Why Does My Kale Look Unhealthy?

Are the seedlings dying and the stems are girdled or rotted at soil line?

Do the leaves have yellow-brown, concentrically ringed spots?

Do the leaves have a small circular or irregularly shaped dry spots which are gray to straw in color?

Do the leaves have pale areas on upper surfaces and "downy" patches underneath?

Do the leaves have V-shaped, yellow spots appearing on margins of the leaves?

Does the foliage have singular, or closely grouped circular to irregularly shaped holes?

Are the leaves curled and yellow, clusters of small insects are present?

are there large or small holes in leaves, damage may be extensive?

Are the seedlings clipped off at the soil line?

Are the leaves covered in coarse stippling and may appear silvery?

Do the leaves have tiny holes?

If your seedlings are falling over and the stems are girdled or rotted at the soil line, the most likely cause is a damping-off disease. Damping-off is caused by a soil fungus Rhizoctonia solani. 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.

Yellow-brown and concentrically ringed spots are caused by fungal disease - Alternaria blight. This disease attacks lower leaves first. As the disease progresses leaves and eventually the whole plant will die. Spray plants with copper at the first signs of disease.

Most likely cause for these symptoms is a fungal disease - Anthracnose. Keep plants dry when watering to prevent spread. Spray plants with copper when the first fruit develops if you have had problems in the past.

Pale areas on upper surfaces of the leaves and "downy" patches underneath are caused by Downy mildew. This fungus spreads quickly during cool, wet nights and warm, humid days. Leaves will wilt and die. Remove and destroy all affected plant parts and encourage good air circulation around plants by thining them. Water plants early in the morning to make sure they dry before nightfall.

Yellow, V-shaped most likely indicate a bacterial disease - Black rot. Infected leaves will die and drop off. Destroy infected plants. Spray copper if the weather is wet and if you had problems with black rot in the past.

Beet armyworms or garden webworms cause this type of damage to the leaves. Handpick or spray actively feeding caterpillars with BTK in the evening.

Curled yellow leaves are often caused by aphids. These tiny insects can vary in color, green, pink, black, gray to completely white. They cluster under leaves where they feed on plant sap. Leaves get distorted and later drop from the plant. You can control them by washing them off the cabbage with water spray.

Cabbage looper is a pale green caterpillar with white lines running down either side of their body. Looper populations are usually held in check by natural enemies, but if they do become problematic larvae can be hand-picked from the plants. The application of BTK will effectively kill younger larvae.

If the seedlings of your plants are cut off at the soil level, most likely cause are cutworms. These caterpillars can be 1-2 inches long, brown, or gray. They feed at night by cutting off young plants and sometimes eating them whole. During the day, they are hidden below the soil surface. Control them by introducing parasitic nematodes to the ground. Using BTK spray on the ground will also control their numbers.

These symptoms may indicate thrips. Thrips are tiny, yellow to black flying insects. They hide under the leaves. Severely infected plant parts should be removed and destroyed. Control thrips by introducing lady beetles or lacewings, their natural predators. Insecticidal soap helps in severe infestations.

Small holes in kale leaves are caused by Flea beetles. These tiny, black, brown, or bronze beetles hop when disturbed. Larvae are small and white, feed mostly on the undersides of leaves. Prevent problems by covering young plants with row cover. Control severe infestations by spraying or dusting plants with pyrethrin.

Areas of irregular growth on plant and stunted plant growth indicate root-knot nematodes. Other symptoms are plants wilting during bright, hot days and galls on roots. Prevent root-knot nematodes by applying chitin or introducing parasitic nematodes to the soil before planting. Solarizing the soil also helps in preventing root-knot nematodes.