[MarkG]

Hi All,

I'm new to allotments, got my first plot in January. I've planted potatoes, shallots, onions garlic, got some herbs, chillies and runner beans in seed trays doin nicely, but....

..my courgettes don't look happy. I think they've caught something.

I've posted some pictures of the leaves below. I looked up in the gardening book and it says that courgettes can suffer from the Cucumber Mosaic Virus, and the description of a yellow-green mottling fits.

'Afflicts not only cucumbers, but also marrows and other related plants. Usually transmitted by aphids, it may alos be carried on the hands and garden tools.

SYMPTOMS Greenish-yellow mottling of leaves and fruit. Plants become stunted and fruits puckered.

DANGER PERIOD Growing season.

PREVENTION Control aphids by spraying. Destroy infected plants at first sign of symptoms.'

The seed trays came from the allotment, but I was careful to wash them with boiling water, straight from the kettle. Maybe not thorough enough though. They've been grown in the house, I've no greenhouse. It's still early and I can plant some more, but I was pleased with how well they were doing and had just repotted them (symptoms were there before repotting but not as servre). Anyway, the poor blighters will be consigned to the brown bin for the council to cart away and I'll have another go.

Any tips on how to avoid disease in seedlings are most welcome, and can anyone confirm Cucumber mosaic virus.

Thanks,

Mark.

[Trillium]

Looks like you have both cucumber virus and leaf blight (the brown spots).  
There's no real cure, only preventative measures. Aphids are the #1 problem, so plant aphid attracting plants nearby to keep them off your courgettes. I highly recommend you bag and bin the infected plants asap and thoroughly wash your hands and any tools/equipment you used. The infection spreads very easily.
Start fresh seeds and place them in an open, sunny area, but don't crowd them - air circulation is paramount - and net them with very fine mesh like fleece to keep the aphids off. You'll want to hoop this area so the fleece doesn't touch the leaves making it easier for aphids to touch.
Never overhead water susceptible plants as the dampness is host to these diseases.
Whenever you touch any of the infected plants you must always wash hands and tools to avoid continuous disease spreading, and if you're a smoker, wash hands before handling any plants.
Come fall, or the plant starts to succumb, pull and gather all leaves and stalks, bag and bin them asap. Never compost infected material.
Practise yearly rotation of these varieties (all the cucurbit family), always clearing up every last bit of their plant material.
Some flower plants are hosts to these diseases: some chrysanths, lupins, flowering tobaccos, sunflowers, some brassicas, peppers, chicories and others.
Tomatoes and potatoes are also very blight affected so watch for any signs of blight on these. Check John's Information area for suggestions on dealing with these.

Sorry this is so long, but it's a bad problem for anyone who gets these diseases, and it's not easy to be rid of them, if ever.

[gobs]

I don't think it is cucumber mosaic virus, rather would go with the brown blotch/spot idea. As most of these are fungal, some bacterial, as Trill says good ventilation , rotation and hygiene are paramount.

For the future, get disease resistant varieties and disinfect all gear, you use, sow in warm, sterilised compost, keep temperatures even, use fresh tap water and separate indoor can, do not over-water and DO NOT USE over-wintered on the lottie trays for indoor sowing. Also, do not sow too early, when it's colder.

Pick off and destroy affected leaves at first signs, these plants you don't have hope for, I think, dispose of.

[Trillium]

The first pic, the top half of the leaf is cucumber virus, the rest of the leaf and other pix are leaf virus.

[MarkG]

Thanks for the advice.

Cheers,

Mark.