Cucumber Problems *Update* Good News!

[so lucky]

After looking at and reading about quite a few diseases/conditions, it looks more like angular leaf spot than anything else. The "control" for that is copper spray.
I just can't imagine any bacteria spreading to that many hosts so quickly. It got some volunteer cuke plants that were only about an inch high--just barely out of the ground one day and covered with yellow spots the next day. My zinnia plants and cucumbers look the worst, right now. The spots that started out tan, small and round, are growing and getting more yellow. Tissue in the middle of the spots is dying. On some plants, the spots are more black than tan.
I know pictures would help but I have spent hours trying to figure out how to do this with my computer and my phone or camera. My DH can't figure it out, either, and he is more tech savy than I am. So...
I went out and sprayed all affected plants with copper this morning. I sprayed the beans, too, hoping that they don't get it, particularly Russ's beans. This is said to be spread by infected seeds, and I can see that being a problem with seeds that are saved from year to year, but I didn't do that. The cucumber seeds are Poinsett, I think, or maybe marketmore. One of the old standards.
Regarding surrounding fields or other external causes: The field to the north of me is planted in soybeans. They haven't sprayed. Don't know if they could have put down something while planting about a month ago--but the cukes weren't even planted then, I don't think. I recently got a new bale of straw and put it down for mulch. Could the straw be infected somehow? It is not even near some of the infected plants.
I am remembering some new kind of pepper plants I bought and tried to grow last year. I didn't get an edible pepper off them. The plants were straggly and had some brown on them, and the fruit were splotchy, misshapen and icky. I am wondering if they could be the culprit.
I use chicken manure, egg shells, ashes, compost and some organic fertilizer. Could the chicken manure be harboring something that doesn't get burned out/dissipated during composting? Just tossing ideas out here. ???

 

[so lucky]

Today I was using the weedeater around the perimeter of the yard that adjoins the soybean field behind us, when I noticed some blackened weeds in the field. I looked closer, into the field, and saw that all the weeds/grasses in the field were dying. Even the soybeans had lots of yellow and brown spots on their leaves. AHA! Herbicide poisoning!! I guess the farmer did some Round-up spraying when I wasn't home. There is a definite dead grass line between the field and my yard. so, I deduced that the "disease" in my garden is herbicide poisoning, from the north wind that has been blowing lately.
I have been inspecting the plants in my garden and they all are still growing, and the new leaves look good. Yippee! I will have a garden after all!.......well, at least SOME garden.
And, to make my day, I have a red tomato! I have NEVER had a ripe tomato before July 4th, which is the "goal" around these parts. So if some critter doesn't get it in the next couple of days, This will be The Year. Life is good.

 

[digitS']

I guess that's way better news than a disease taking over all the plants in your neighborhood, So Lucky.

Soybean fields are almost a complete unknown to me. I do see alfalfa fields that are obviously round-up ready varieties. The herbicide will kill grass and dandelions. The alfalfa will look pretty sick for a week or so after, then recover.

I suppose the so-called "freedom to farm" laws would keep you from going any further than a nasty phone call to the farmer . . .

Steve
oh and, what kind of tomato is that?

 

[thistlebloom]

Well that's a bummer about the drift damaging your garden So Lucky, but good that you finally discovered the problem. Is there any
possibility that the farmer could be appealed to about leaving a bigger buffer between his crop and your garden? Or maybe he could be impelled to build you a solid fence? It seems that some type of remedial solution is reasonable on his part.

 

[so lucky]

You know, I have thought about what could be done, if anything. If I had known he was going to spray, I could have done something--maybe hose the garden down quickly, or even put up tarps on the fence beforehand. They are good neighbors--it is their sons who take care of my chickens when we go away overnight. (Also it is their dog who has attacked my chickens on two occasions, no fatalities) so a nasty phone call probably wouldn't be a good idea. I may mention to them that a heads up next time would be appreciated. Their soybeans looked pretty spotty too, but seemed to be recovering ok. Guess they can't breed the vulnerability totally out of them.

The tomato is an Early Girl, Steve. I have never given them much notice, due to being told years ago that they weren't very good, but decided to try ONE this year, just because folks on here seem pretty happy with them. Go figure.....

 

[seedcorn]

Lucky, they could be Libery link beans. Liberty doesn't drift. Even if it did, unless it covers the whole plant, it will not kill it. The leaves touched by the spray, may die but not the whole plant.

More and more of the soybeans growing in the south are not round-up beans since rebound-up can't control pigweed, mares tail, or dandelions.

 

[catjac1975]

A nasty phone call , no. But a polite call for info before they spray again would certainly not be out of line. Old sheets or tarps would have saved you a lot of headache.

 

[so lucky]

Seedcorn, I have been looking at a chart to see what kind of weeds the Ignite (the herbicide that is used with Liberty Link soybeans) kills; I couldn't pin down which type of spray it might be, based on the weeds it got in the field, and the plants it burned in my garden. For instance, it didn't seem to bother the morning glories and onions, but nearly killed the cosmos and zinnias. Of course, they were closest to the field. It did sure kill the pigweed that was there.
So do you think another spraying or two is in the future? Maybe up till bloom time? Guess I better get word to the farmer before they start spraying again! bummer.

 

[seedcorn]

I would think he is done spraying. One of the advantages of spraying Liberty is they use more water per acre and less pressure. Ignite is old name. First it was Liberty, then Ignite, now Liberty again. A little round-up on a plant kills roots and top. Liberty just kills whatever part of he plant it lands on.doesnt kill roots at all. On some weeds it kills the top part only to have the roots send new sprouts.

 

[so lucky]

It has been about 10 days now since I found the Round-Up damage on my garden. Some of the flowers are looking really bad. The tomatoes continue to get yellower and more spindly on the new growth, but the rest of the vines look OK. I read yesterday that cutting off the damaged part of the tomato plant will help, and make it send out new growth sooner, so I did that. The article said that tomatoes are the most susceptible to glysophate.
The cucumbers and watermelon both look ok. Cukes have some leaves that look really bad, but the plants are growing and blooming. The info I read said watering the garden before the round-up has a chance to be absorbed is the best way to avoid damage.