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Brown blotches on kale leaves

Janett2Janett2 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
I'm fairly new to vegetable growing and enjoying it. I bought a daubenton kale a couple of months ago and it has developed pale yellow blotches on the top of the leaf and brown blotches on the underside. I need help identifying what this is please and how it can be treated. I've pulled off all the affected leaves, and taken a photo.


Posts

  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    Janett2 I am no expert, gardening by trial and error, and have no experience of perennial kale but that could be splash damage. Were all the affected leaves on the lowest part of the plant?

    I can see some tiny white spots too so maybe scale insects? Someone with more know how might offer other, better suggestions.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    I'm thinking maybe damage by flea beetles??  are there any insects on it?  or maybe a fungal disease.
  • Janett2Janett2 Posts: 4
    Thanks herbaceous, it seemed to be on about 2/3rd of the larger leaves at the bottom so pulled the lower leaves off. The top third seems ok. There are some young side shoots which seem ok lower down although two of the leaves on the side shoots had started to yellow so I removed those too. 

    I've got a confession about the white flecks. I put all the leaves in a used Rice Crispies inner bag to throw away (then I thought I should take a photo and get some advice as I was worried it may infect other plants if it was caused by an insect or virus). So I think this has just picked up the dusty bits from the bottom of the packet. It did think I'd shaken off any Crispies residue. You've got good eyesight to spot it.

    The kale is currently in a pot (I potted into larger pot a few weeks ago in 'Levington' compost and looked healthy then. We've got a new allotment which we're slowly clearing and it'll be going down there). The Brussels and beans next to it seem unaffected. I was concerned it might kill the plant if not treated and affect other plants in the garden / allotment.

    Thank you for your response herbaceous, hopefully I can learn as I grow too.
  • Janett2Janett2 Posts: 4
    edited May 2018
    Hi Bijdezee. I haven't seen any insects on the kale but I can keep a look out. The blotches are brown and dry not flaky or powdery, no holes in the leaves and slight yellowing to the blotches on the front of the leaves. The stalk looks normal. The leaves don't seem distorted either. So as mentioned possibly fungus, virus or fingers crossed splash damage? Thanks Bijdezee
  • neilbradburnneilbradburn Posts: 142
    Hi Janett2,
    I have an almost identical 'patterning' on one of my perpetual brassicas. I bought a perpetual kale and a perpetual cabbage a few weeks ago. They both had white fly infestations, so I had to give them some TLC, including lots of hosing down. The latter seems to have caused some sort of fungal condition to take hold.
    Kind regards
    Neil
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