Figuring Out Why Your Plants are Sick

 Everyone who has a plant for any length of time will have to deal with it being less than perfect. Even the most experienced gardener will have to deal with plant problems. Most home owners are busy and just want a quick fix to make their plants all better. Here's what you need to know when your plants change color, loose leaves, wilt or make other signs of distress. 

Powdery Mildew on Zinnias

First, you must accurately identify the plant. Not all evergreens are pines. Red raspberries and black raspberries grow differently and can have different problems. Be sure you know what plant you're working with. 

Second, make a lot of good observations. What is the overall situation of the plant? What kind of light and water does it get? What is the soil like? What, exactly, is the problem? How long has the problem been going on? Is it affecting the plants around it? What time of year is it? You may want to take a picture of the plant and the problem as well. 

Third, do some diagnostic work on your own. Search online or get a good book on plant problems. 

It's helpful to know that, statistically speaking, plants suffer far more from abiotic problems then from biotic ones. This means there's a really good chance that you don't have a bug or pathogen problem but the plant is in the wrong spot or your just not taking care of it well. Once you know what kind of a plant you have you can learn all about what it needs to be happy and determine if it's getting it or not. 

It's also helpful to know that if you have a pathogen of some sort, statistically speaking, it's probably a fungus. Fungal problems are far more prevalent than bacteria or viral infections. That's good because they're easier to treat. Viral problems usually mean destroying the plant. 

Fourth, if you can't determine the problem on your own, then reach out to your county extension office. They are there to help you. Just know that there are so many potential problems out there that no one knows all of them right off hand and it will require a bit of investigating for anyone. 

Finally, always try the least toxic, most environmentally friendly solution first. A broad spectrum insecticide will probably kill your Japanese Beetles but it will also kill your pollinators and other beneficial bugs. 

I hope that's helpful. Right not it's February so we're not dealing with any of this now but before you know it, Spring will be here and we'll be busy in our gardens again. Do you have any tips for diagnosing plant problems? Feel free to comment below.