Problem solved: Spider Mites

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Posted by Wayne Perrier on July 20, 2002 at 17:15:17:

In Reply to: Moon and Stars Watermelon plant going yellow posted by Wayne Perrier on July 15, 2002 at 16:53:54:

I don't know if this is the only problem present, but the two plants definitely had spider mites. These can infest any type of vegetable, and the symptoms are the same: the leaves closest to where the plant enters the ground become yellow and then die. What is happening is that the mites are sucking fluid from the underside of the leaves. The way I found it was (much searching on the internet ...) to place a sheet of white paper under one of the affected leaves and to sharply tap the leaf. There appeared on the paper several tiny dots the size of a grain of salt that then proceeded to crawl all over the place. There are several insecticides that can be used; I purchased one from Ortho and applied it. Will let you know what the outcome is. I can also post a picture of the affected plants once I download it from the camera so that you can see.

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: I don't know if this is the only problem present, but the two plants definitely had spider mites.  These can infest any type of vegetable, and the symptoms are the same:  the leaves closest to where the plant enters the ground become yellow and then die.  What is happening is that the mites are sucking fluid from the underside of the leaves.  The way I found it was (much searching on the internet ...) to place a sheet of white paper under one of the affected leaves and to sharply tap the leaf.  There appeared on the paper several tiny dots the size of a grain of salt that then proceeded to crawl all over the place.  There are several insecticides that can be used;  I purchased one from Ortho and applied it.  Will let you know what the outcome is.  I can also post a picture of the affected plants once I download it from the camera so that you can see.



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