Spots on Bells of Ireland

7 years ago

I've been a long time lurker, but this is my first post!

I'm growing Bells of Ireland from seed this year in a cutting garden. They're such a unique flower and I'm excited to see that they're growing pretty well! You never know with those relatively uncommon varieties.

However, I've come upon a dilemma that all the searching on GardenWeb and Google can't answer. The Bells of Ireland plants have tan colored spots on the leaves. Any idea what this could be and how to treat it?

I'm zone 5, Kansas City.

Comments (6)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
if it is just the few leaves we see in these pix.. i would just pinch them out ...

any chance you fert'd with water sol in sun ...

could we see a pic of the whole group ... are they in pots?? .. any hard rain ... etc ...

second pic.. ten oclock.. is there something on the back of that leaf ...

and do go out after dark with a flashlight.. and see if you see anything...

is all the damage near that netting/fencing ... wonder why, if so ....

ken
Sunflowers
Original Author
7 years ago
That was my first thought...fertilizer burn from the sun! But it's happening on leaves all over the plant (even toward the top) and I haven't fertilized in almost 2 weeks.

They're in a raised bed with zinnias, dahlias, gladiolus, etc. and the mesh fence is for our new puppy who is very fond of digging.

Today was the first rain we've had in over a week.

I'll go out tonight with a flashlight to see if anything's munching on them, but it looks more like a disease to me...

I'm not super worried if it's just a cosmetic thing. But if it'll eventually kill the plants, then I'd like to fix it. Should I use a fungicide and see if it gets any better? I'm trying to use as few pesticides as possible, but it would be a bummer if I make it this far with Bells of Ireland and then they go kaput!
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
i used to go nuclear with chemicals to fix every little problem ... i smoked while i used them to cut down the exposure ...

after i got rid of my hybrid T roses... the big foo foo ones .. i went to no chems ... and discovered a couple truisms ... [the roses had to be sprayed every 4 weeks for bugs and diseases.. pshaw on that]

1 .. it doesnt cost anything to just throw the plants away ... why spend 20 bucks trying to fix a problem on a plant i spent two bucks on ..

2.... most of this stuff is cosmetic.. and.. see above about spending 20 bucks ..

just enjoy the mystery .. until you cant stand to look at them any more .. and then get rid of them.. problems solved ...

BTW.. i tried these twice... and failed completely ... and that put them on MY foo foo list.. so i just gave up trying ... problem solved.. lol .. and moved on to other problem plants.. lol .. [i see love in the mist in your future... what a nightmare.. lol ..]

ken
Sunflowers
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for your advice! I wouldn't need to buy anything since I have some fungicide from last year when I was desperately trying to save zucchini from powdery mildew.

Here's what I have

I'll ponder it overnight and maybe try spraying one of the plants to see if it helps at all. I definitely prefer easy flowers like zinnias to finicky ones like these. But it's worth a try because they're so beautiful whenever I see them in a bouquet!

What happened when you tried them?
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
7 years ago
The spots appear to be fungal, perhaps Cercospora which has become a serious problem with this plant in many locations.

The Immunox is a good choice. As a systemic broad spectrum fungicide, it can both protect your plants from initial infection, as well as have a curative effect.

Your job, as a proactive gardener, is to do some research about the cultural practices you need to adopt to prevent fungal diseases from taking control of your garden year after year, as well as how to best use fungicides to your best advantage.

Fungicides, when used improperly, become useless as the fungal disorders quickly develop resistance. When used properly, these chemicals can be extremely effective.
Sunflowers
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks rhizo, that's great advice!

I'll do some research before relying too heavily on fungicides. I would hate to have a situation like antibiotic-resistant bacteria on my hands. I'd rather use the fungicides sparingly so they really knock out the problem when they ARE used.