Problem Area - Plant Diseases ... Powdery Mildew!

Good Morning!

After a week's break over the half term I am back today with the next instalment for the series on 'Plant Diseases'.
Plant disease is a fungal, bacterial or viral organism which interferes with the normal growth rate of plants, producing visible symptoms that reduce economic or aesthetic quality.

The focus of today's post is a Fungal Disease and these have visible symptoms such as -
Leaves producing spots, wilting & curled leaves, dieback, enlargements (galls) and stunted / dead plants. Some fungi's produce other visible signs such as rusts, mildew & sooty moulds.

POWDERY MILDEW
(GREY MOULD)

This is a very common disease found on edible and ornamental garden plants.
You may have especially noticed it on your Sweet Peas and Roses!

Photo from Google

SYMPTOMS

Here are a few things you can look out for ...

- Powdery Mildew appears in early May as irregular white mealy or felt - like patches on the surface of young leaves, stems and flower buds. This increases during Summer and will remain active into Autumn if the weather is mild. Dry weather and heavy dew on a morning can encourage the infection. If you have Roses growing on dry sites against a sunny wall they are more liable to be attacked.

- Younger leaves curl and distort and may develop a discolouration i.e turning purple or yellow.

- If your plants are badly affected the foliage will wither and fall prematurely leading to die back of the plant.

PREVENTION 

Here are a few things you can do to help prevent this ...

- Incorporate organic matter annually to the ground and giving the surface of your borders a mulch reduces moisture loss from the soil, this will help the resistance to infection.

- Ensure that you give your plants adequate watering.

- Pruning your plants will remove most of the over - wintering infections on young shoots and the tops of stems, reducing the chances of the disease. If your plant is affected make sure you remove and dispose of any affected material right away.

- Avoid excessive use of nitrogenous fertilisers, these produce soft growth which is more vulnerable to attack and ensure that adequate feeds of Potash is given to your plants.

- Try growing plants that are advertised as being resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Chemical control can be gained by using a contact fungicide, spraying periodically. If you choose to use one make sure you follow the instructions exactly and avoid using when pollinators are around. 

I hope you have found this helpful.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here's a few things that you can be getting on with in the garden over the coming week ...

1. Hydrangeas  -If you have some Mophead or Lacecap Hydrangeas in the garden and you left the flower heads on over winter as recommended you can now cut these off and prune back to a pair of buds.
Along with this you can also remove any faded / dead flower stems left on perennials over winter such as Sedums that you have forgotten to do!

2. Pot Displays  - Why not create a decorative feature using an item that could be up-cycled as a plant pot this weekend! 

Here you can see that I have used an old vase my Father found for me. Make sure you drill some holes into the bottom for drainage if your container doesn't have any. I added a layer of grit at the bottom to improve this even more and potted up some Snowdrops into John Innes compost, topped off with a layer of grit.

3. Seeds - Thinking of growing some Tomatoes this year? If you have a heated Propagator you can get them started today! Fill a seed tray with some seed sowing compost or Multi-Purpose, place into a gravel tray of water and leave until you can feel that the water has soaked into the surface of the soil. Sprinkle the Tomato seeds over the surface then add a layer of compost on top. Place into a Propagator with a base heat of 20-24c and the seeds should germinate within 10-14 days.

Along with tomatoes you can also start your Sweet Peas off this weekend. 

Sow these into deep 9cm pots (3 seeds to each) or in root-trainers using multi-purpose compost. Simply sit these in a warm sunny position on a windowsill, in a GH or heated propagator (at around 15c) and these too will germinate over the coming days. 

These are the Tomato seeds that I have chosen to grow this year - 'Sungold' and 'Gardeners Delight' which are old reliables for taste and size along with a new variety 'Tigerella' purely for the decorative aspect!

4. Weeds  -It's not the nicest of jobs for some but now is the time to make a start on the weeding! Remove any weeds as soon as you spot them, if left they can soon take over and will compete with the plants that you do want around for the nutrients in the soil. 

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Problem Area - Plant Diseases ... Botrytis!

Good Morning!

Today I am starting off a series on 'Plant Diseases'.
Plant disease is a fungal, bacterial or viral organism which interferes with the normal growth rate of plants, producing visible symptoms that reduce economic or aesthetic quality.

The focus of today's post is a Fungal Disease and these have visible symptoms such as -
Leaves producing spots, wilting & curled leaves, dieback, enlargements (galls) and stunted / dead plants. Some fungi's produce other visible signs such as rusts, mildew & sooty moulds.

BOTRYTIS CINEREA
(GREY MOULD)

This is a very common disease, especially on plants in a Greenhouse at this time of year as it favours conditions of low temperatures, high humidity and poor ventilation.
This disease produces fuzzy grey mould and can be expected at any time of year on a wide range of plants.
PLEASE NOTE - THERE IS NO CURE

SYMPTOMS

Here are a few things you can look out for ...

- As the picture shows above there is a formation of grey fuzzy mould, as soon as you spot this on any material remove it immediately.

- When this disease is established it can cause damage to developing fruit on plants such as Tomatoes & Strawberries causing them to rot and fall from the plant.

- On plants grown outside the buds and flowers may be have shrivelled and died.

- Small black seed like structures form in the infected material.

- On Soft Fruit e.g. Gooseberries the grey mould isn't as evident and the infection kills the branches.

PREVENTION 

Here are a few things you can do to help prevent this ...

- When trimming leaf stalks and removing material make sure you do it cleanly.
Botrytis can gain hold easily on badly trimmed material.

- Remove affected material immediately to prevent the disease spreading. Don't leave any of this material hanging around, dispose of straight away. Check your plants daily.

