Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Mildew and other maladies
It’s been a bit damp in the Upper Midwest. Still, we can’t complain as we think about the folks along the Gulf Coast. But I have noticed a significant jump in Powdery mildew and other fungal maladies which have reared their spores on many of my plants. My monarda now has powdery mildew, however, it’s past flowering, so I’m cutting it back. Even my native, new butterfly garden, monarda has powdery mildew, which is showing up on the blackeyed susans.
Fall cleanup and spraying with a fungicide next year, will make a difference.
We’ve also heard a lot more about anthracnose this year due to the wet weather. It’s also a fungus. Anthracnose symptoms typically appear as dark colored spots or sunken lesions that can quickly run together to form irregular dark lesions that cause rapid blighting of leaves or stems. The best thing to do is cut the plant to the ground and do a thorough Fall cleanup. That means lifting out the wood chips and resupplying the area. Anthracnose Diseases of Perennials [Univ. of Ill]
Bugbane with anthracnose
Hosta with rust?
If your squash didn’t make it, there are a number of reasons but my first thought is too much water and fungal disease took over. However, if you notice some weird looking flaking (almost looks like fungal growth) near the base of the vine, cut it open and you may see a squash vine borer. Once they’ve invaded, there’s really nothing you can do. The time to have looked for them was late June.
Squash Vine Borer [Univ. of MN Ext.]
squash vine borer – not my best shot
I’ve also had plenty of Soldier Beetles – that’s a good thing – on my heliopsis.
Soldier beetles on heliopsis
I found butterfly weed LOADED with aphids at a business I was recently at. They have gardens to walk through…
