Prune away infected plant parts and dispose of these in the garbage. Good sanitation practices, such as pulling weeds and keeping the soil clear of debris, are helpful in controlling botrytis blight in geraniums. Flowers and leaves may also begin to drop prematurely. On the leaves, you may see spots, lesions or large dead areas with concentric rings around them. If cool, damp conditions exist, these small black spots eat into the stem itself, consuming it entirely. On living plant tissue, botrytis infections are indicated by fuzzy gray or brown blooms and black spots on the stems. However, dried leaves infected by botrytis fungus disperse a fine dust into the air when moved. Because geraniums also prefer cool, moist conditions, botrytis is a common problem for these plants.īotrytis fungi prefer to feed on dead plant material, but it is hard to detect infection in the dead foliage of your geranium.
Temperatures ranging from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for its growth. Botrytis fungi prefer cool, moist conditions. Botrytis fungi prefer to feed on dead or dying plant material, but if the fungus has ideal conditions for growth, it attacks living plant tissue as well. Even the air caused by walking past or pruning your plant can spread botrytis spores. One of the most common fungi that attack geranium plants is botrytis blight, which is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea.īotrytis is spread through the air as the fine spores are lifted from the soil and carried to your geranium. However, their preferred growing conditions make geraniums vulnerable to fungal infections. Zonal geraniums, which are tender perennials, usually are grown as annuals and prefer moist soil. The popular geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum), or zonal geranium, is prized both as an indoor plant and in the garden because of its wide variety of colorful flowers and foliage.
#Botrytis blight fuchsia full
Of the fungicides listed in Strategy 5, consult the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI™) for appropriate organic copper or sulfur products.Geraniums love full sun, and prefer moist, well-drained soils with a cool root zone. Strategies 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are strictly organic approaches. Look for varieties that show some resistance to the disease. Fungicides must be applied in advance of the disease as a protectant.Ħ. Pesticides registered for use include copper, captan, chlorothalonil (Daconil), mancozeb, maneb, sulfur, and thiophanate methyl (Cleary 3336). Follow 2 weeks later with another application and every 14 days thereafter until mid-June. Spray the plants with a fungicide when young tips break through the ground. When planting new plants, buy only from reputable dealers, or take divisions only from healthy, disease-free plants.ĥ. Space plants widely, at least 3 feet apart. Plant in full sun or at least in part sun. Good air circulation can reduce disease problems. They should not be planted so that water is apt to cover their bases, nor should soil be heaped about the leaf bases.ģ. Plant peonies in welldrained soil heavy clay soils should be lightened with organic material such as compost or peat moss. Apply 1 to 2 inches of mulch to bury debris.Ģ. This debris should be destroyed and not composted. In early fall, cut down all old leaves and stalks to ground level. The gray mold is made up of spores that are either wind-blown or splashed onto new tissues and infect.ġ. As the disease progresses, a gray mold develops. In the spring, spores form and spread to dying, wounded, or extremely soft plant tissues. The spore-producing structures of the fungus develop along the base of the rotting stalks and survive in debris left in the garden over the winter. Open flowers are affected occasionally, and they also turn brown and later develop a covering of gray mold.īotrytis fungi are both saprophytic and parasitic. During a severe outbreak of the disease, 90% of the buds fail to develop. Small buds that are affected turn black and wither. The spores are carried by wind and insects to young leaves and flower buds and cause a leaf blight and bud rot. Just above the ground level, the stalk will be covered with a gray mold which sheds large numbers of spores. The rotted portion of the plant will become covered with a soft brown or blackish mass of spores. The leafy shoots wilt suddenly and fall over. The stems often have a water-soaked, cankerous appearance. On peonies afflicted with botrytis, the young shoots rot off at ground level when they are 5 to 8 inches tall. This destructive disease is very prevalent during damp, rainy seasons. It is the most common disease of garden peonies. Gray mold or botrytis blight is caused by the fungus, Botrytis paeoniae. Botrytis blight on peony foliage ( Paeonia)
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