5/3/2023 0 Comments Leaf scorch![]() An organic mulch around your plants can conserve soil moisture and reduce the soil temperature for the plant roots. Maintaining plant vigor also increases foliage that shades fruit, reducing light exposure and temperature of the fruit itself. Providing adequate water to your plants is critical, especially on extremely hot, windy days. There are ways to prevent leaf scorch and sunscald in your garden. Preventing and Managing Leaf Scorch and Sunscald These fruits would not be marketable in a commercial setting and even may be unappealing for consumption at home. The areas will be mushy in appearance due to the cellular damage that has occurred (Figure 3). The injury may be white or brown in color and can appear as small to medium lesions. The resulting damage is the complete death of skin, peel or fruit tissue where direct sun exposure has occurred. Sunscald necrosis affects many fruits and vegetables when temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. There are three general categories of sunscald that affect fruits and vegetables. Sunscald can affect a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including watermelons, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, apples, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. You may have heard the terms “sunburn” and “sunscald” used interchangeably, although “sunscald” is the more commonly used term when referring to damage of produce. ![]() Sunscald refers to damage on fruits and vegetables that is a result of high temperatures, intense solar radiation or a combination of the two factors. A pepper with a tan lesion that is mushy in appearance due to sunscald necrosis. The plant’s appearance will perk up when new growth begins, and once new leaves have emerged, you could gently remove the scorched leaves if they have not already fallen off naturally. Strange as it may seem, they provide some shade for the new growth and remaining green tissue can still contribute to photosynthesis for production of new leaves. Resist the urge to remove scorched leaves. Leaves with scorched margins may look unappealing, but they still help the plant with photosynthesis, creating food for new, undamaged leaves to emerge. Once leaf tissue is scorched, the damaged areas will not recover however, minor damage, while unsightly, will not kill the plant. For example, hostas that are sufficiently shaded may still have leaf scorch symptoms if weather is incredibly hot and dry (Figure 2). It is also important to remember that leaf scorch is more about water movement and less about direct sunlight exposure. Sometimes leaf scorch symptoms can be mistaken for a disease, so it’s important to note weather conditions when diagnosing plant issues. The plant is not dying, it is just trying to survive. Even though these hostas are in a shaded location, leaf scorch is still visible after several days of temperatures near or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
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