Black spots on curry leaf plant - Ask Extension
Hello,
I am looking for advice about tropical plant care. I have a curry leaf plant that is the same kind of curry leaf found in Kerala, India and...
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Black spots on curry leaf plant #746006
Asked April 24, 2021, 12:57 AM EDT
Hello,
I am looking for advice about tropical plant care. I have a curry leaf plant that is the same kind of curry leaf found in Kerala, India and used for cooking. We have been keeping it in a pot in our backyard (we live in Beaverton) and noticed its developed some black spots on the leaves. Can you give me advice on how to find out what is causing the spots and how to treat it? I attached some photos that I hope show what I'm talking about.
Thank you!
Nisha
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Well we don't see many curry plants around here. You images shows a plant with maybe a dozen compound leaves each of which seems to have some interveinal chlorosis (yellowing between the veins) especially the lower ones. Many of the leaves also seem to have a even distribution of nectoic black spots of various but small sizes. The yellowing could be an indication that it needs a little more nitrogen so some fertilizer may help this plant. The necrotic spots could be any number of different things. A pot in the backyard here in western Oregon is not going to be anything like the climate of southwest India. I suspect a warmer environment (house, greenhouse, etc..) and some fertility might help this plant a lot. If you really want to find out about the necrotic spots you will need to send a sample to our OSU Plant Clinic but I am not sure it will be worth the $75:
https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic
https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic
Hello, thank you for the reply. I will try to add a fertilizer. Do you have a recommendation for one that might help?
We added some compost from our worm bin a while back. A couple worms we couldn't separate also made it in the pot as well and have so far survived (is that ok?).
We can also try to find a little greenhouse to keep it in outside.
Its good to know OSU has a plant clinic but as you say I'm not sure its worth the $75. Are there any tropical plant growers in Oregon you'd recommend?
Thanks!
For this situation I would say a slow release fertilizer might be best. If you get too much it will not injure the plant roots (as other fertilizers could do) and will provide nutrition for an extended period of time. Earthworms are not a problem for plants. I do not know if there is a tropical plant group in Oregon but you might check social media web sites for such groups. There are enthusiasts of all kinds around.
