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Bud turning brown then black?? Slug?

9 years ago

Dahlia veterans -

I have several Crazy Love dahlias and one of the plants is getting its buds seriously fouled. The buds begin to flower, start browning, and then go almost totally black. The black ones have a slightly sticky substance on them, though I only have one, so I don't know if it's consistent.

Do you have an idea of what this may be? I thought maybe slugs from the sticky stuff, but wouldn't they just attack the bottom? Also, I have been trying to finish my install of landscaper watering system and they have been overwatered several times over the last couple of weeks. :/

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Comments (6)

Tiffan
Original Author
9 years ago
Total annihilation
User
9 years ago
Look, I'm no expert on this kind of thing so take it with a grain of salt...but that doesn't look like slug damage.

Slugs tend to eat low growth, and eat anything they can get their...er, hands...on. Young dahlia, when they're short, are particularly susceptible. I've always scattered Sluggo around mine until they get larger, after which the slugs don't seem to be much of a problem (probably because they're dead).

I don't see evidence of leaf damage on the shots (the damage in the second shot not being slugs), so I think something else is going on here.

A fungus? Bacteria? Virus? I have no idea. Hopefully somebody has a clue and can help you.
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The waterlogged area contains no air, thus the roots die and organic matter rots anaerobically, producing a sewagey smell. If you don't water for a few days, the excess water will be drawn up through the soil by capillary attraction and air will move into the zone. Roots can then recolonize (in my limited experience with this). Watering every day or twice a day to the point of bottom drainage pretty much ensures that there will always be a saturated layer at the bottom of the pot. This reduces the rooting area, and so paradoxically the plant is quicker to wilt, encouraging you to water even more. I suggest you start monitoring the amount of water you're applying in a week. If it's a 6 x 6 two-dimensional plant it might need 6 or 8 gallons a week in summer, or 4 gallons in cool weather, as a first approximation. I would try dividing this into say 2 gallons every other day and not panic if the plant wilts at mid-afternoon. If the plant is making new growth, it has enough water. Keep checking to see if the sewagey condition abates. Sound like more drain holes would be helpful, if it's a plastic container.
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They're just dead flowers. Dead as a dodo. Like any flower gets. You won't be able to use them for medicinal or culinary purposes, but leave them until the entire flower stem is dead, and you might be able to harvest seeds. Small, woody black or brown oval seeds are enclosed in the tightly closed calyx. Tie a small bag around the flower stem to stop any from falling - the toe end of some pantyhose is good. It must let both air and sunlight in, and water out. Don't tie it too tightly. No guarantee you'll get a plant the same, however. They'll probably revert to original.
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Tiffan
Original Author
9 years ago
Well the bottom of the plant is pretty bare and a little crisp. Related?
User
9 years ago
Very related, thank you. That's definitely not slug damage--the little *^%&%@ tend to take semi-circles out of the leaves, put holes in leaves, or just eat the whole leaf!

Also, while slugs can get up that high without a problem, they generally don't bother unless there's no other food source. I see another food source right in that shot at a lower level.

Just to rule it out, you can try a beer trap from a low (and disposable) dish. Put it into the soil with the lip relatively even with the soil and leave overnight. In the morning, if you have a slug problem you'll find dead slugs. Lots of hung-over dead slugs.

I'm still saying disease, but I'll be durned if I can ID it for you. Otherwise, the plant seems a bit spindly, perhaps. At least it doesn't look like DMV offhand.
CCvacation
9 years ago
Not directly bug related. Might be a fungus, invited by the overwatering, but not sure.

The foliage looks healthy, though sparse. Just pull off the brown leaves and black buds so the plant knows to grow out more, and discard waste away from your plants to avoid giving bad bugs or fungus places to hide/grow.

This occasionally happens, and it seems random with no clear cause. The plant will most likely shake it off, and start producing normally in a week or so.

A bit of fertilizer sprayed on the leaves might help it shake off whatever is ailing it. Think of it as a vitamin supplement to help you over a cold.
Tiffan
Original Author
9 years ago
Well, I installed the watering system halfway through the growing season, so most of the early growth didn't get enough water. Now I have watered deeply twice a week and fertilized twice in August, and the top growth is much better. Now I know for next year! I'll have to see what I can do about the fungus potential, though. That's in a low spot along the foundation plantings. I will have to pull them up this winter and put in some new soil, or maybe just put the soil right over the top of them since I can overwinter in the ground.

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