It can be said that fungal diseases are the most common category among flower diseases.

Fungi are lower organisms that lack chlorophyll, use mycelium as their vegetative body, and reproduce by spores. Diseases caused by fungal infection are called fungal diseases.

Fungal diseases generally have obvious symptoms, such as powdery substances (white powder, etc.), moldy substances (black mold, gray mold, blue mold, green mold, etc.), rust-like substances, granular substances, filamentous substances, nuclear substances, etc.

The above characteristics are one of the main bases for identifying fungal diseases.

Common fungal diseases of flowers include powdery mildew, anthracnose, gray mold, rust, damping-off, seedling blight, black spot, brown spot, southern blight, sooty mold, root rot, sclerotinia rot and many others.

In this article, let us first analyze several fungal diseases of flowers that are widely distributed and cause severe damage.

Flower fungal diseases are widely distributed and cause severe damage

1. Powdery mildew

The pathogen lives on tender buds, tender leaves, flower buds and flower stalks. In the early stage of the disease, chlorotic spots appear on the affected parts, which gradually turn into white powdery patches, as if covered with a layer of white powder. In the later stage, the lesions turn gray.

The affected leaves and stem tips curl, shrink and become deformed, and the flowers are small and few or cannot open normally. The pathogen spores spread through the air, and they are most likely to spread in greenhouses.

It mainly harms flowers such as Chinese rose, chrysanthemum, plum blossom, dahlia, cineraria, and fuchsia.

2. Anthracnose

It mainly harms leaves, and can also harm young stem tips, flower buds, fruits and other parts.

After most flowers are infected by the pathogen, the disease starts from the leaf tip and edge, and nearly round lesions appear on the leaf surface. The edges of the lesions are mostly dark brown, and the centers are light brown or grayish white. In the later stage, black dots appear on the lesions, often arranged in concentric rings. When the disease is severe, the leaves wither and die.

Anthracnose mainly harms orchids, clivia, camellia, plum blossom, fig, rubber tree, cyclamen, hydrangea, and Chinese evergreen.

3. Gray mold

It mainly harms leaves, stems, flowers and fruits.

Depending on the host, the affected parts and severity also differ. Generally, water-soaked spots appear at the beginning of the disease, then gradually expand and become brown or purplish brown lesions. When the weather is humid, gray fuzzy growth appears on the lesions. When the disease is severe, the entire branch dies.

4. Black spot

The pathogen lurks in the soil, splashes onto lower leaves with rainwater, and spreads rapidly upward. Affected leaves first show black spots, which gradually expand into round or oval shapes and merge into patches. Diseased leaves turn yellow and fall off.

The disease usually develops rapidly during the rainy season from July to August.

It mainly harms flowering plants such as Chinese rose, rose, plum blossom, chrysanthemum, peony, geranium, white orchid, and canna.

5. Brown spot

Nearly round dark brown or brown lesions appear on the leaves of affected plants, and in severe cases cause a large number of scorched leaves.

This disease mainly harms peony, tree peony, chrysanthemum, rhododendron, camellia, osmanthus, poinsettia, African daisy, Chinese rose, geranium and others.

6. Seedling damping-off

A seedling disease caused by Fusarium, Rhizoctonia and Pythium, with symptoms such as rot, damping-off and blight. Seedlings are most severely affected within 20 days after emergence.

Common examples include damping-off of gladiolus, carnation, cineraria, and chrysanthemum.

7. Rust

It mainly harms leaves, stems and buds. Orange-yellow blister-like protrusions appear on both sides of infected leaves. After they rupture, orange-red powder spills out; these are the summer spores of rust, which can repeatedly infect plants many times. The spores released in late autumn and early winter are chestnut brown and are the winter spores of rust fungi. They wait until spring to infect leaf buds and other parts and cause lesions again.

Cupressaceae plants are alternate host plants for rust. Flowers should not be planted together with such plants, otherwise the disease will be more severe.

Those mostly affected are Rosaceae flowers and carnations.

The most effective control methods for flower fungal diseases

One

During the flower growth period, starting from the approaching disease period, spray once every 7 to 10 days with 65% zineb or mancozeb wettable powder at 400 to 600 times dilution, for 3 to 5 consecutive sprays, which can inhibit the occurrence and spread of the disease.

Two

Strengthen cultivation management, fertilize and water reasonably, pay attention to ventilation and light transmission and summer cooling, so that the plants grow robustly and disease resistance is improved.

Three

In winter and spring, thoroughly remove dead branches and fallen leaves; after the disease occurs, promptly prune diseased branches, leaves, buds, etc., and destroy them centrally to reduce sources of inoculum.

Four

In the early stage of the disease, spray 50% carbendazim (or thiophanate) at 500 to 800 times dilution, or 75% chlorothalonil at 600 to 800 times dilution.

Five

To control gray mold, you can also mix 70% quintozene and 80% zineb in equal amounts, using 8 to 10 grams per sq m for soil disinfection.

Six

To control seedling damping-off, in addition to soil disinfection and chemical control, when sown seedlings have emerged for about 20 days, strictly controlling watering and providing appropriate ventilation are the key to controlling damping-off.

Seven

When rust is found, diseased leaves should be cut off and burned, and 40% flusilazole at 4000 times dilution or dinocap sodium at 300 times dilution should be sprayed for control.

The above methods can withstand scrutiny and stand the test!

They are the most effective control methods for flower fungal diseases and are well worth collecting for balcony gardening enthusiasts!

If flowers are currently suffering from fungal diseases, fellow balcony gardeners may as well give them a try.

Grow on the balcony

Alright, that is all for today. If fellow balcony gardeners still have any questions you would like the Editor-in-Chief to answer, please leave a message in the comment section below.

I also wonder whether what the Editor-in-Chief said was clear and detailed enough. For fellow balcony gardeners who did not understand, the Editor-in-Chief has written an acrostic poem especially for you. It may not be well written, but it can help you find the Editor-in-Chief.

More wonderful articles are all in an acrostic poem:

A gentle breeze lightly strokes, flowers remain ever present

Strolling freely in spirit, wandering to the sunny south mountain

Seeking wonders and searching for the ingenious at Bronze Sparrow Terrace

Planting red and growing green, rising above the blue clouds

--Come take the challenge: a four-line acrostic and tail-hidden poem; connect the first characters plus connect the last characters, and you can obtain an eight-character motto to summon the Editor-in-Chief's true form! When you come, remember to say: "Editor-in-Chief, your secret has been cracked by me"!

Learning on the balcony has no end.