Hydrangea Guide

I’ve worked in and around nurseries for over 20 years, and Botrytis Blight, more commonly known as grey mould was a fairly common problem that we dealt with. However, unlike powdery mildew, downy mildew, and even black spot and rust, there is no fungicide to treat the problem. I would say it’s fairly widespread too and will infect most plants. It also seems to be more of a problem in greenhouses because it thrives in high-humidity environments. I have also…

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Downy mildew is not to be confused with the more common powdery mildew. Despite their names being very similar, fortunately, downy mildew is much less common. They are very different diseases. With that out the way, downy mildew is actually not a true fungus, it’s actually a parasitic organism that is more closely related to algae and needs water to survive and spread. It’s actually often misdiagnosed and can often be totally missed because it is hard to see on…

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The scarlet red lily beetle is without a doubt, a stunning beetle with its bright red wings and black head; however, the damage they cause to Lillies is actually quite astonishing. I have worked in nurseries for over 20 years, and these are one of the main pests we had to be on the lookout for every day. If we didn’t check our Lillies for a couple of days, they could literally strip the leaves of a batch of Lillies…

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I recently discussed how I control thrips, scale insects and even aphids. However, I think slugs and snails are just as damaging to plants, especially young foliage, and certain plants seem to attract them more than others. That being said, there aren’t many plants that slugs don’t seem to take a liking to. Unlike with other smaller garden pests which I had had success with by dealing with them at the first signs, controlling slugs and snails leans heavily toward…

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I’ve discussed scales insects and thrips before, both of which suck the sap out of plants. Scale insects and thrips can be a big problem should they get out of control. However, there is one pest that seems to plague plants more than other pests, they are aphids. These generally include greenflies and blackflies, although there are many other types of aphids, and they are usually selective to one type of plant. This means the aphids feeding on your roses…

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Scale insects seem to be becoming increasingly common year after year, at least in the UK where I’m from where there are over 25 species of them. When I think back to when I first started gardening I never had to deal with them, I’m not sure I’d even seen them. Fast forward over 20 years, and they’re very common. They seem to attack most types of plants including Rhododendrons and Wisteria, and they will also attack many ornamental plants,…

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I’ve been dealing with thrips for over 20 years, and it seems that they are becoming more common year after year. The problem is, they are often hard to spot until they become a big problem, which they do in large numbers. They’re so small and difficult to spot as they’re less than 1/25 inch in size, I’m talking tiny little specks. It’s normally the silver foliage, or the wafer-thin leaves I spot first before the actual thrips themselves. One…

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What are Vine Weevils? I have worked in garden centres for over 20 years, and one pest we have always had trouble with is vine weevils. More importantly, the larvae of vine weevils. I would go as far as saying they are the one pest that could cause enough significant damage that can actually kill a plant. With plants particularly that are being grown in pots and containers they can become a real problem, causing catastrophic results. This is because…

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What is Rust Disease? One of the most common diseases I see on plants (and one that can even give powdery mildew a run for its money) is rust disease. It is easily identifiable because of the coppery-orange spore pustules that appear on the surface of the leaves. Even though it can be unsightly to see on your plants, it isn’t usually a disease that is fatal and can often be controlled with a fungicide. In fact, many fungicides available…

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What is powdery mildew? Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that plagues many garden plants, I personally have to deal with it every year on my Rhododendrons, Lupins, Azaleas, Hollyhocks and Cornflowers and it’s more about prevention now rather than treating it, I find this is especially true with roses. Not to mention, many vegetables also get powdery mildew too. It’s probably one of the most common diseases, if not the most common. From my own personal experience, mildew usually…

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