Plant Diseases

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Mildew

It appears to be a type of Mildew. White fungus grows on parts of genetically susceptible plants during seasonal weather conditions that favor its development (in particular dried out root zones in combination with summer dews or fogs or other instances of humidity). Put a few affected leaves in a baggie to show a horticulturist at your local garden center for confirmation of the issue.
It appears that the plant you are describing is the Snail Vine or Vigna caracalla. This plant does not take cold so maybe that is why yours is losing it's leaves. The webbing could be a sign of mites. You should collect and dispose of the affected plant parts to prevent the spread of the mildew and the mites. As far as the "puppy" sacs go, we are not sure what those are exactly...
Here is a link that you might find helpful:
http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/3589/snail-vine/
The history of the plant is interesting....

By | 2016-03-03T17:29:35-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Winter Injury

This damage is not caused by an infectious disease, but probably caused by a harsh winter, therefore its called winter injury, and in this case it might have been fatal. You can check to see if the plant is still alive by cutting one or two stems about 3 inches below the existing buds. Look for healthy, green or off white tissue that is not brittle. If you find healthy tissue, you can cut the plant back just a bit (removing the dead leaves and buds) to encourage new growth. If the plant does not require the amount of water its currently exposed to, we suggest you move the plant to another location just before or immediately after pruning, apply an all purpose fertilizer, used according to label directions, and water appropriately for the plants needs. This will help to initiate new growth and a healthy root system. If you find brown or brittle tissue when pruning the plant its probably dead, or at least too far gone to generate new growth.

By | 2016-03-03T09:10:41-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Miscanthus Blight

Miscanthus can be affected by a number of different leaf spotting fungi. One of the more noticeable is Miscanthus Blight, caused by the fungus Stagonospora. You will see purplish or rust colored spots and streaks on the leaves, especially the white sections of the variegated leaves. From a distance, with its rusty appearance, it is often mistaken for a rust disease. Treat the plant by cutting the diseased foliage out and completely remove it from the garden. Do not put it in a compost pile as that will spread the fungus through your garden. It's unlikely this disease will affect anything in the vegetable garden, but no sense keeping spores anywhere nearby. Do not divide and transplant the grasses in the fall. If this turns out to be an ongoing problem, you don't want to help spread it to new areas. See how the grass does next year. If we have a dry season you may not see the problem recur.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:22-07:00 March 2nd, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Cactus Failure

You've got pretty much a terminal case. The long skinniness of the plant tells that the plant has had way too little light or sun. It is stretching and doesn't even look like what it should. By looking at the size of the plant, I'm guessing that it was in a smaller pot - it still should be. The size of the pot you moved it into is way too big. It is holding a large volume of soil that when it gets wet, it stays wet a long time as the cactus has a relatively small root system - it could in no way take up all that water. When cactus roots stay wet for any length of time they are subject to rot. Also, when you transplanted it you probably watered it in right away. When transplanting cacti or succulents they should sit in the new dry soil for about 5-7 days. This allows any roots that got broken or damaged during transplant a chance to callus over and heal. Watering right away allows fungus and bacteria into the damaged roots and then the problems begin.

By | 2016-03-01T19:55:25-08:00 March 1st, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Olive Tree

I've been thinking more about your Olive trees, because honestly I wasn't satisfied that the reponse I gave you would be helpful... something else was on the tip of my tongue and I finally got it! Unfortunately, this may not be good news. In the recent past few years, Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), a different strain (but related) of the bacterium that causes leaf scorch on grapes is infecting Olive trees; they're calling it OLSD, or Olive Leaf Scorch Disease. It is also vectored from plant to plant by leaf hoppers (pretty sure its the glassy winged sharp shooter just like with grapes). You may want to get an opinon from the Ag Dept Pathologist by taking a sealed bag with leaf & stem samples to their office in San Marcos, CA (off of Twin Oaks Valley Rd). They will check out your specimen for free. You could also call and talk to the Farm Advisor at the University of CA Cooperative Extension in S.D. for more info. If you do an internet search you'll find more info about OLSD. http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/fha/programs.html

By | 2016-03-01T19:47:22-08:00 March 1st, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Pachysandra Leaf Blight

