Powdery Mildew On Tomato Foliage

/Powdery Mildew On Tomato Foliage/

Powdery Mildew On Tomato Foliage

This looks like powdery mildew, a common fungal disease that crops up where air circulation is limited and nights are cool and humid. Growing in shade also makes the problem worse. Spray the plants with any of the organic fungicides such as Actinovate, Green Cure or Serenade. Your local nursery may have other options. Fungus disease cannot be cured, but can be arrested so plants can continue to grow and produce. Keep the affected leaves picked off the plant and up off the ground to prevent reinfection. There are various types of Powdery mildews and many of them are host specific (Powdery mildew of tomato won't spread to roses, for example), so you may have more than one type of mildew. You will likely need to make changes to the overall environment to reduce the spread, like increase air circulation in/around the plants with pruning of some stems and leaves, make sure air movement into the garden area is sufficient (not being blocked by other plants or structures), and the plants requiring full sun should BE in full sun all day (at least 6-8 hours/day).
Here's more info about Tomatoes and Powdery Mildew:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/tomato.html

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7406.html

By | 2016-01-17T01:51:30-08:00 January 17th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Scale Infestation

Thank you for your follow up and ialthough it is often challenging to identify insects without a clear close up, we also realize our users need guidance if at all possible. We think the dark bumps resemble armored scale, a sap sucking insect that attaches itself to the leaves, flowers and stems. The most common one is Lecanium scale This looks like a pretty severe infestation. Under the shell is either the sucking insect or she has died and the shell is full of young yet to hatch scale. Inspect other nearby plants and treat them at the first sight of insect. It can be controlled with any insecticide containing Imidachloprid which is a systemic insecticide -- you will drench the soil and the insecticide will be sucked up by roots and into the branches, leaves and hopefully the scale. You can also spray the plant above the soil line with 15:1 water:Ivory soap. Also a horticultural oil will act as a suffocant, but we are afraid the oil will ruin the delicate petals of the gerber flower. If there are not too many, try to gently remove them with your fingernail and dispose in a bucket of soapy water.

By | 2016-01-17T01:24:53-08:00 January 17th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Moth Orchid Care Notes

Here are a few care tips for your moth orchid, (Phalaenopsis species): This is a very drought tolerant orchid. Because it's leaves are succulent, it can also tolerate normal household humidity. Moth orchids bloom once or twice a year. In between they'll produce a few new leaves. Don't expect them to bloom continuously. How often are you feeding them? In winter (slow growth time) they don't really need fertilizer. If your orchids are potted in bark, once a week thorough watering is good. If they are potted in sphagnum moss, then push your finger into the moss and if it feels dry to the touch, it's time to water - be careful because moss retains water, so allow it to dry out before watering again - your orchid does not like soggy conditions. Feed with a slow release or organic fertilizer formulated for blooming container plants and provide bright, indirect light indoors. Do not allow the plant to sit in water as this may lead to root rot. It is best to water in the sink, flush out any excess salt build-up, allow to drain out completely before setting it back on a saucer or its cover decorative pot. The wrinkling of the older blooms is a natural process of the flower's aging. Hope these care notes help your orchid.

By | 2016-01-16T23:55:28-08:00 January 16th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Leaf Miner On Watermelon

Leafminers have been occasionally reported as a major pest in South Florida. The adult leafminer is a small fly (Figure 11), about 1/8 to 1/10 of an inch long with a yellow abdomen. The fly inserts her eggs in feeding punctures on the upper leaf surface. Larvae (maggots) feed between the upper and lower leaf surfaces, creating meandering mines that enlarge as the larvae grow. After approximately two weeks in warm weather the larva completes development and leaves the mine, dropping to the ground to pupate. The complete life cycle can be as short as 18 to 21 days. Infestations can be more severe late in the growing season, particularly if adults migrate out of nearby crop residue into late-planted fields. Defoliation of the crop late in the season can lead to sun scalding of the fruit.

Control with insecticides is difficult. Systemic materials may be required to control larvae within the leaf tissue. Destruction of crop residues from earlier infested plantings may reduce problems in later plantings. Maintain vigorous plant growth through proper fertilization and watering.

By | 2016-01-16T20:12:51-08:00 January 16th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Banana Yucca

Banana yucca or Yucca baccata, the "banana name is for the banana shaped fruits" which are sweet and were dried by the Paiute Indians for winter food. It has large, stout straplike leaves which are twelve inches to forty inches long, one inch to two inches wide, and are sharply pointed. The plant has very short stems, which may occur singly or clumped together. Leaves are arranged spirally at the base of the stem. Individual white fibers along the leaf margins tend to curl. The flowering stalks may barely rise above the leaves. Bell-shaped flowers, which grow in thick clusters during the spring, are one and one half inches to three and one half inches long and are creamy white in color. Each flower has six perianth segments and three stigmas on a stout pistil. The fruits are large, four inches to nine inches long, and fleshy at maturity. The pods contain flat, blackish seeds.
It is native to California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Mexico. It grows in pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, mountain brush and ponderosa pine communities from four thousand seven hundred and twenty five feet to six thousand six hundred and twenty feet in elevation.

