What Are Effective Ways to Troubleshoot Plant Diseases?

What Are Effective Ways to Troubleshoot Plant Diseases?

To guide you through effective plant disease troubleshooting, we asked landscape professionals to share their experiences and solutions. From using neem oil for white aphids to utilizing the MyIPM app for diagnosis, here are four insightful examples from landscape architects and horticulturists.

• Use Neem Oil for White Aphids
• Identify and Sanitize Affected Plants
• Combine Cultural Practices and Natural Remedies
• Utilize the MyIPM App for Diagnosis

Use Neem Oil for White Aphids

Plant diseases can be a challenging issue to deal with in tropical gardens. A common issue I've seen is white aphids on ixoras and crotons, which can harm the plant and quickly spread through a garden. I've had luck with neem oil to help reduce this problem.

Identify and Sanitize Affected Plants

The only question I find more challenging than ‘what’s wrong with my plant’ is ‘how much should I water.’ There are so many variables involved in making your decision. For disease and pest problems, I tend to be more pragmatic. Is the plant worth saving? Can I prune out part of the plant? Can a pest be dislodged with a sharp stream of water? If you decide to go to battle for your plant, accurate identification and sanitation are key. Know what you’re fighting and don’t give the enemy any place to hide.

Combine Cultural Practices and Natural Remedies

I once encountered a severe case of powdery mildew affecting a client's prized rose garden. The roses were covered in a white, powdery substance, and their growth was stunted. After assessing the situation, I implemented a multi-faceted approach. First, I improved air circulation by selectively pruning dense areas of the bushes. Then, I applied a homemade spray of 1 part milk to 9 parts water, which creates an environment inhospitable to the fungus. I also introduced a ground cover of thyme around the roses, as its natural anti-fungal properties help prevent spore germination. Within weeks, the powdery mildew receded, and the roses thrived. This experience taught me the effectiveness of combining cultural practices with natural remedies in managing plant diseases.

Utilize the MyIPM App for Diagnosis

For troubleshooting plant diseases in crops grown in the Southeastern United States, I've found the MyIPM app, developed by the University of Georgia, to be a useful in-field tool for assessing plant diseases and treatment options. This app allows you to submit images of diseased plants or to search by specific plant varieties. It provides chemical, non-chemical, and cultural management suggestions for combating common plant diseases. I've learned a lot from utilizing this tool in our raised-bed community garden plots.