This appears to be Pachysandra leaf blight, caused by the fungus Volutella pachysandrae. Always work in plantings when they are DRY to reduce the spread of the disease. Remove and destroy all severely infected plants. These should be buried or thrown out with the garbage. General thinning of the planting to promote good air circulation will help reduce spread by allowing plants to dry out more quickly after rain. When feasible disinfest pruning tools by swabbing the cutting blades with a solution of 7 parts rubbing alcohol and 3 parts water between each cut. Avoid the use of mulches that promote high moisture around
the plants, and remove tree leaves that cover the planting in the fall. After the above cultural practices are completed, fungicide sprays may still be needed in some cases to prevent further spread of the disease. SOURCE: Cornell University Department of Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology.

By | 2016-03-01T15:14:34-08:00 March 1st, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Gray Mold Or Damping Off

This is a fungal problem, and there are several possibilities. The two most common are Botrytis and one of the fungi that cause "damping off." The first is gray mold (Botrytis), which usually takes new seedlings a leaf at a time. It is most active in cool, humid environments, so you can counteract it by warming the temperature, reducing humidity (which warming alone will do), and increasing air circulation. There are also fungicides made to treat infected plants. The second possibility is damping off disease, which includes a complex of fungi that kill the seedling by attacking its stem. The up-front prevention is to use absolutely sterile soil mix, with no reused soil from last year or garden compost. The cubes like you've used might be keeping the area far too wet. Once damping off starts, you can't stop it. Good air circulation will help in the future as well - a fan on a timer that blows the seedlings helps strengthen them and keep the air circulating.

By | 2016-03-01T14:35:50-08:00 March 1st, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Bacterial Blight

Based on what we can see in the picture, your lilic may also have a bacterial or fungal infection, not uncommon. It's hard to be certain without seeing the entire plant to see how many leaves are affected and where the damage is most prevalent. If you can send us a photo of the entire plant that would be helpful. In the meantime, don't overhead water, which can spread infection. Of course, it's impossible to avoid overhead watering with the rain you're experiencin. Also, remove all leaf debris that may have fallen off and discard it in the garbage, not the compost pile. If you want to remove the most infected leaves now, make sure to wipe your garden sheers off with alcohol wipes between cuts as precaution. When plants are stressed, it's best not to fertilize them, which can stress them further. Send us another photo of the entire plant and we'll try to narrow down the possibilities. You can send multiple images. Kudos to you for paying close attention to your plants!

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:22-07:00 March 1st, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Leaf Spot On Cherry

Thanks for this note but we're not sure which adviser you thought was getting this, so know that your personal wishes and comments about the NYT article haven't reached their intended target. There are six people who review and answer garden questions in the Northeast.

It's common for fruit trees to bear one year and not the next. This is a strategy that most fruit and nut trees develop that insures that in heavy-bearing years there are fruits and nuts left on the ground to sprout and grow. So know that this is normal.

If you put up Japanese beetle traps, put them on the lot next door since these traps attract more beetles to a property than they catch. Better yet put them a half a block away!

You have leaf spot on your cherry trees - a common problem this summer when night temps have been cool. Next year you might consider spraying with Actinovate or another organic fungicide in May, and again as the label directs.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:22-07:00 February 28th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Rose Issues

There are a couple of things troubling the rose in this photo. First, the yellow areas on the leaf indicate that the rose is possibly suffering from a nutrient deficiency. Probably Iron deficiency due to a high pH of the soil (alkaline - salt). There may be iron in the soil but it not available to the plant because of the pH. Second, the brown edges of the leaves looks like a salt burn or underwatering. Again, that word salt...If they are planted directly in the ground, you might want to give them a good deep watering a couple of times a week until you see improvement. If they are in a pot, you would want to water them thoroughly until the water is running out the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. You might want to start a regular fertilizer program by getting a fertilizer especially for rose plants (that includes iron) and a pH test kit for the soil. Follow all directions on the fertilizer container. You might also want to take a bagged sample like this into your local garden center for a hands on diagnosis of the problem.

By | 2016-02-28T13:14:14-08:00 February 28th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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