spots on garden produce leaves - Ask Extension
All of the leaves in my garden: lettuce, beans, squash, snap peas, etc. have spots on them. I can't seem to find a cause. We use only organic compost...
Knowledgebase
spots on garden produce leaves #874454
Asked June 24, 2024, 2:19 PM EDT
All of the leaves in my garden: lettuce, beans, squash, snap peas, etc. have spots on them. I can't seem to find a cause. We use only organic composts, sprays, etc. Is the lettuce in particular safe to eat? I've included three images of lettuce. If you want other leaf samples, I can send them to you.
The first image is lettuce (black seeded simpson) the second a variety that is both green and red (the spots are yellowish) and the third is a red leaf variety.
Thanks for your help!
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi Pat,
Sorry to hear about your lettuce challenge - the good news is that the damage looks really minor right now and it seems hopeful that the plants will be just find. There's a few potential sources that come to mind looking at the pictures you sent. Perhaps the damage is from:
Sorry to hear about your lettuce challenge - the good news is that the damage looks really minor right now and it seems hopeful that the plants will be just find. There's a few potential sources that come to mind looking at the pictures you sent. Perhaps the damage is from:
- Hail - did you receive hail damage at your home recently?
- Herbicide drift - is there any chance an herbicide was sprayed in the area recently and perhaps small droplets touched the lettuce?
- Thrips - thrips are extremely small bugs that can cause similar looking damage on leaves. If the source is thrips, you'll know as the damage would get worse over time. Below is a website with more information about this pest and how they can be managed:
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7429.html
Thanks for the information! I may send you a few more images that seem to not fit any of the suggestions. Pat > On Jun 26, 2024, at 5:08 PM, Ask Extension <ask> wrote: > ></ask>
