Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What's wrong with my plant? > Vegetable > Lettuce and Endive > Spots or blotches on leaves
Lettuce and Endive > Leaves > Spots or blotches on leaves
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Septoria Leaf Spot
Septoria lactucae
- Leaves have small, irregular-shaped yellow to brown spots
- Tiny black dots can be seen in center of spots with a hand lens
- Lower leaves are often infected first
- More information on Septoria Leaf Spot
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Flea Beetles
Disonycha xanthomelas, Systena blanda, and Phyllotreta spp.
- Adult feeding on leaves creates shallow pits and small, irregular holes giving it a "shot hole" appearance
- Heavy feeding may cause wilting
- Adults are small (1/16 to 1/8 inch long), and vary in color from black, bronze, bluish, or brown to metallic gray, while some species have stripes
- Present throughout the growing season
- More information on Flea Beetles
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Downy mildew
Bremia lactucae
- Yellow to brown sunken angular leaf spots which are often restricted by leaf veins
- Leaf tissue around the spots turns yellow
- Fuzzy white growth can be seen on the underside of the leaves
- Infected leaves often rot from secondary fungi and bacteria
- Older outer leaves most commonly affected
- Common in cool wet weather
- More information on Downy mildew
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Bacterial Leaf Spot
Xanthomonas campestris pv. Vitians
- Leaf spots are angular and water-soaked; quickly turn black
- Leaf spots grow together and leaf wilts
- Common in cool moist conditions
- More information on Bacterial Leaf Spot
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Anthracnose
Microdochium panattonianum
- Somewhat circular dry brown leaf spots
- Sunken oval dark lesions form on midrib and larger leaf veins
- Center of leaf spot turns white and falls out, leaves appear 'shot hole'
- In severe cases outer leaves wilt
- More information on Anthracnose
