any plant food on them i.e. spraying the leaves.... how old are the plants?
Plants can get burned. Watering from overhead during the day--water droplets act like prisms and intensify the sun's rays, resulting in burn. Fertilizing with a strong liquid fertilizer, especially on young plants, can cause burn. Using fresh manure can cause burn. As Toni requested, give us a bit more information, and photos if possible. We will help if we can.
They are still young plants I recently sprayed them with a home made pesticide I think that might of done it ... I have been careful about not watering them during the day but I didn't know about the droplets... also I put a small amount of Epsom salt at the base of them and watered it recently trying to give them some extra plant food ... think I'm just going about everything wrong
The Epsom salts is good,,just work a tablespoon or so into the top of the soil and water it in as you did. What did you make your pesticide from ?
Hiya Celeste--Well, it it is true that crispy leaf bits can have several different causes. If you have recently sprayed your plants that could certainly be the cause...if the foliar solution that you were using did not cause it the more-likely cause could be the delivery system and distance you were holding the sprayer from the plant. The nature of the delivery system can, itself,cause a significant under-cooling. You know Celeste--mint plants are very strong and can grow without much attention at all. They are in fact a step above a weed--that tells you how how strong they are. Personally I do not believe that they need any care at all...except for timely watering. I would suggest that you plant them and then leave them to get on with their growth. Another note is that if you spray plants that you are growing for consumption--do not forget that you have been spraying them with a pesticide. You don't want to eat them without first washing them very thoroughly. BTW--were you spraying your plants because of the presence of a pest or illness...or as a preventative measure? Also, I am curious about your use of epsom salts (MgSO4). The reason that I say this is because there are generally specific reasons for using Mag Sulfate, and for certain plants. Talk me through your reasoning for using it with mint strawbs and the other plants. This is a good thread and lends itself to having a good discussion . It sounds like things are progressing there. I'll bet that you are getting excited.
Strawberries can also get BER so it will prevent early rot. If I have any left in my sprayer I give many things a shot of it . Seems to make healthier foliage.