- Regular dead-heading of flowering plants.

- Good ventilation (i.e. opening GH doors and windows) to allow good air flow and don't overcrowd plants.

- Careful watering ... avoid getting any water on the plant and ideally water in the morning so that it has dried by nightfall.

I hope you have found this helpful.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here's a few things that you can be getting on with in the garden over the coming week ...

1. Deep Clean  -It's not the most enjoyable of jobs but it really is one of the most worthwhile!
Give the outside of your Greenhouse a good clean to remove any green algae that has built up over the winter months, this will improve the light levels inside which is especially important for the growing season!
Along with this give all of your plant pots, seed trays and plug trays a clean. If left unclean any overwintering pests and diseases could transfer to new plants and seedlings, reducing their quality. Don't forget about the green growth  on the outside of Teracotta pots too!
All you need is some hot soapy water and a stiff brush! This is also a good chance to take stock of what you have / need and also get rid of any pots that you know will never get used!

2. Buddleja  - If you have a Buddleja davidii or B. lindleyana (I have a Buddleja davidii 'White Profusion') growing in your garden it's time to give it a prune! 

It's recommended that you first prune your Buddleja's down in Autumn by a third and then again at this time of year to low growing emerging shoots. Don't worry if you didn't do this is Autumn, you can still prune it down the low height now. The main aim of pruning is Autumn is to reduce the chances of wind rock damage. 

Cutting the shrub down to a low framework allows the shrub to put on a show of fast growing shoots bearing flowers in Summer! If you don't prune the shrub the shoots will soon become out of control with untidy and sub standard branches. 

Don't worry if you don't have time to do this now, you have until the end of April to get this job done but bear in mind the longer you leave it the longer you will have to wait for the flowers. However this tactic can work to your advantage if you have more than one plant, pruning them a few weeks apart will prolong the flowering season of your plants throughout the year.

NOTE - If your plant is from the Buddleja Globosa family DON'T prune it now. 

This particular plant flowers earlier than those mentioned above and on the previous year's wood, it is best to prune these after flowering.

3. February Sowings - There are a few seeds that can be sown over the coming month. I will be waiting another week or so before I start due to light levels but to make sure I can get them going as soon as I am ready I will be doing the following ...

Make a list of the seeds that you have & want that can be sown this month and record the temperatures / conditions that they will need. You will find that some have similar needs to others and will make it easier for you to decide when they should get going and can be started at the same time! 

For example Celery, Tomatoes, Aubergines and Peppers can be started this month but all need a certain amount of heat. Sweet Peas can also be started this month but they prefer cooler conditions to germinate.

4. Wind Rock - I mentioned this particular subject briefly in the Buddleja post but due to the recent windy weather over the past week I thought it best to cover it quickly again. 

If you have done any planting recently they could have been affected, all you need to do is go round and check your newly planted areas and firm them back in to the ground.

5. Soil Warming - If you are planning on sowing direct over the coming weeks it's a good idea to start warming the soil now for it to be ready. Certain crops such as Carrots prefer to be sown direct but they need the soil to be at a certain temperature to germinate. Cover the soil you are planning to use with Cloches or a sheet of black polythene (weighed down at the corners) to begin the process.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Plant of the Month ... Snowdrops!

Good Morning!

Along with the new series of Problem Areas for 2016 I have also decided to feature one plant a month that is my personal favourite and which I think is one of the best performers during that month.

The PLANT OF THE MONTH for February is ... SNOWDROPS!

Galanthus are Dwarf Bulbous Perennials which grow up to 15cm tall with narrow leaves and nodding fragrant white flowers. The inner segments of the flowers are mostly marked with green at the tips.

There are over 2000 varieties but the most common are widely found in our gardens are Galanthus Nivalis and the double version 'Flore Pleno' seen below from my own garden.
Some varieties can be bought for hundreds of pounds but there are some much more affordable ones too with striking colours and details.

Galanthus 'Flore Pleno'

CULTIVATION 
Snowdrops can be planted when they are a bulb or 'in the green' which simply means when the foliage growth is starting to die back and the flowers are fading, usually in late April - early May. This is the preferred way and what I find the most successful.
The quickest and easiest way to give yourself more plants is to 'divide' each group of Snowdrops into separate plants, re- plant singly and at the the same depth. Dig them up gently with a fork and tease apart with your hands, with as little disturbance as possible. Adding a little Bonemeal to the planting hole will be beneficial. Leave for 3 or 4 years to settle in before repeating the process.
Snowdrops like to be in a partly shaded position in a moist but well - drained soil that doesn't dry out in Summer.

If you don't have any groups of Snowdrops already in your garden they can be purchased from Garden Centres at this time of year along with online and through mail order. Make sure you plant them as soon as they arrive however as you don't want the plants to dry out.

Thompson & Morgan currently have an offer where you can order 35 Single Snowdrops 'in the green' for the price of Postage. I am in no way linked to this business, I simply saw the offer and thought it may be of interest to some of you.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WEBSITE.
ORDER CODE - GW820

PROBLEMS
Snowdrops can be prone to Snowdrop 'Grey Mould' (Botrytis galanthina) which is a fungus closely related to the most common form of Botrytis cinerea. This fungus only affects Galanthus spp. and is most prone to the common Galanthus nivalis in mild winters.

Photo from RHS website

If you spot this problem remove the affected bulbs straight away and dispose of quickly. Do not plant any more Galanthus in the same position or where you have noticed this disease previously. When buying new plants always inspect them first for signs of infection and from a reputable company.

I hope you have found this feature interesting!
HAPPY GROWING!
XXX