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Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What's wrong with my plant? > Vegetable > Cauliflower > Spots on leaves

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Cauliflower > Leaves > Spots on leaves

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  • Image: Powdery Mildew 1
  • Image: Powdery Mildew 2
  • Image: Powdery Mildew 3

Powdery Mildew
Erysiphe polygoni

  • Initially pale yellow spots on leaves
  • White to gray powdery felt in spots, blotches or complete covering of leaves
  • Spots develop on underside of leaves, or on shaded leaves first
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  • Image: Downy Mildew 1
  • Image: Downy Mildew 2
  • Image: Downy Mildew 3

Downy Mildew
Peronospora parasitica

  • Gray-white sunken leaf spots which are often angular and restricted by the leaf veins
  • Leaf tissue around the spots turns yellow
  • Fuzzy gray growth can be seen on the underside of the leaves
  • Numerous black sunken spots can form on infected heads
  • Disease is common in cool wet weather
  • More information on Downy Mildew
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  • Image: Black Leg 1

Black Leg
Phoma lingam

  • Leaves develop yellow spots with gray centers
  • Stem develops bluish black discoloration
  • Stem lesion becomes sunken brown with a purple black border
  • Plants eventually wilt and topple over
  • More information on Black Leg
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  • Image: Black Leaf Spot/Gray Leaf Spot 1
  • Image: Black Leaf Spot/Gray Leaf Spot 2

Black Leaf Spot/Gray Leaf Spot
Alternaria spp.

  • Gray to black round leaf spots with concentric rings
  • Leaf tissue becomes dry, brittle and often falls out, resulting in a ‘shot hole’ appearance
  • Leaf spots often appear first on lower older leaves
  • More information on Leaf Spot
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  • Image: Black Rot 1
  • Image: Black Rot 2

Black Rot
Xanthomonas campestris

  • Yellow V-shaped lesions develop on margin of leaves, the point of the v follows a vein towards the base of the leaf
  • As infection continues, leaves wilt, turn yellow and eventually turn brown and die
  • Black veins can be seen in infected leaves, petioles and stems
  • Sticky yellowish liquid bacterial ooze may be seen if infected veins are cut
  • Disease favored by hot, humid conditions
  • More information on Black rot

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