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Author: John

Identify and control Vine Weevil
Identify and control vine weevil – adults & larvae

Identify and control vine weevil – adults & larvae

What are Vine Weevils? I have worked in garden centres for over 20 years, and one pest we have always had trouble with is vine weevils. More importantly, the larvae of vine weevils. I would go as far as saying they are the one pest that could cause enough significant damage that can actually kill a plant. With plants particularly that are being grown in pots and containers they can become a real problem, causing catastrophic results. This is because…

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Rust disease on plants - prevention and treatment
Rust disease on plants – treat and prevent

Rust disease on plants – treat and prevent

What is Rust Disease? One of the most common diseases I see on plants (and one that can even give powdery mildew a run for its money) is rust disease. It is easily identifiable because of the coppery-orange spore pustules that appear on the surface of the leaves. Even though it can be unsightly to see on your plants, it isn’t usually a disease that is fatal and can often be controlled with a fungicide. In fact, many fungicides available…

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Honey Fungus - Treatment & Control
Honey Fungus – Treatment & Control

Honey Fungus – Treatment & Control

What is Honey Fungus? Honey fungus is a fungal disease known as fungus Armillaria, there are, however, several different species. The bad news is that there is no treatment for this disease, but you can do a few things to help prevent it. Honey fungus is actually quite common and it usually affects trees, other woody plants, and even perennials. A few examples of these include birch trees, Buddleias, California Lilac and Forsythia, the list goes on. It attacks and kills…

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Powdery mildew and how to treat and prevent it
Powdery Mildew – How to control and prevent

Powdery Mildew – How to control and prevent

What is powdery mildew? Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that plagues many garden plants, I personally have to deal with it every year on my Rhododendrons, Lupins, Azaleas, Hollyhocks and Cornflowers and it’s more about prevention now rather than treating it, I find this is especially true with roses. Not to mention, many vegetables also get powdery mildew too. It’s probably one of the most common diseases, if not the most common. From my own personal experience, mildew usually…

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Cercospora Leaf Spot - Prevention and Treatment.jpg
Cercospora Leaf Spot – Prevention and Treatment

Cercospora Leaf Spot – Prevention and Treatment

What is Cercospora Leaf Spot? Cercospora Leaf Spot is a fungal disease that, fortunately, will not prove fatal to your plants. However, it does spread rather quickly and often appears to be more problematic for plants growing in shady positions. I have personally noticed the disease quite frequently on Hydrangeas, some examples include the smooth, panicle, oakleaf and bigleaf types of Hydrangea. How to recognise Cercospora Leaf Spot This disease first appears on the underside of older leaves as irregular…

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Identifying Phytophthora Root Rot and treatment
Phytophthora Root Rot – prevention and treatment

Phytophthora Root Rot – prevention and treatment

What is Phytophthora Root Rot? Phytophthora Root Rot is a fungal disease that spreads through the soil and there are several different types too. Unfortunately, it’s actually more common than you might think, however, it is often mistaken for honey fungus because this also causes similar symptoms above the soil such as wilting and yellow/brown foliage. The issue arises as it is commonly associated with wet and water-logged soils. These conditions on their own also cause similar symptoms as it…

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Growing Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls'
Growing Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’

Growing Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’

The Wisteria Amethyst Falls is a dwarf cultivar of Wisteria. It grows far less vigorously than the Chinese and Japanese varieties commonly sold in garden centres and nurseries. I personally grow Amethyst Falls in pots because it’s perfect for this, being that it is such a compact variety. That being said, it grows up to 5m tall and 3m wide. It blooms on strings of racemes that grow down from vines in masses of blue-lilac flowers from late spring through…

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Wisteria pests and diseases to watch out for including wisteria scale insect, vine weevil, mildew, Phytophthora root rot and more
Wisteria pests and diseases to watch out for

Wisteria pests and diseases to watch out for

Wisteria is generally a problem-free climber, with the most common complaints usually being a lack of flowers or wilting and yellowing leaves. But like all plants, there are a few pests and diseases to watch out for. Some of these can cause your Wisteria to not flower or to die back, so they cannot be ignored. We have put together a guide to help you identify what’s wrong with your Wisteria and what you can do about it. Wisteria pests…

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I discuss why your wisteria might not be flowering including incorrect pruning, to much nitrogen, not enough sun.
Why is my wisteria not blooming? 7 Reasons

Why is my wisteria not blooming? 7 Reasons

There are quite a few reasons your Wisteria may not be flowering, from the variety of the plant itself, through to its location and growing conditions to how you’re treating it. A couple of the most common reasons we see that cause a loss of flowers are, firstly, you have pruned it incorrectly and removed the flowering shoots, and secondly, you are either feeding it too much or providing them with too much nitrogen in the soil. Ideally, you should…

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How and when to prune wisteria to encourage more flowers and control the size
How to prune Wisteria (why, when and how)

How to prune Wisteria (why, when and how)

Wisteria, fortunately, is not a difficult plant to prune, however, it is important it’s done correctly or it can lead to your Wisterias not flowering, and we have written an informative guide on this. With this fast-growing climber, you do need to establish a pruning schedule, being sure to prune twice a year at the correct time of the season so that you will be rewarded with a stunning flush of flowers the following season. We have written a guide…

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