skip to main content

Weird disease problem

10 years ago

This is a disease problem I've never seen in 50 years of gardening and it is killing many of the plants in my garden as well as most of my seedlings and cuttings. The leaves of the plants curl up, not droop and THERE IS NO ROOT DAMAGE.
I have tried several remedies including an expensive systemic fungicide, without effect. We have had many months of hot, humid weather and I was really betting it was a microfungus. There is no leaf burn or sign of insect pests. If anyone has any ideas I would really welcome them as I am getting desperate. NOT ALL PLANTS ARE AFFECTED. Some appear to be immune ie. African Marigold, Cosmos, Indian Azalea, Carnations, Tomatoes and a number of others and there are also some weirdnesses ie. Sunpatiens and New Guinea Impatiens are affected but not Brazilian impatiens (Impatiens walleriana). Ixora coccinea is affected but the dwarf form is not !! I have been using a commercial compost for the cuttings and seedlings. - Ian.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

jean001a
10 years ago
Please post images of at least some of the affected plants.
ifraser25
Original Author
10 years ago
Sorry no photos, but you would not learn anything more than I have told you.
Related Discussions
Apple tree has weird disease
Q
Comments (5)
I'm in a similar boat. I'm pretty sure that I have scales on both my apples and my almond. What is this "oil" that you refer to? I've seen it mentioned before but don't know specifics. My trees that are afflicted have already leafed out this season. I'm getting ready to lay down some sevin granuals and do a little tangle foot to take care of the ants but need to address the scales. What is the difference between a winter spray and summer spray? Sorry...I'm not hyjacking your thread. :-) Kristiina
...See More
Weird Rose Disease and Canker- HELP!!
Q
Comments (2)
If there is a sewage smell to the rotting roots and the soil, this is anaerobic decay caused by poor drainage and overwatering. Manure and rotting wood do not smell like sewage if oxygen is present. So the prime question would be whether that nasty sour smell is present below the soil surface. Ordinary canker does not normally, if ever, spread wildly through the stems and roots. Roses are able to defend themselves against canker and wall it off. (A partial exception might occur during winter dormancy when mild, wet weather allows the fungus to be more active than the plant's immune system.) It is possible that your roses have something like phytopthera, but I would look first at the soil conditions. 50% manure is way too much. The muck would fill all the spaces between the sand grains and, if regularly watered, remain saturated with water. That much manure might also create a toxic excess of salts, and particularly if you have been fertilizing. Use either a standard American potting mix such as Miracle Gro, or a light sandy loam containing about 80% large particles (sand or other gritty material, bark fines, coir). There is good advice on the Container Forum.
...See More
weird crinum problem
Q
Comments (4)
Sorry to all who posted that I didn't respond. A thing came up in my non-gardening life. I did read all your advice. And I have the black spot on some crinums, but not all. Some seem less susceptible to it. I've fallen in love with crinums because they are so care-free. A month after my original post, I can report that the one that wasn't doing well is still not doing well. But every other crinum in the yard seems fine and the other two that were hit with whatever hit them are both blooming now. I'm just going to leave it and see what happens. Crinums seem able to take just about anything, including getting mowed down (a small one my husband didn't know about was mowed down two months ago and has come back bigger, as if it was just waiting to please get mowed down.) And Carol, be really careful moving a crinum that old! My husband and I moved one that wasn't blooming age yet and we still dug more than a foot out from the stem, trying not to damage the bulb. Turns out the bulb had been growing sideways and we shaved at least a quarter off of it by accident. The rest of the bulb suffered a bit for a year, but has recovered. The plant is huge and finally blooming. But I wonder if we lost a year or more because we cut the bulb so much. They can be really huge bulbs, even when the plant doesn't seem huge yet.
...See More
Weird bumps on bark. Disease?
Q
Comments (2)
If the tree is completely healthy, no reason to get rid of it. consider it an interesting naturally-occurring developmental glitch.
...See More
eibren
10 years ago
The variation in effect could be a clue. Does it match the amount of compost used--did they possibly add some fertilizer or other substance that was not completely mixed and burned some plants? Where do they get their compost from? What's in it?

How large is your planting area? Is the damage possibly related to wind currents from an area where herbicides or other harmful substances may have been applied?

