Sick plants

Stick Plants
Have you got a 'sick' plant or plants?

There are many causes for plants looking sick. Different plants have different needs and this guide cannot hope to be comprehensive. However, there are some things that you should think about when asking why a plant is not looking healthy. Ask yourself these questions:

A. What are the plant's symptoms?

• Make a note of the symptoms so that these can be checked here or with your garden centre.

B. What sort of conditions does the plant prefer?

• Check these in a good gardening encyclopedia or with your garden centre.

C. Has the plant enough water?

• No - Water plant well, making sure roots are well soaked. Pot plants may need to be set in water for a period so that compost soaks up water. Very dry compost might allow watering from the top to run through without wetting compost.

D. Has the plant too much water? Are its roots in stagnant water?

• Yes - Drain water from the area and aerate soil/compost. Think about moving the plant to an area where water is not likely to stagnate. Plant a water loving plant in its place.

E. Are the roots exposed?

• Yes - Some plants suffer when their roots are exposed above soil level. Cover the roots or re plant to correct level. Roots can be protected from fungal infection during transplanting with NO Root Die back Aliette.

F. Has the plant enough room for its roots? If it is in a pot is it pot bound? If it is the garden are neighbouring plant roots out competing with it for water and nutrients?

• Yes - Replant the plant where it has room for its root system to grow. Think about how large the roots will be for a full sized plant. Roots can be protected from fungal infection during transplanting with NO Root Dieback Aliette.

G. Has the plant reached its natural life span? Annuals only live a year, bi-annuals two years and perennials longer. Even perennials do not live forever, no matter how well looked after.

• Yes - It is time to replace your plant. If it is a tree or large stump it can be cut down and then the stump/root system killed with NO Stumps. The stump can then be left to rot naturally or removed without risk of re-sprouting.

H. Has your plant too little light?

• Yes - Remove or prune other plants shading the plant or move the plant to an area with more light.

I. Has your plant too much light?

• Yes - Provide shade for your plant. Plant a larger plant over it or use a shade cloth or move it to a suitably shaded area.

J. Has your plant been damaged by frost?

• Prune damaged sections of the plant, but not right, away as this may expose pruned sections to more damage from frost or disease. Provide frost protection on potentially frosty nights; this can be a sheet or cloth draped over it. Move to an area where it is protected from frost. Spray with a fungicide such as NO Fungus Super Sulphur to protect it from disease while in a stressed state.

K. Has your plant been damaged by excessive heat?

• Prune damaged sections of the plant. Provide protection from heat on hot days; this can be a sheet or cloth draped over it. Move to an area where it is protected from heat. Spray with a fungicide such as NO Fungus Super Sulphur to protect it from disease while in a stressed state.

L. Plant wilting?

• This means that the plant is under stress. It may have too much or too little water or some disease or damage is preventing good flow of fluids to the foliage of the plant. See above.

M. Yellowing leaves?

• There are many causes of yellowing leaves. Yellowing is a sign that the leaves are lacking one or more nutrients. Many plants naturally extract nutrients including green chlorophyll from leaves before letting them drop. Nutrients can be prevented getting to leaves by disease, poor trans location of nutrients within the plant caused by disease or over watering, lack of nutrients available to the plant. Use a good foliar feed and root fertiliser such as Agrogreen liquid to ensure healthy growth and resistance to infection.
• Check the pH of soil. Many plants have a particular range of pH in which they perform best. E.g. Rhododendrons prefer acid soils.

N. Browning leaves?

• When leaves die they will brown and drop. This maybe a natural process or it may be a result of disease or nutrient imbalance.
• If the leaves are browning and dying un-naturally are they being damaged in any of the ways mentioned above?
• Rusts and other diseases may cause browning of the leaves. Check for disease and treat with a remedial product such as NO Fungus Super Sulphur.

O. Leaves curling up?

• Some insects curl leaves around them as protection. Check inside the curled up leaves for signs of insect infestation. Treat insect infestation with NO Insects or Disease Spectrum or Carbaryl 80.
• There are many congenital (inherited) diseases and fungal, and viral infections of plants that may cause leaves to curl up, some of which are transmitted by insect pests. Protect your plants from infection by regularly treating with one or more of the NO Range of insect, fungus and disease control sprays.

P. Leaves looking damaged and 'eaten'?

• Check for grubs, caterpillars or other insects on the plant or neighbouring plants, particularly those of the same type.
• Even if no insects are found treat plants with suitable insecticide such as NO Insects or Disease Spectrum. Spectrum is a combination insecticide and fungicide that will protect the plant from insect attack and reduce the risk of fungal infection via damaged leaves. It may be that grubs or caterpillars caused the damage but have now pupated, emerged as adults and left.

Q. Dropping Leaves?

• This could be a natural process, check your plant encyclopedia. It could otherwise be caused by many other problems; over watering, under-watering, disease, insect damage, frost, too little light, too much light, and lack of nutrient/s.

Fungal Disease? Choose the appropriate product here

R. Black Spots on Leaves?

• Blackspot is a group of fungal diseases affecting the leaves of roses, fruit trees and other plants. The fungus is likely to be a different species for each different plant type.
• Spray your affected plants with NO Fungus Oxychloride, NO Fungus Thiram and/or NO Insects or Disease Spectrum.
• Continue treatment as protectant.
• The black spot spores overwinter in leaf litter. Removal of the leaf litter will help to prevent the disease next season.

S. Brown spots on leaves?

• Brown spots on leaves can be caused by local damage to leaves, rust and downy mildew fungal disease or other infection.
• Keep your plants protected from disease using protecting fungicide, insecticide and promote vigorous healthy growth and resistance to infection with organic fertiliser.

T. White or grey 'powder' on leaves?

• Powdery mildew can affect many plants including roses, vegetables, grapes and fruit trees.
• Lower leaves are more often affected but new shoots and stems can also be infected. The powdery spots enlarge and coalesce to cover entire leaves and plants.
• Use NO Insect or Disease Spectrum to protect your affected plants from mildews.

U. Greenfly, whitefly or other insects on leaves or buds?

• Treat with a systemic insecticide such as NO Insects or Disease Spectrum Powder.
• Whitefly, and mites can be controlled using NO Insects Spraying Oil.

V. Webbing like spider silk covering parts of plant?

• This could be caused by spiders or spider mites including Red Spider Mite. Treat with NO Insects Spectrum Liquid or Powder and follow up with NO Insects Spraying Oil.

W. Spittle-like foam on leaves?

• This is likely to be caused by Spittle Bug. Treat the plant with NO Insects Maldison plus NO Waste Spray Stick. Note: Maldison cannot be used on crops.