Plant Diseases

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Tomato Leaf Death

This is probably not an infectious disease, but caused by weather conditions in the recent past. You will want to pay close attention to your plants and maybe provide fertilizer at flowering and fruit set. Keep up with watering, but you may consider watering more deeply at one time and less frequently because tomatoes need water deep in the soil but don't like to have "wet feet" (too much water closer to the surface, which can happen if you water too often). If the water doesn't soak into your soil quickly, you will want to water until just before runoff starts, stop the water, let it soak in, and then apply water again in the same way; you should do this repeatedly until enough water has been applied. This will also help leach salts that can accumulate in the soil with frequent but not deep watering. HIgh salt content in the soil or water can also cause leaf damage or death. Keep the soil moist to dilute the salts, but don't overwater.

By | 2016-02-16T00:36:20-08:00 February 16th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Rot On Zucchini

There are two reasons that zucchini can rot as the fruit forms. If the rot is starting at the blossom end, this is most likely due to uneven watering. If the rot starts at the stem end, it can be a fungus that grows in damp conditions. Both can be treated in the same way: 1. Be sure that you're watering deeply but not frequently - never hand water a vegetable garden because you'll get bored long before the soil is soaked deeply. Water in the morning only, using a sprinkler or soaker hoses. In weather where the night-time temperatures are below 70 degrees this can be once every five to seven days. In hotter weather every 5 days is usually fine. 2. Mulch around your plants with chopped leaves or hay. This holds the stems and fruit off of the soil and keeps a more even level of moisture in the soil. 3. Spray the stems with one of the organic fungicides such as Serenade or Actinovate - these are natural bacteria that "out compete" fungi. With those practices you should soon be harvesting more zucchini than you can eat!

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:24-07:00 February 15th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Black Spot On Rose Canes

You have Black spot on your rose canes. It is a fungal disease that affects only roses. It can winter over on infected canes such as yours. Sanitation is the key to keeping it in check. Cut the infected canes back as much as possible and discard in the garbage. In between cuts, sterilize your pruners with either a mixture of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water or wipe the pruners down with rubbing alcohol. Clean up any dead leaves that may be present because they can harbor the fungus . Put down a light layer of mulch such as a shredded hardwood mulch. Do not use rocks of any kind because when it rains, the water will splash up underneath the leaves and spreads the disease. You can apply fungicides as a preventative treatment and may have to apply during the growing season as well. Excellent air circulation is important too so having it in a sunny open spot is ideal. I've included a link for more information on Black spot on roses. https://extension.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/black-spot-rose

By | 2016-02-15T13:11:11-08:00 February 15th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Fusarium Wilt

Without seeing the whole plant, it is hard to get positive identification without lab testing, however this appears to be Fusarium wilt. The first symptom is a slight yellowing of a single leaf or a slight wilting and drooping of the lower leaves. The stems may be discolored (brown).
There are many good online resources that will provide details. Most often, fusarium is present in the soil. Do NOT dump the soil in your pot into your garden. Rather, dispose of it in the trash. Once infected, soil retains this fungus indefinitely.
Without being able to see an entire plant to confirm Fusarium Wilt, here's some more detailed information on Fusarium wilt from the Colorado Extension Agency - http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/Garden/02949.html
Here is a link that might also be helpful:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/DISEASES/fusarwilt.html
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/tomato.html

By | 2016-02-14T19:01:09-08:00 February 14th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Tomato Problems

The picture is fuzzy so we can't see the powdery stuff clearly. What we can see is that the damage is primarily on the edges, suggesting possible leaf scorch, a condition caused by underwatering. However, the leaf veins are also darker than the leaf. This condition can be caused by several issues, including iron deficiency in the soil or the beginning of fusarium wilt, type of tomato fungus.

You have several options. Take one of the damaged leaves to a local nursery or the extension agency for diagnosis. However, if the problem is fusarium wilt, there is no cure. The entire plant must be removed. If it isn't f. wilt, this plant is already stressed and may take some time to recover, if it can recover. You may want to start over with a new plant. It's still early in the growing season so a healthy plant would have enough time to set fruit. If you choose to start over, here's some really important and helpful information on growing tomatoes so you can get off to a good start! - http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/Gardennotes/717.html

By | 2016-02-14T13:31:37-08:00 February 14th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Powdery Mildew On Zucchini

It is probably powdery mildew. This fungus is common to squashes especially if the foliage is wet at night. Drier weather will help.Trim off the damaged leaves. There are several organic fungicides that are labeled for powdery mildew including Actinovate, Serenade, sulfur, and Green Cure, or ask at your local garden center. Be sure to spray under the leaves and the stems as well.

