It’s summertime, and while you may not be doing much planting right now, there is nothing better than taking a walk through your garden and admiring all the work you put in this spring. Then you notice something odd on the foliage of your Hydrangea. Little brown spots have begun to appear, and you also notice a powder like substance on the leaves of your perennials. So, what can you do to fix the problem and prevent it from spreading?
Fungus and disease is quite common this time of year. Humidity and rain causes excess moisture to remain on the foliage of plants, creating a perfect environment for fungal spores to thrive. Not to worry though, while the weather may be out of your control containing, and even preventing fungus and disease from getting your plants is possible!
When customers bring us an infected leaf the first question we ask them is how are you watering? It is important to always water your plants at the base, and avoid getting water on the foliage. Watering at the base of your plants instead of overhead watering will drastically cut down the amount of excess moisture on the plants leaves, reducing the chances for a fungus or disease to infect the plant.
Another preventative measure you can take is to treat your plants with a fungicide throughout the season. Fungicides such as Bonide Fungonil, Bonide Infuse or Serenade (an organic option) work best as preventatives, and can stop your plants from being infected.
It is important to note that once a leaf is infected it cannot be cured, the fungus or disease can only be contained and prevented from spreading to the rest of the plant. Once you notice infected leaves remove them, and treat the plant with a fungicide.