| one of my watermelon plants- with two healthy fruits on it- looks like the leaves are dried, partially brown and crusty... does that sound like a disease? the other plant has just a little of this dry crusty leaves the fruits look good, though slow to ripen tks! |
| It is really difficult to diagnose a plant problem without being able to see it! Spider mites can be a serious pest of watermelons, especially during hot, dry weather. Infested plants appear yellow and become visible from a distance. Mites are primarily found on the undersides of leaves making the leaves appear tan or yellow and have a "crusty appearance". Mites feed on the plant sap and can defoliate vines in a few weeks in hot, dry weather. Defoliated plants tend to yield small, poor quality fruit. Powdery mildew, a fungal disease, can also cause the same symptoms. I can't really recommend a control without knowing whether either of these are the cause of the problem. Wish I could offer more help! |
