Flowers: Keep Them Blooming Healthy

by: Liz Roberts

Flowers compliment any garden. Their bright bursts of color add to any front lawn or backyard patio. Yet sick plants can detract from a landscape just as healthy ones add to it. Be a conscientious gardener and look out for any type of disease. Nip it in to bud(figuratively and literally) before your flowers suffer.

Common flower diseases range from leaf spot to the deadly root knot. Most flower species can catch the same diseases from neighboring tree and vegetables. Before you check your flowers, also check on nearby greenery to see if their fruit, leaves and stems are all right and not showing any signs of illness. If this is so, then clean out any garden patch or prune trees and burn diseased parts or dispose of them in plastic garbage bags. Do not add any infected material to your compost heap. This spreads the disease as quickly as air born spores would.

Leaf spot is amongst the most common of flower diseases. It starts off with circular or irregular in some plants like the hydrangea. In other flowers such as the chrysanthemum, leaf spot begins as small yellowish circles that gradually increase to one inch in diameter. The spots’ centers then turn brown signaling the start of infection. Carnation leaf spots are different in color, being amore purplish brown. The disease also shows up on the stems. With this strain, black spots start to appear within the infected areas’ middles. The carnations’ leaf tips may die. The geranium gets the worst of the sickness. Its’ leaf spots begin as harmless looking water spots on the undersides of leaves. These will grow with in a few days and leave sunken pits. Necrosis, the localized death of living tissue and wilting follow. The spots will not coalesce, and destroy the whole plant. Another sigh of geranium leaf rot is stem wilt. One or two branches will show wilt and then eventually the entire plant will turn black.

Most leaf rot can be controlled with fungicides from your local nursery. Buying disease free transplants can also prevent geranium leaf rot. Greenhouse conditions are sometimes not conducive to healthy greenery. Careless over watering and high humidity can bring on the disease in commercial settings. When shopping look for geraniums with healthy unblemished leaves and stems. Don’t pick up ones with even one or two discolorations.

Botyris blight is another devastating flower disease. This sickness affects almost all types of greenery from trees to flowers to vegetables. It seems to be the most destructive in flowers however. The delicate African violet can be completely ruined by it if left untreated. Leaves, flowers and petioles, the slender stems that support the blades of the foliage leaves, develop small water soaked spots that rapidly enlarge. Also a grayish fungal growth may be seen on any of the diseased tissue. The disease is at its’ worst when temperatures are cool and damp along with low air circulation and low light intensity (not enough direct sunlight). All diseases tissue should be immediately removed. If you’re growing your African violets indoor make sure all surrounding surface s are sterilized with household cleaner or bleach.

Begonias also suffer from the blight. They also get it when temperatures are cool and moisture levels are high. Stems and leaves will quickly grow brown water soaked lesions. In advanced stages all tissues will be affected by it. Botyris blight is at its’ most severe in greenhouse conditions. When buying begonias, look for disease free ones, use a sterilized medium and keep the growing area free from any decayed or weak plants. These are excellent food source for the fungus.

Hydrangeas are probably the worst victims of Botyris blight. The virus even insinuates itself in the flowers’ buds, making them highly contagious. Infected flower parts drop off on leaves and stems, immediately spreading spores. Get rid of these sick plants as soon as possible. As with the other flowers, the blight attacks hydrangeas during cool damp weather which brings an abundance of fungal spores. It can also be found in hydrangea nurseries where conditions are not always the best.

Treat any case of Botyris blight with fungicides containing benomyl which interferes will spore cell reproduction and kills the spores. Spray plants with this every five to seven days until flowers bloom. Also rotate flowerbeds to new spots every year to avoid any fungal problems.

Root knot is another common flower problem. The disease is caused by nematodes – microscopic eel like worms. Root knot symptoms include wilting during periods of moisture stress, stunted plants, pale green leaves and reduced bloom yields. Infected plants swell at the point of infection and what is known as galls (surface sores) or knots. Several infections may occur around the same areas, resulting in larger, fleshier galls. Generally, fast growing annuals will have large, fleshy knot while woody perennials will have smaller, harder galls. The roots will also be infected and will have growth retardation along with lacking finer feeder roots. You can control root rot by effectively spraying plants with nematicides. Treatment will suffice for about one year and retreatment is required only if susceptible flowers are to be grown. You can apply nematicides onto the soil before planting Check all label precautions and follow them as they relate to chemical and plant stages. The ideal time is when temperatures are between 60-80 degrees Farenheit.. First decide if your flowers will be arranged in rows or scattered in a large area. Treat only the potential root zones. Till your soil to prepare a good seed bed. Mix in the nematicides in a straight line for rows and throughout the entire garden patch for randomly placed flowers. Immediately cover soil to prevent any loss. Nematicides diffuse approximately 6 inches from the point of application. The treatment zone should be 2 inches wide by 12 inches deep. For already established plants you can side dress the treatment by digging a trench on one side of your flowers. Mix in the nematicides and quickly cover. Water to cause diffusion into the root zone.

Keep your flowers in a constant state of good health. Be nurturing and vigilant. Check all flower parts at the first sign of discoloration and wilt. Make sure that they are away from other diseased. Treat with fungicides and nematicides at any sigh of trouble. Do this and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful blooms and vibrant plants.