As gardening enthusiasts, we understand the importance of maintaining healthy shrubs and ornamentals in your garden. Many gardeners face various diseases that can affect their shrubs, and they’re more common than you might think. But so are the solutions.
Let’s look at some of the diseases you can avoid by judicious trimming, promoting good air circulation and reducing the likelihood of fungal growth. You’ll be surprised how much you can do with just a trim!
Powdery Mildew
This common fungal disease thrives in warm and humid conditions, especially where air circulation is poor. It’s caused by fungal pathogens that infect a wide range of plants, including vegetables and fruits as well as your ornamental plants and trees.
Powdery mildew is characterized by a powdery white or gray coating on the leaves, stems, flowers, and/or fruit of the infected plants. Stunted growth, distorted leaves, and premature leaf drop can follow. In severe cases, powdery mildew can even kill.
The fungal pathogens responsible for powdery mildew disease belong to the order Erysiphales, of which there are several disease-causing species. They typically spend the winter resting on plant debris or in the soil, and they produce airborne spores that can be spread by wind or water.
By trimming shrubs and cutting grass with sharp mower blades, you allow better air circulation, you can reduce the chances of powdery mildew taking hold. It needs those warm, humid spaces to grow.
Rust Fungus on Grass
Rust is another fungal disease that can affect grass and shrubs, especially those in damp, shady areas. Trim your shrubs to allow more sunlight and air to reach the plant, and you can help prevent rust from developing. Remember, fungi like warm and wet places, while your plants thrive in bright, airy places. Keeping your shrubs safe is a simple matter of decreasing one and elevating the other.
Anthracnose Fungal Disease
Anthracnose leaf blight is a fungal disease that affects the leaves with dark, irregular lesions, often with red-brown edges. In severe cases, the leaves may become distorted and eventually die.
Leaf blight disease is spread by the spores that infected leaves and twigs release, meaning it spreads easily from tree to tree, and like the others it thrives in warm, humid conditions. That’s why keeping your shrubs well-trimmed is so helpful in avoiding this fungus.
Canker Fungal Disease
Canker is a fungal disease related to anthracnose which affects the bark and branches of your shrubs, causing sunken spots on the bark that may be discolored or look cracked. This infected bark eventually dies and sloughs off, exposing the wood underneath to other pests and predators. Canker is often spread by insects or through wounds in the bark and can weaken or kill the affected plant.
Proper pruning and trimming can help reduce the risk of anthracnose diseases like leaf blight and canker by removing infected plant material, increasing air circulation and denying fungi a place to grow.
Botrytis Blight (Gray Mold)
Gray mold affects a wide range of plants, including shrubs, and develops on leaves and stems especially in humid conditions. The fungus responsible for Botrytis blight is Botrytis cinerea. It infects plants through wounds, natural openings, or by direct penetration of plant tissues. The disease spreads rapidly under high humidity, moderate temperatures, and low light.
The Botrytis cinerea fungus produces a fuzzy gray or brown mold on infected plant parts, causing rapid decay and rot. Symptoms include wilting, discoloration and a soft, watery decay of leaves, stems, flowers and/or fruits. The disease can also cause flower and fruit drop and affect plant growth and yield.
Maintain good sanitation in the garden and you’ll be set. That means the removal and disposal of infected plant debris, avoiding overcrowding plants, and watering plants at the base, rather than overhead, to reduce humidity and avoid wetting leaves and flowers. And finally, trimming shrubs to promote good air circulation helps prevent botrytis blight from taking hold.
Tackle Lawn Disease with Executive Lawn Care
If you’re struggling to keep your shrubs healthy and disease-free, we recommend seeking professional assistance from a reputable lawn care service such as Executive Lawn Care. Our team of experts can provide you with the necessary tools and techniques to maintain healthy shrubs all year round. Don’t let shrub diseases ruin the beauty of your garden.
Contact us today to learn more about their services and schedule a consultation. We’ll work with you to create a beautiful and healthy outdoor space you can enjoy for years to come.
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