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Melon plant problems

Brc_hendersonBrc_henderson Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Plants grew well with plenty of flowers but leaves have started turning yellow then brown. There aren't any mites or mildew that i can see and it's watered little and often as no fruit have set yet so I'm at a bit of a loss any help would be great. 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I don't grow melons, but I do grow cucumbers, so the same family.
    If it's just some lower leaves that are going yellow I doubt you have anything to worry about.
    The older lower leaves on my cucumber plants gradually turn yellow and die.
    As new leaves form, the older leaves don't work as well as they did when they were young and they are also often shaded by younger leaves - so the plant puts its energy into the new leaves and the older leaves naturally die back and eventually drop off.
    Once they start looking tatty I cut them off to prevent fungal infections.

    If your plant has lots of leaves going yellow, then it may be something else.

    PS - welcome to the forum :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Brc_hendersonBrc_henderson Posts: 2
    Hi thanks for your reply, I have 6 plants 3  still look really green and healthy bit the other three are turning yellow top to bottom. I have been trimming these leaves off when they go brown but doesn't seem to be helping 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    What a shame.
    As I mentioned, I've not tried growing melons, so hopefully someone here who has may respond.
    Fingers x'ed

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Are you growing them in prepared beds or pots ?  Are they in a GH or outside ? They are not dissimilar in growth habit and requirements to Squash altho needing more warmth.
    I've only grown the Ogen type outside but that was in SW France so hardly a fair comparison if you are in the UK.
    As @Pete.8 says, hopefully an experienced grower will spot this and advise :)
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Have you tried using a hand lens (magnifying glass) to inspect the undersides of the leaves for spider mite?  They are too small to be seen with the naked eye and that does look like the kind of damage they caused to my melons and cucumbers in the greenhouse last year.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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