Plant Diseases

Before you can deal with a plant disease, you need to understand it. Unfortunately, diseases are a bit more difficult to define than insects and pests. Let's start by classifying diseases into two categories; *Infectious diseases; such as Fungi, Bacteria, Viruses and Nematodes *Non-infectious diseases; such as Excessive Water, Drought, Cold and Heat Stress, Lighting issues, Deficient or Excessive Nutrients, Herbicide drift, Ozone Pollution and Wind The first thing to do is;

1. Identify your plant. Many popular garden plants are commonly attacked by easy to identify diseases and disorders.

2. Take a good look to determine the plant damage. Are the leaves affected? Stems, flowers, fruit?

3. Consider your environment. Extreme weather conditions can give plants an unhealthy appearance.

4. Rule out insect pests. Use a magnifying glass to check for insect droppings or webbing.

5. Do some research to diagnose the possible cause.

6. Consult the experts at Tree Top Nursery if you are stumped. Just submit some samples to our diagnostic center for identification and treatment.