Red Pontiac Potato

A virus spread by the beet leafhopper (*Circulifer tenellus*), mainly a problem in the western US — California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington. It has a broad host range, infecting beets, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and cucurbits. Infected plants develop curled, thickened leaves with purple-tinged veins on the undersides, stunted growth, and fruit that ripens prematurely. The leafhopper transmits the virus while migrating: it lands and briefly probes plants, and a single feeding of just a few seconds is enough to infect.

Triggers: Driven by leafhopper migration, not weather directly. The bugs overwinter in foothill weeds and head for gardens in late spring once the wild vegetation dries up. Hot, dry years push more of them into populated areas. Symptoms show up 7-14 days after a single leafhopper visit — and a single bite is all it takes.

Risk fades when: Migration peaks in late spring; once the main wave passes, transmission risk drops sharply. The virus doesn't hide in soil or plant debris between seasons, so risk resets each year.

A soil-borne fungus (*Sclerotium rolfsii*) that attacks plant stems right at the soil line during hot weather. It hits over 500 different plant species. Two telltale signs to look for: white fan-shaped fungal growth on the lower stem, mulch, and soil surface, and tan-brown spherical sclerotia (they look like mustard seeds) on infected tissue. Most active during sustained heat with humid conditions.

Triggers: Optimal at 86°F (30°C) soil and air temperature with humid conditions. Inactive below 70°F. Most damaging during sustained mid- to late-summer heat waves. It extends further north in warmer-than-normal seasons.

Risk fades when: Sustained cooler weather — highs below 80°F and overnight lows below 70°F for 5+ days — reduces fungal activity. The sclerotia (resting bodies) persist in soil for years, so resolution is seasonal, not curative.

A seedling killer caused by several different fungi working together. It hits vegetables, flowers, herbs, microgreens, and cover-crop seedlings the same way — seeds rot before they emerge, or young seedlings collapse right at the soil line. Wet seed-starting mix and poor airflow in seedling trays are the classic conditions.

Triggers: Wet soil or starting mix, poor drainage, seedlings packed too tightly, contaminated trays or media, and stagnant air all favor damping-off.

Risk fades when: Drying the soil surface and improving airflow slows new spread. Collapsed seedlings don't recover, but the rest of the tray can be saved.

The most destructive disease of tomatoes and potatoes — it can kill mature plants within days once it gets going. Spreads explosively in cool, wet weather, which is why outbreaks tend to hit suddenly after a stretch of rainy nights.

Triggers: Infection takes only about 10 hours when humidity stays above 90% and the mean temperature is 60-78°F. As a daily proxy: a wet day combined with an overnight low above 50°F and a mean temp in range puts you in the danger zone.

Risk fades when: Spores survive roughly 5 hours at 80% humidity. Three consecutive dry days with highs above 75°F will likely break immediate spore viability, though damaged tissue stays damaged.

The Delia root-maggot complex includes the cabbage maggot (D. radicum) on brassicas and root crops, the seedcorn maggot (D. platura) on bean/pea/corn seedlings, and several other species. Larvae tunnel into roots, basal stems, and seeds, killing seedlings outright or creating tunnels that ruin root crops for market. A 2021 Oregon industry survey found 100% of root crop growers reported cabbage maggot damage; 44% with 10-25% yield loss.

Triggers: Overwinter as pupae in soil/crop residue. Adults emerge early spring (300-600 GDD base 40°F after Jan 1 in PNW). Cool moist soils favor egg survival; soil >95°F in top 2-3 inches kills eggs. Multiple generations per year. Seedcorn maggot attracted to decaying organic matter — high risk after fresh-incorporated cover crop.

Risk fades when: U Maine

Hornworms are the largest caterpillars commonly found in vegetable gardens — up to 4 inches long, green, with a distinctive horn on the rear. Two large caterpillars can defoliate a tomato plant rapidly. Adults are large sphinx/hawk moths that hover like hummingbirds at evening flowers. The two species are virtually identical in damage and management; tobacco hornworm is more common in the south, tomato hornworm in the north.

Triggers: Overwinter as pupae in soil. Adults emerge mid-May to June. Females lay 1-5 eggs per plant visit on leaf undersides; up to 2,000 total. 2-3 generations in NC, 2-4 elsewhere. Larvae feed 3 weeks through 5-6 instars; bulk of feeding in last instars.

Risk fades when: Multiple sources

Aphids are soft-bodied sap-sucking insects that cluster on tender new growth. Most established plants tolerate moderate populations and will outgrow damage on their own, but aphids are the most important plant virus vectors in the garden, transmitting more than 100 plant viruses including potato leafroll, cucumber mosaic, and turnip mosaic. Honeydew excreted while feeding supports sooty mold growth and attracts ants that protect aphids from natural enemies.

Triggers: Optimal development at ~75°F (green peach aphid) per UC IPM Floriculture; melon aphid develops fastest above 75°F. Many species heat-intolerant above 90°F and crash in mid-summer. Soft new growth and over-fertilization with high N favor population buildup. Females give live birth parthenogenetically most of growing season — one generation in ~1 week under optimal conditions.

Risk fades when: Per UC IPM and Clemson HGIC, populations crash in mid-summer heat (>90°F) for many species, return in cooler conditions

A common late-season tomato disease that shows up as distinctive bull's-eye spots starting on the lowest leaves and creeping upward. Plants rarely die from it, but yield drops as more leaves get infected. The same conditions, crops, and treatments apply to septoria leaf spot — both look like leaf spots on tomatoes during warm, wet weather and respond to the same management.

Triggers: Develops anywhere from 59-80°F, with the worst infection between 82-86°F. The spores need either standing water on the leaf or 90%+ humidity for 5-10 hours straight to germinate.

Risk fades when: Three consecutive dry days break the moisture cycle the spores need to keep spreading. Existing leaf damage stays, but new infections stop.

Flea beetles are small (1/16-inch) shiny beetles that jump like fleas when disturbed. They chew small round 'shothole' or 'pinhole' damage in leaves and can destroy emerging cotyledons of broccoli or eggplant in 24 hours. Most species are host-family specific — crucifer flea beetle on brassicas, tuber flea beetle on potatoes, eggplant flea beetle on solanaceous crops.

Triggers: Overwinter as adults in leaf litter and field margins. Active at mid- to late-spring temperatures. Warm winter → higher next-spring populations (NC State). Hot dry conditions amplify damage on stressed seedlings.

Risk fades when: UMN: 1-2 generations in Minnesota, populations crash after mid-June

Microscopic soil-dwelling roundworms that burrow into plant roots and cause swollen knots (galls). Above ground, the plant looks stunted, yellowed, and wilted even with plenty of water. They attack over 2,000 plant species, so almost nothing is safe. They're most active in warm soil (70-85°F) and do more damage in sandy soils, where they move easily. Once a bed has them, populations stick around for years.

Triggers: Soil temperatures of 70-85°F are ideal for them; below 60°F they go dormant. Sandy soils make it easy for them to move and reproduce, while heavy clay slows them down considerably. In warm soil, a full generation completes in about 27 days.

Risk fades when: Activity drops sharply once soil cools below 60°F. Damage stops accumulating for the season, but the population stays in the soil and returns when warmth does.