Maybe others will have better ideas---
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
10 years ago
I too am thinking herbicide damage (wind or in the compost or ?), but without pix its a bit tough to diagnose.

tj
jean001a
10 years ago
Well, images often do "tell" us more than you said, many times emphatically so. The reason is that descriptions -- words -- are interpreted according to each individual's experiences and more.

At this point, I'm guessing herbicide damage, especially because of the comment about curled but don't wilt. But a number of your details don't fit herbicide contamination and/or drift.

Further, I don't know what materials you have in Brazil.

Here, certain herbicides that are used in agriculture and pastures go through the animals intact, then affect garden plants after the manures are applied to the garden.

So images would truly help us help you. Perhaps a friend, relative, neighbor can help you with the digital images.
ifraser25
Original Author
10 years ago
No herbicide damage. We very rarely use it. This disease has been around for a while, and only this year has it exploded. Possibly because it has been one of the driest on record, though still very humid. I am thinking Panama Disease but the symptoms are not typical. I'm taking samples to our local phytopathology lab on Monday. Keep you posted. - Ian
jean001a
10 years ago
You don't have to use herbicide to have plant damage.
It can move from elsewhere via air currents and it can be in contaminated organic material.
ifraser25
Original Author
10 years ago
WHITE SPIDER MITES. Too small to see with the naked eye but clear under the microscope. I am treating with a specific acaricide. Will post results. - Ian.
ifraser25
Original Author
10 years ago
NOT white spider mites. Despite applying a specific acaricide, many plants continue sick, though not dying quite so quickly. The spider mite infestation may have been secondary as the plants were already weakened by something else. I am now looking into contamination of the water supply. THIS IS A BEAST of a problem.
ifraser25
Original Author
10 years ago
No water contamination. I have conducted several experiments and come to the conclusion that this is an airborne fungus disease. The symptoms are not typical of verticillium or fusarium wilts and I have ruled them out anyway by sowing seed in sterilized soil. I don't understand the mechanism of this. The spores must enter the plant via the stomata. This might explain why some species which have dwarf forms with very small stomata are resistant but the type species is not (Ixora coccinea) and why it is principally the upper part of the plant that is affected. However, I admit I am out of my depth here. The disease is somewhat on the wane now after we have had some heavy rain, which further supports the airborne fungal disease theory. I'm just hoping it doesn't recur next year, but to be on the safe side I'm going to do all my seed sowing and cuttings preparation early in the season.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Tree Care: Common Tree Diseases and What to Do About Them

By Falon Mihalic

Learn to recognize trees that may be affected by diseases or pests so you can quickly take action

REMODELING GUIDES The Hidden Problems in Old Houses

By Matt Clawson

Before snatching up an old home, get to know what you’re in for by understanding the potential horrors that lurk below the surface

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Problem Solving With the Pros: Rustic Simplicity in a Country Garden

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Editing thoughtfully and adding some magic result in a timeless weekend retreat

CHRISTMAS 10 Quick Solutions for Last-Minute Holiday Problems

By Jenn Hannotte / Hannotte Interiors

Sail right by potential decorating, hosting and gift-giving pitfalls with these invaluable nick-of-time tricks

BASEMENTS Basement of the Week: High-End Problem Solving for a Show House

By Becky Harris

Dark and dated? Naturally. But this '70s-style basement had myriad other design issues too. See how the designer rose to the challenge

EVENTS On Show: Weird, Wondrous Science Meets Design

By Christine Ciarmello

Houses grown, not built. Power-generating soil. And snail poop that ... well, see for yourself in our coverage of a new Rotterdam exhibit

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Rosa Banksiae a Low-Maintenance Beauty

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

This thornless, disease- and insect-resistant rose brings showers of white or yellow flowers to the spring garden

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Vintage Treasures Adorn a Faded Beauty

By Ryan Linnegar Photography

A designer brings a bold vision and love of the weird and wonderful to a 110-year-old Australian house

INSIDE HOUZZ There’s a Party in the Backyard, Says a Houzz Landscaping Survey

By Mitchell Parker

Entertaining, growing edibles and solving problems are goals for homeowners planning to revamp their yards

DECORATING GUIDES How to Work With Awkward Windows

By Judith Taylor Designs

Use smart furniture placement and window coverings to balance that problem pane, and no one will be the wiser

Sponsored

More Discussions

What kind of slug is this?

7

Groundcovers for Full Sun Exposure in Clay

6

Can fallen leaves in winter be used as fertilizer?

5

is Yellow Stem around Roots Normal

11

Drift rose bushes

12