Diseases Help me! I’m dying.

Disease Disease is a plant disorder caused by an infectious pathogen or agent

Groups of pathogens Bacteria Fungi Viruses Parasitic plants- Single-celled organism Must remain in host or under debris Actively divide to spread Fungi Multi-cellular Eats on plants and hurts them in the process Produces spores that spread Viruses Ultramicroscopic parisites Attack plant tissues Should destroy plant completely if found Parasitic plants- A plant that attaches to another plant Ex. mistletoe, dodder, lichens

Plant Disease Must be identified before they can be treated Warm temperatures and moist conditions in greenhouse plant production make most horticulture plant diseases worse

Disease Prevention through sanitation and insect control is much easier than treating the disease.

Diseases Blight Canker Damping off Galls Leaf spot Mildew Mosaic Rots Rust Smut Wilt Chlorosis

Blight Infectious bacterium Cause plant to quickly turn brown or black as if they had been burned One specific blight is fire blight-devastating apple crops Prune 6-8” below infection

Chlorosis Normally green tissue is pale, yellow, or bleached. It results from failure of chlorophyll to develop because of infection by a virus Happens from fertilizer, cold weather, water, etc

Canker Bacterial disease Causes open wounds on woody plant stems

Damping off Fungal disease Causes young plants and seedling to rot off at soil level Need clean containers and soil and plenty of air circulation between plants

Galls Round swelling or growths on plants Usually caused by an insect that vectors the disease

Leaf spot Rings of different shades of brown, green, or yellow Looks like dots or circles

Mildew Fungus Grows on leaf surfaces Appears as white, gray or purple spots Example is powdery mildew Homemade remedy= 2 tsp baking soda + horticultural oil with 1 gal water

Tobacco Mosaic & Mosiac Caused by a virus Leaves have irregular mottled areas with patterns Ranges from dark green to light green to yellow to white

Rots Fungus Causes plants to decay and die Usually has a unique smell Improve drainage for the plant to prevent

Rust Fungus Causes small spots on leaves Resembles yellow, orange, brown or red rust Mainly on underneath of leaf

Smut Black powdery disease Causes blisters that burst open Releases black spores Grows on aphid’s honeydew

Wilt Fungus Disease that blocks the uptake of water in plants stems Causes plants to look constantly wilted even when adequately watered