Black Leaves, Should I Harvest My Volunteer Watermelons?
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 8:15 pm
I have 6-7 watermelons from volunteer plant(s).
It was a rainy summer in Georgia and up until this week the plant was very vigorous. We had rain for a few days starting last week-end and into the earlier part of this week. I noticed that several of the leaves were turning black and then notice that the area the leavers are covering is looking sparser, so the leaves are contacting as well.
I did some research online and am not seeing much. The little I am seeing is indicating a fungus which is not all that surprising, I suspect that the lower temperatures and shorter days enabled the fungus because we have definitely had more rain.
As of now the melons look fine. Two small (newly pollinated) melons, not included in my count above, do have black rot.
I actually harvested a melon because it passed the tendril tests. I am wondering if I should just harvest all of the watermelons because either the fungus is going to spread to the melons, or, since the leaves are turning black and contracting, photosynthesis has or will soon shut down.
It was a rainy summer in Georgia and up until this week the plant was very vigorous. We had rain for a few days starting last week-end and into the earlier part of this week. I noticed that several of the leaves were turning black and then notice that the area the leavers are covering is looking sparser, so the leaves are contacting as well.
I did some research online and am not seeing much. The little I am seeing is indicating a fungus which is not all that surprising, I suspect that the lower temperatures and shorter days enabled the fungus because we have definitely had more rain.
As of now the melons look fine. Two small (newly pollinated) melons, not included in my count above, do have black rot.
I actually harvested a melon because it passed the tendril tests. I am wondering if I should just harvest all of the watermelons because either the fungus is going to spread to the melons, or, since the leaves are turning black and contracting, photosynthesis has or will soon shut down.