The warm days and cool nights of late summer create an ideal climate for spore growth and dispersal.

Powdery mildew can be prevented, and it can be controlled once it appears, but it can't be cured. The key to preventing it is planting mildew-resistant or mildew- tolerant varieties. Resistant varieties get less mildew than susceptible varieties; tolerant varieties may get some mildew, but it shouldn't affect the performance of the plant. Prevention also includes siting plants where they will have good air circulation, and exposing as much leaf surface as possible to direct sunlight, which inhibits spore germination.


By | 2016-02-13T12:26:08-08:00 February 13th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Echeveria Rotting

It likely got too wet at some point and it doesn't take long for rot to spread through a succulent. There is really nothing you can do to save it at this point. I do see about six leaves that still see plump and are retaining their color. Gently pull those off and dip their ends into some ground cinnamon - it is a natural anti-fungal, anti-bacterial. Put the leaves on a paper plate or something and set them aside. If the rot hadn't gotten into the leaves yet, in about 7-14 days you should see roots coming out of the leaf ends that were attached to the stem originally; there may even be tiny plants visible. Prepare a small pot with a drain hole and well draining potting soil, and lay the leaves on top with the rooting ends in contact with the soil - you can bury them slightly. Do not water for about a week. Then give a drink and hopefully you will have tiny new plants started to replace the one that didn't make it.

By | 2016-02-13T09:05:20-08:00 February 13th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Zucchini Root Rot

Root rot in zucchini is caused by soil-inhabiting pathogens within the genera Pythium and Phytophthora. Root rot is often most prevalent on zucchinis planted for a fall harvest following damp, cool weather. Plants are prone to rot when they are planted too deeply or soil around the roots remains saturated for a long time. These pathogens can survive in infected soil or contaminated debris for several years and is spread by splashing or running water or on contaminated equipment, debris or soil. Good site preparation helps to ensure excellent drainage. Deep tilling is useful for breaking through soil compaction so that soil is loose and well-drained to a depth of at least 1 to 2 feet. Planting zucchini seeds on raised mounds or hills 8 to 10 inches taller than the surrounding soil level encourages efficient drainage. Working at least 2 inches of an organic material amendment such as well-rotted compost into the soil improves drainage and fertility; compost may also contain organisms antagonistic to Phytophthora.

By | 2016-02-13T01:26:35-08:00 February 13th, 2016|Plant Diseases|2 Comments
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Honeysuckle Problem

We remember your first submission and we can see the plant has declined since then. Unfortunately, it's difficult to diagnose this type of general ailment from a photo. The first thing we would look at is watering & drainage. You say you water it frequently. Please describe your watering regimen; we want to be sure you're not overwatering. Honeysuckle should dry out a little between waterings; water when the top 1/2 - 1 inch of soil is dry to the touch, and then, water until water comes out the drainage holes in the bottom of you pot. The size of the pot is probably ok for now; it depends on how big the rootball was when it was planted. Did you do the planting? Do you remember if the rootball was much smaller than the pot itself or about the same size? If the soil doesn't seem constantly wet, the next thing to look at is nutrition. Yellow leaves can sometimes indicate a nitrogen deficieny, but since this is newly planted (presumably in fresh potting soil), this is unlikely. Transplant shock is another possibility. The last thing to consider is fungal disease. There are a few fungal diseases that effect honeysuckle; they are more prevalent in wet, humid weather. If you can eliminate the other possibilities, we suggest you send a few leaves to your local coop extension office to see if they can diagnose a specific disease.

By | 2016-01-26T14:42:43-08:00 January 26th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Fungal Problem

This appears to be a fungal problem of some kind, most fungal issues are caused by fungal spores that over produce, especially during the wet weather season. For the most part, fungal diseases can be prevented by utilizing proper cultural practices such as variety selections, irrigation and humidity management, plant and soil nutrition, pruning, and row spacing. When there is inadequate circulation of air, poor water drainage, exorbitant irrigation, and too much dampness due to rainfall, the fungi can become a problem. Some fungal issues cannot be cured, other fungal issues can be organically controlled with products like Actinovate or Neem Oil, cornmeal, homemade vinegar recipes and more can make a difference depending on what fungal issue you are trying to control. In this photo we are unable to determine the specific fungal issue, so recommend you take a cutting of the plant to your locally owned garden center where a horticultural expert can advise a specific organic treatment. If this is not an option, consider contacting an extension office from a local college as experts there will be able to guide you in the treatment of this plant.

By | 2016-01-26T04:58:45-08:00 January 26th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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