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Category: Problems, pests and diseases

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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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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I discuss some of the most common Wisteria problems from graft failure to scale insect and non flowering plants
Wisteria problems and what to do about them

Wisteria problems and what to do about them

Problems that you will experience with your Wisteria, such as graft failure and root diseases like honey fungus and Phytophthora root rot are either biological (pests and diseases), environmental (sun, location, etc.), or due to your care, for example, incorrect pruning results in no flowers. In this guide, I share my experience with all of these here and give advice on what to do about each of them. Specific problems I’ve already addressed specific problems in some of my other informative guides, Why…

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Will wisteria damage my house
Will a Wisteria damage my house?

Will a Wisteria damage my house?

Without proper care, a Wisteria can damage your house or the support structures they are growing up, but if managed correctly, it’s more likely they won’t. Wisterias are strong and fast-growing climbing plants with substantial stems and roots. These huge and heavy climbing plants can live for many many years, in other words, they will outlast most of us, including myself. Many older houses have huge Wisterias climbing their outer walls, they simply look stunning and create the most amazing…

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Why are my wisteria leaves turning yellow or wilting
Why are the leaves on my wisteria turning yellow or wilting?

Why are the leaves on my wisteria turning yellow or wilting?

Along with certain pests and diseases, there are a few other problems that might be behind the cause of the leaves on your Wisteria turning yellow or wilting. Common diseases that will affect your Wisteria include honey fungus and Phytophthora root rot and these are both root diseases. Waterlogging can also lead to root rot which in turn will cause both the wilting and yellowing of leaves. Another one, and one I have personally had issues with when growing wisteria…

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Wisteria Scale Insect and How To Control Them
Identifying Wisteria Scale Insects and Treatment

Identifying Wisteria Scale Insects and Treatment

Wisteria is prone to scale insects, however, it’s important to know that there are many different types of scale insects, and it’s the specific Wisteria scale insect that can cause serious problems if they are left untreated. In small numbers, they aren’t usually a huge issue and can be easily maintained with the removal of them by hand. They are easier to identify in comparison to other scale insects because they are usually much larger than other scale insects (at…

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