Sick Dahlia

Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Does anyone know whats wrong with this dahlia?

Thumbnail by Dmey Thumbnail by Dmey Thumbnail by Dmey
Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b)

The cupped leaves and the misshapen leaves suggest a few things.
Are you seeing any pests? A bug (probably small) can injure the bud, before the leaf opens, then, when the leaf opens it will be distorted. Some of the leaves look like this.

I would wonder about some cultural problem to cup the leaves like that. Nutrients?

Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Thanks. I have that problem on a couple of dahlias. Ive been spraying all of them with baking soda and dishwasher solution and this one ive sprayed with a copper fungicide. I think they are a little better. Im worried it might be a virus but i dont know how to tell and dont know if im wasting my time and putting my other plants in danger. How can i tell if its a virus? To be honest , i cant tell the diference from inages in the web bewteen virus and fungus etc.. Here are a couple more pictures.

Thumbnail by Dmey Thumbnail by Dmey Thumbnail by Dmey Thumbnail by Dmey
Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b)

Well, one of the easiest ways to tell:
If a fungus treatment cures the problem, then it was a fungus or a coincidence.

Baking soda should no be continued or applied too often. It will make the soil more alkaline. If your soil needs this sort of thing, OK, but baking soda also adds sodium to the soil, and this is not good.
I know you are spraying it on the leaves, but it drips and runs off, into the soil.

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