Why Does My Chard Look Sickly?

Are there any water-soaked, brown lesions on the leaves, the center of leaves is breaking down?

Are there any dark and withered lesions on seedling stems, lesions may be black and greasy, seedlings are dying?

Are the young leaves yellow, deformed and stunted with swollen veins?

Are the leaves discolored and distorted?

Are there feeding damage on stems, seeds may be dug up?

Bacterial soft rot is caused by a bacterium that is common in most soils, particularly if the area is frequently planted with susceptible crops. Remove and destroy infected plants. Avoid planting in poorly draining soil. Rotate crops with corn, small grains, or grasses where possible. Treat soil with an insecticide before planting to reduce damage caused by grubs and larvae which promotes bacterial soft rot.

These symptoms indicate damping-off disease. Remove and destroy all infected plants. To prevent damping-off let the soil surface dry between waterings, thin seedlings to avoid overcrowding and do not add nitrogen fertilizers until plants have developed leaves. Avoid planting until the soil is sufficiently warm.

Your plant might be suffering from Curly top virus. Viral diseases are incurable. Destroy all infected plants. Control leafhoppers as they are most likely carriers of the curly top virus.

Discolored and distorted leaves are caused by leafhoppers. These small, green or brown insects feed by sucking juices from leaves undersides. Leafhoppers may be the carriers of the curly top virus, so it is important to keep them in control. Insecticidal soap helps with severe infestations.

Darkling beetle is a dull blue-black or brown insect about 0.50 inches long. Beetles are generally active at night, during the day beetles hide in organic debris. Insecticides aren’t very effective at getting rid of darkling beetles. Remove decomposing organic matter and plants that have reached the end of their cycle promptly. Keep the garden weed-free and remove weeds growing at the edges of the garden.

If the leaves of your chard have small holes or pits that give the foliage a characteristic “shothole” appearance the culprits are flea beetles. Prevent problems by covering young plants with row cover. Control severe infestations by spraying or dusting plants with pyrethrin.