How are your plant identification skills? Personally, without a reference, I tend to have difficulty identifying some of the less commonly used trees in the landscape. However, being a disease diagnostician/plant pathologist I do have a fallback strategy – the diseases. One of the key points here is some symptoms are so characteristic of, or[Read More…]
Resources for landscapes and gardens in the Midwest
Landscape Report
Plant Diseases
First identified on coleus in the US in 2005, downy mildew has become an annual threat to production of this popular annual. The disease may be caused by the pathogens Peronospora lamii (also infects basil, as well as several species of Salvia and Lamium) or P. belbaharii (also infects basil). The symptoms may range from[Read More…]
Rhizoctonia is not very picky. The fungus has a very wide plant host range where it can act as an endophyte, not causing damage to the colonized plant; a mycorrhizal symbiont, in some cases being essential for the hosts survival, like in some orchid species; and, as we commonly see it, a pathogen that causes[Read More…]
Rhizomatous bearded iris (Iris x germanica) is a favorite early spring perennial; however, it is routinely troubled by a fungal leaf spot that tends to appear soon after flowering (Figure 1). These start as small wet-looking lesions that may quickly enlarge into larger spots with brownish edges, tan centers and yellow margins (Figure 2). When[Read More…]
While fungi are responsible for many of our foliar disease problems, different fungal pathogens present as problems throughout the country, depending upon the host plant grown and the environmental conditions. This is a brief overview of several common types of fungal leaf diseases occur in Indiana and throughout North America (and Europe). Recognizing the symptoms[Read More…]
Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) is a very important pathogen in the ornamental industry. Don’t let the name fool you. Much like Tomato spotted wilt virus and Alfalfa mosaic virus, TRV has a wide host range that includes more than 400 plant species, and is not restricted to Tobacco or vegetables. Plant viruses are named after[Read More…]
Dianthus is a much-admired perennial, but occasionally it develops serious disease problems. The most dramatic of these is anthracnose, caused by the fungus Colletotrichum. The disease may spread rapidly on greenhouse benches or in landscape plantings of susceptible dianthus varieties. The old-fashioned ‘Sweet William’ varieties seem to tolerate this disease fairly well and may only[Read More…]
Fungicides are important tools for managing ornamental plant diseases (Fig. 1). There are many different fungicides and numerous methods of classifying them. One way to classify fungicides is by their chemical structures or modes of action — the specific ways the fungicides kill a fungus. Fungicides that share a common mode of action belong to[Read More…]
We receive a large number of spruce samples each year at the PPDL, with the vast majority being from Colorado blue spruce with needlecast. Many others show lower needle yellowing, which could be associated with nutrient deficiency or root stress. Figure 1 and 2. However we are receiving an increasing number of Norway spruce[Read More…]
Leaf blotch, also called red spot and measles, is a common disease of peony caused by the fungus Graphiopsis chlorocephala (=Cladosporium paenoiae). The disease has multiple names because there are multiple symptoms. Lesion on leaves and stems can vary from tiny red spots (“measles”) to larger brown or purple blotches (Figures 1, 2 and 3).[Read More…]
For many of us, pest management is never far from our mind. This may be because the pests we manage are always there, and even if we can’t see them, we know that they haven’t disappeared completely. For this reason, it is important to take a time-out and think about how to improve your management,[Read More…]
Tubakia leaf spot, caused by the fungus Tubakia, is the disease we find more commonly on oak than any other. Throughout the world, there are 11 species of Tubakia known to infect oak, with Tubakia dryina (previously known as Actinopelte dryina) being the most commonly encountered species in our landscapes. Apple, ash, black gum, chestnut,[Read More…]
We often think of Phytophthora as mainly a root rot pathogen, but Phytophthora can also cause a bleeding trunk canker under the right conditions. The most commonly attacked trees we see in the diagnostic lab are American and European beech (Fagus spp.), and maples (Acer spp.); but this disease is also reported to occur on[Read More…]
As the 2020 gardening year draws to a close, now is the time to ensure a successful gardening season next year, for you or your customers! Sanitation is a cornerstone of integrated pest management and is essential for good plant health management. Throughout the year, we have been plagued with both unusually wet and unusually[Read More…]
This very slimy substance (Fig. 1) has many common names, was once classified as an algae but is now known as a Cyanobacterium. It is worse in areas that are frequently wet, such as low areas in lawns or on frequently irrigated golf courses (Fig. 2) or along walkways in nurseries where it can create[Read More…]
Do you have a tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) in your yard and does it look like fall has come early? This is a likely occurrence in the landscape in late summer, especially leading into August. About this time of year leaves on many tulip poplar trees will start to gradually turn yellow before they fall[Read More…]
This spring the PPDL received several samples, calls and emails related to dying weeping cherry trees (Fig. 1, 2, 3). Reports of this phenomenon came from as far away as Missouri. Ornamental cherry trees (and related Prunus spp.) are susceptible to multiple problems, including southwest injury (Fig. 4) Botryosphaeria dieback/canker (Fig. 5), bacterial canker and[Read More…]
Plants that experience extremes in soil moisture may develop spots on their leaves, called “oedema” (also spelled “edema”). The spots may first appear as a blister or raised spot, particularly on the undersides of leaves, but may occur on the top side as well as on the stems. Eventually, the blister develops a rust-colored, cork-like[Read More…]
Hollyhock (Alcea spp.), an anchor plant for the back of the cottage garden, bloom mid-summer with numerous flowers on tall spikes, providing beauty for us, and food for bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. The most common varieties are biennial, taking two years to complete their lifecycle, although some persist as short-lived perennials. Fortunately, they are prolific[Read More…]
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