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Allison Watkins: What's hurting your plants? Here are a few possibilities
A question that comes up frequently is “What is wrong with my (insert plant here)?“ Whether it’s a lawn that is struggling with dead spots, a tree showing stress or a wilted vegetable, any time plants are in poor health it raises a red flag and homeowners want to know what to do to fix it.
Diagnosing plant problems can be challenging and is rarely as simple as a quick look and a one-step recommendation to cure it. It’s almost like being a crime scene investigator, because there are a lot of questions to ask and details to sort through.
Three common causes of plant stress are insects, disease and cultural practice. Insects and diseases are often the easiest to figure out because there can be very clear symptoms. The first thing to check is whether there are any visible insects on the plant or evidence of them having been there, such as webworm webbing or spider mite debris. If there are insects damaging the plant, they must be correctly identified to effectively control.
Also take a close look at any leaf spots, powdery substances, cankers, lesions, galls or mosaic patterns. These can be indicators of disease pests.
If both insect and disease have been ruled out, the other possibility is cultural problem –basically, what the environment is like for the plant and how well it has been cared for. This is harder to figure out because there are so many factors that affect plants — soil type, nutrients and fertilizer, sun or shade, water, weed killers, weather and so on.
When trying to determine what is causing plant stress, first consider whether the plant is in the correct environment and is receiving the right amount of light and water, has good drainage and is adapted to the local soil type and climate. It may sound simple, but the wrong plant that is not well adapted for the area, or even a well-adapted plant in the wrong spot is a frequent cause of poor plant performance. Other simple but common causes can be over or under watering, poor soil (heavy and compacted) or misusing pesticides.
If a disease is suspected, the Texas A&M Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab is a great resource for identifying the pathogen. There are many diseases that can affect plants, and a correct identification of the specific pathogen is key to come up with a treatment plan. To submit a sample, visit https://plantclinic.tamu.edu.
Allison Watkins is the Tom Green County Extension horticulturist. Contact her at AEWatkins@ag.tamu.edu.