We all want our gardens to look beautiful throughout the year, but there is one thing that will make your garden look far from blooming. And that is a plant or tree disease. Even you have never experienced one in your outdoor space before, you should still be aware of them as they are very common and can hit your garden at any time. Here are some of the main ones that gardeners worry about.
Apple Scab
Apple Scab is a fungal disease that affects – you guessed it – apple trees. The disease spreads through airborne spores and is so hardy that it can even survive the winter by living in trees. The symptoms are very visible and include dark patches or spots on the tree’s leaves. The apples that it bears will also have noticeable spots as well, and you might notice young shoots starting to crack. The best way to prevent this disease from spreading is by pruning infected shoots. You should also quickly dispose of any fallen leaves and fruit that are infected.
Dutch Elm’s Disease
Another fungal disease, Dutch elm’s disease is unable to travel through the air, and the only way it spreads from tree to tree is by beetles and insects. The disease blocks the tree’s water system, and eventually, the tree will wilt and die. If you think you have this in your garden, you should contact a company that specializes in tree diseases like arboristusa.com/tree-disease/. They will send a professional out who can take a look at your infected trees to see what can be done to help them.
Rose Black Spot
Roses can help to make a garden look absolutely gorgeous, but that won’t be the case if yours are suffering from Rose Black Spot. This is another fungus disease, and it is the most serious one that can affect roses. Symptoms include yellow and black spots on their leaves. You will also notice that the plants start to lose a lot of leaves. If you are happy to use chemicals, there are some fungicide sprays available that will treat your plants. But, to prevent them suffering in the first place, you should try and prune them in late winter. There is more info about pruning roses online: davidaustinroses.com/eu/advice-and-inspiration/pruning-an-english-shrub-rose.
Silver Leaf
Even though it may sound like it only affects the leaves of plants and trees, silver leaf actually also damages the wood as well. It is very common in a number of fruit trees, such as apricots, apples, plums, and cherries. The first symptom you will notice is a silvery sheen on the leaves. Another common symptom is a dark stain in the middle of branches, which is usually only noticeable when you prune the tree. The roses should get better naturally over time, but if you want to speed up this process, you can always use a fungicide treatment.
Make sure you know everything about these plant and tree diseases so that they don’t ruin your garden!
