Now that it is summertime, you are probably marveling at your beautiful landscape. You spent so much time and effort picking out the most beautiful plants to place around your home. That trip to the greenhouse was stressful, but the knowledgeable and friendly staff helped you select the best, most beautiful plants that would last. You felt confident in your decisions and were so happy with how they bloomed!
That’s when you began to notice leaves and blooms falling off! You walked around your yard and saw the Indian hawthorns you had purchased and planted oh-so-carefully were losing their foliage. What is going on here?! Before you angrily called the store, you decided to do some research.
Getting to the ROOT of the Problem
After some careful internet searching, you found out about leaf spot disease. This affects many rose varieties, like your Indian hawthorns. The plant becomes infected with this fungus and begins to kill off its leaves and flowers. The hot, humid climate is where leaf spot thrives. You find out that because you watered your plants with an overhead sprinkling system, the leaves were not able to dry off quickly enough due to the humidity, ultimately spreading the leaf spot disease. You were devastated!
It’s not entirely your fault, though. The humidity of Atlanta’s summer was partially to blame. You didn’t realize that you should water your plants at soil level. Planting your Indian hawthorns in the wrong spot was also a factor, as they need to be planted in direct sunlight. Leaf spot disease is a common fungus and can be treated.
If your plants have not gone through multiple seasons of acquiring leaf spot disease, a fungicide can be applied. Organic and natural fungicides are available to prevent and stop the disease from spreading to other plants in your yard. In the event that the disease is too far gone, you may need to consider re-planting. There are different varieties out there that are resistant to leaf spot. Plants that are low-growing and of a yellow variety within a different plant family are also good choices. Here’s a couple plant choices:
- Black-eyed Susan
- Annual geranium
- Begonia
- Marigold
- Pansy
A Signature Tree and Shrub Care Program
If you’re looking to never come across leaf spot disease again, it’s time to consider a Signature Tree and Shrub Care Program! This program includes year-round monitoring and treatment for insect and disease activity on all of your plants. TurfPride uses specially formulated landscape fertilizer with macronutrients for plant development and health as well as a preventative fungicide to keep leaf spot from forming. We treat it with a systemic fungicide which will stop the disease and keep the fungus from re-infecting the healthy tissue for about 24 days.