By | 2016-01-16T19:44:18-08:00 January 16th, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments
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Gardenia Problem

As an evergreen shrub, it is normal for older leaves of a gardenia to turn yellow and drop. This typically occurs during early spring before new growth appears. If chlorosis (leaf yellowing) occurs at other times of the year and there is no evidence of insect pests or disease, and the remaining leaves look healthy, then there may be an environmental or cultural factor causing yellow foliage. As with bud drop, several stressors, including insect infestations, nematode feeding, over-watering, under-watering, poor soil drainage, insufficient light, soil temperatures below 70 ŒÁF and poor nutrition may cause leaf yellowing and drop. Gardenias are acid-loving plants that grow best in a soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0. Iron is an essential nutrient that plants use to produce the green pigment, chlorophyll. While iron is rarely deficient in soil, if the soil pH is above 7.0, the iron may be in a form that is not available to the plant. You also might want to review your watering practices. Gardenias like ample water but not to the point of being waterlogged.

By | 2016-01-16T18:14:49-08:00 January 16th, 2016|Perennials|1 Comment
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Powdery Mildew

This appears to be a strong case of powdery mildew. We recommend organic treatment whenever possible. Serenade is an excellent organic fungicide. Powdery mildew is unattractive and it can affect the flavor and reduce yields of some fruits and vegetables. Although plants are unsightly and can be weakened by an infection, they do not usually die. Powdery mildew on ornamentals is an aesthetic issue, and not usually worth treating. Prevention and control is more important for vegetables. 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.To control minor infestations, pick off affected plant parts and bag them tightly and put them in the trash. Utilize an organic fungal control like Actinovate or Serenade.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:27-07:00 January 16th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Grasses As Weeds

Sorry to say we can't accurately ID the 'bunch grass' from this photo so its difficult to say what the best product would be, but we can say its also pretty difficult to find a product that will kill the weedy grass and not the lawn (turfgrass). We recommend you dig up a "bunch" and take it to your local garden center for accurate ID and find out if they can recommend a product. If there's not a product, we recommend you dig these weedy grasses out of the lawn (make sure to get all of it, and as much of the root systems as possible - this is easiest to do when the soil is moist) and re-seed with the same grass spieces as your turfgrass. If you decide to go this route, you'll need to be diligent with keeping the soil and new seedling grass moist until its well established. Also, you'll want to be prepared to re-seed immediately after taking out the weedy grass so that you don't leave bare spots for other weed seeds to grow in. Alternately, if you have a creeping turfgrass, like bermuda or something, you can encourage it to fill in the bare spots left after removing the weeds by keeping the soil/grass moist and fertilizing AND pulling any other weeds (right away) that pop up while its trying to fill in.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:27-07:00 January 16th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Yellow Wood Sorrel

Actually called wood sorrel, this clover looking weed is always looking for a place to take root. This pesky weed pulls out easily, but if you let it go to seed the pods explode and spread the seed far & wide. It is VERY difficult to eradicate.

Here are a couple of options:Hand Weeding - Hand weeding is very effective. It pulls easily and will not re-sprout from roots left behind. Removing the plants before they go to seed reduces the population.


Chemical Control - Pre-emergence herbicides are the most useful, they prevent seed germination - the way oxalis spreads. Check with a reputable local nursery/garden center for advice on the best herbicide for your area. And many herbicides will kill the grass as well, so be sure to apply according to the package directions.

Many post emergent herbicides are not effective. Timing and the use of a spreader/sticker are important. Yellow wood sorrel has a very waxy leaf and stem, water beads and rolls off. A spreader/sticker will break down the waxy layer, allowing the herbicide to penetrate into the leaf and then do its job.

Spot spraying young plants works well.


By | 2017-09-11T15:49:27-07:00 January 16th, 2016|Weeds|0 Comments
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Leaf Spot Or Fluoridechlorinesalts

This sort of leaf spot can be caused by several things and without culturing in a lab it's hard to be sure. It's also possible with plants that what you are seeing is a combination of these problems. Here are the reasons it shows up, however, and what you can do:
1. Fungal spots. Be sure not to wet the foliage (don't follow any advice to mist your plants) or, if you put this plant outside in the summer, to have it where the leaves get hit frequently with water. You can use an organic fungicide to help prevent fungal leaf spots.
2. Excess build up of fluoride, chlorine or fertilizer salts in the soil. This commonly happens when a houseplant is watered with "city water" that has fluoride and chlorine in it over a long period, and/or when fertilizer salts have been allowed to build up in the pot. The solution for this is to repot the plant, gently removing some of the old potting mix from the roots and putting the plant back in a clean pot with new potting soil. Do not put rocks, shards or other materials in the bottom of the pot no matter where you've read that information: it's bad for plants. After that, water with distilled or well water that doesn't have fluoride or chlorine in it. Use an organic fertilizer in the future according to directions.

By | 2016-01-16T11:11:17-08:00 January 16th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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