Hi all

My wallflower seedlings have fairly suddenly acquired small pale
"lesions" all over their leaves. I haven't noticed this in previous
years. Is this due to general distress (for example heat and drought),
or is it a pest?

Pictures are here at Tinypic: (sorry about Tinypic, which now seems to
be wall-to-wall ads and marketing traps -- used to be dead good and
simple!)

http://tinypic.com/r/29dxpp0/8

http://tinypic.com/r/2vllmxl/8

As a supplementary -- someone told me I'm supposed to pinch out
wallflowers ... haven't done this befo should I?

Thanks very much
John

"Another John" wrote in message
]...

Hi all

My wallflower seedlings have fairly suddenly acquired small pale
"lesions" all over their leaves. I haven't noticed this in previous
years. Is this due to general distress (for example heat and drought),
or is it a pest?

Pictures are here at Tinypic: (sorry about Tinypic, which now seems to
be wall-to-wall ads and marketing traps -- used to be dead good and
simple!)

http://tinypic.com/r/29dxpp0/8

http://tinypic.com/r/2vllmxl/8

As a supplementary -- someone told me I'm supposed to pinch out
wallflowers ... haven't done this befo should I?

Thanks very much
John
=========================================

John can't help you on the plant problem, but can on the photo problem.

Try myalbum http://www.myalbum.co.uk/Album-PPZYB...-of-Other.html

or http://www.myalbum.co.uk/Album-IGMHN...-of-Other.html

Used them for years

Mike

..................................................
For those ex Royal Navy.
http://angelradioisleofwight.moonfru...ive/4574468641
7.30 – 8.00 pm Wednesday 30th July 2014
‘From the Crowe’s Nest’

On 30/07/2014 17:01, Another John wrote:
Hi all

My wallflower seedlings have fairly suddenly acquired small pale
"lesions" all over their leaves. I haven't noticed this in previous
years. Is this due to general distress (for example heat and drought),
or is it a pest?

Pictures are here at Tinypic: (sorry about Tinypic, which now seems to
be wall-to-wall ads and marketing traps -- used to be dead good and
simple!)

http://tinypic.com/r/29dxpp0/8

http://tinypic.com/r/2vllmxl/8

As a supplementary -- someone told me I'm supposed to pinch out
wallflowers ... haven't done this befo should I?

Thanks very much
John


I'd never describe those plants as sickly.
I'd say something has been having a nibble at the leaves
Going by your pictures It looks as if you may have some leaf miner
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...ps9c34ee8a.jpg

The dark dots inside the pale patches above the pot.

"Another John" wrote
My wallflower seedlings have fairly suddenly acquired small pale
"lesions" all over their leaves. I haven't noticed this in previous
years. Is this due to general distress (for example heat and drought),
or is it a pest?

Pictures are here at Tinypic: (sorry about Tinypic, which now seems to
be wall-to-wall ads and marketing traps -- used to be dead good and
simple!)

http://tinypic.com/r/29dxpp0/8

http://tinypic.com/r/2vllmxl/8

As a supplementary -- someone told me I'm supposed to pinch out
wallflowers ... haven't done this befo should I?


They look exactly like our onions did this year after a hail storm.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 30/07/2014 17:01, Another John wrote:
Hi all

My wallflower seedlings have fairly suddenly acquired small pale
"lesions" all over their leaves. I haven't noticed this in previous
years. Is this due to general distress (for example heat and drought),
or is it a pest?

Pictures are here at Tinypic: (sorry about Tinypic, which now seems to
be wall-to-wall ads and marketing traps -- used to be dead good and
simple!)

http://tinypic.com/r/29dxpp0/8

http://tinypic.com/r/2vllmxl/8

As a supplementary -- someone told me I'm supposed to pinch out
wallflowers ... haven't done this befo should I?

Thanks very much
John




Looks like Flea Beetle damage to me. Not much you can do about it now;
I believe the critters have moved on. I wouldn't want to use an
insecticide on them anyway, as bees love the flowers and may be harmed.
YMMV.
As to pinching out the wallflowers, yes it does improve the plants. By
removing the apical shoot (or meristem), the plant diverts its growth
hormones (auxins) to create new shoots lower down, thus you get a
bushier plant with more flowers. It applies to more than just
wallflowers though. However, if you're growing show Dahlias or
Chrysanths, leave the apical shoot intact so that you get the one large
flower required for the show bench.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

As to pinching out the wallflowers, yes it does improve the plants. By
removing the apical shoot (or meristem), the plant diverts its growth
hormones (auxins) to create new shoots lower down, thus you get a
bushier plant with more flowers. It applies to more than just
wallflowers though. However, if you're growing show Dahlias or
Chrysanths, leave the apical shoot intact so that you get the one large
flower required for the show bench.

Now for once I don't agree with you Spider.
In the dim and distant past we used to grow around 5000 wallflowers to
sell for planting out in the autumn. they were treated like cabbage
plants, sown in a seed bed then pulled and planted out with a cabbage
planter so that the young plants were spaced about 9 inches in the row
and 4 rows to a bed. given this sort of space they would naturally bush
out without any stopping, I've known us having plants where we could
only get 2 into the old Orange boxes that had a wired up lid on them.
(These were plants we put into auction at the local market).
As for chrysanths and dahlias.
If you are growing these for showing you stop them once to get 3 stems
per plant then dis-bud as required. Remember that with dahlias there are
several sizes in show classes
Pom pom……………………Maximum dia. 2 inches
Miniature………………….Maximum dia. 4 inches
Small…………………………Maximum dia. 6 inches
Medium …………………….Maximum dia. 8 inches
Large………………………….Maximum dia. 10 inches
Giant………………………….Maximum dia. 12 inches

David @ a still almost dry side of Swansea Bay

On 01/08/2014 15:51, David Hill wrote:
As to pinching out the wallflowers, yes it does improve the plants. By
removing the apical shoot (or meristem), the plant diverts its growth
hormones (auxins) to create new shoots lower down, thus you get a
bushier plant with more flowers. It applies to more than just
wallflowers though. However, if you're growing show Dahlias or
Chrysanths, leave the apical shoot intact so that you get the one large
flower required for the show bench.

Now for once I don't agree with you Spider.



That's all right, David; you're too far away for me to sink my fangs in
:~). I'm sure you're quite correct about professionally grown
wallflowers and I bow to your superior knowledge there, but I can assure
you that many of the amateur grown wallflowers I've seen would
definitely benefit from being pinched out! However, the OP has happily
grown them for years without that technique and may continue to do so.



In the dim and distant past we used to grow around 5000 wallflowers to
sell for planting out in the autumn. they were treated like cabbage
plants, sown in a seed bed then pulled and planted out with a cabbage
planter so that the young plants were spaced about 9 inches in the row
and 4 rows to a bed. given this sort of space they would naturally bush
out without any stopping, I've known us having plants where we could
only get 2 into the old Orange boxes that had a wired up lid on them.
(These were plants we put into auction at the local market).
As for chrysanths and dahlias.
If you are growing these for showing you stop them once to get 3 stems
per plant then dis-bud as required. Remember that with dahlias there are
several sizes in show classes
Pom pom……………………Maximum dia. 2 inches
Miniature………………….Maximum dia. 4 inches
Small…………………………Maximum dia. 6 inches
Medium …………………….Maximum dia. 8 inches
Large………………………….Maximum dia. 10 inches
Giant………………………….Maximum dia. 12 inches

David @ a still almost dry side of Swansea Bay



As to the show bench, my experience is undoubtedly less than yours, so
I'm sure you're right. Sadly, the dahlia I pinched out earlier in the
season has definitely not produced 3 stems suitable for showing - or for
the vase, for that matter, unless it was a very weeny vase. It is a
gorgeous dahlia, however. Had I wanted to show it, I'd have had to grow
3 unstopped plants to ensure good flower size, and even then I'd have to
walk around with my fingers crossed!
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

As to the show bench, my experience is undoubtedly less than yours, so
I'm sure you're right. Sadly, the dahlia I pinched out earlier in the
season has definitely not produced 3 stems suitable for showing - or for
the vase, for that matter, unless it was a very weeny vase. It is a
gorgeous dahlia, however. Had I wanted to show it, I'd have had to grow
3 unstopped plants to ensure good flower size, and even then I'd have to
walk around with my fingers crossed!


Are you sure that it is supposed to have a large flower?
Do you know the variety?
Pic?

On 02/08/2014 10:22, David Hill wrote:
As to the show bench, my experience is undoubtedly less than yours, so
I'm sure you're right. Sadly, the dahlia I pinched out earlier in the
season has definitely not produced 3 stems suitable for showing - or for
the vase, for that matter, unless it was a very weeny vase. It is a
gorgeous dahlia, however. Had I wanted to show it, I'd have had to grow
3 unstopped plants to ensure good flower size, and even then I'd have to
walk around with my fingers crossed!


Are you sure that it is supposed to have a large flower?
Do you know the variety?
Pic?



It is the well known decorative D.'Arabian Night', which I believe is
fairly large-headed. It is not sold (on the packaging) as a show bench
favourite, but I find it quite attractive. I'll try and get a pic, but
I'm not very good at uploading them. Have just dead-headed some, so I
may have to wait.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 02/08/2014 14:11, Spider wrote:
On 02/08/2014 10:22, David Hill wrote:
As to the show bench, my experience is undoubtedly less than yours, so
I'm sure you're right. Sadly, the dahlia I pinched out earlier in the
season has definitely not produced 3 stems suitable for showing - or for
the vase, for that matter, unless it was a very weeny vase. It is a
gorgeous dahlia, however. Had I wanted to show it, I'd have had to grow
3 unstopped plants to ensure good flower size, and even then I'd have to
walk around with my fingers crossed!


Are you sure that it is supposed to have a large flower?
Do you know the variety?
Pic?



It is the well known decorative D.'Arabian Night', which I believe is
fairly large-headed. It is not sold (on the packaging) as a show bench
favourite, but I find it quite attractive. I'll try and get a pic, but
I'm not very good at uploading them. Have just dead-headed some, so I
may have to wait.

Arabian Knight is a Small Dec so flowers no larger than 6 inches