Advice and care
Describe what you see on the plant, or choose a common symptom.
Grey mould (botrytis)
Browning, rotting patches on leaves, stems and especially flowers; in damp conditions they carry a grey mould coating. A polyphagous disease that gets worse in damp, close conditions.
Cause
Botrytis cinerea (teleomorph Botryotinia fuckeliana).
What to do
- preventive: reduce humidity, thin out the planting, do not overwater, remove faded and affected parts promptly
- direct: fungicide under heavy disease pressure
Root and crown rot
Brown patches on the root crown, with the rot spreading into the roots; the plant wilts and dies. Young plants collapse (damping off).
Cause
Soil fungi, Thielaviopsis basicola, Pythium sp., Fusarium sp., Phytophthora sp. They are encouraged by waterlogging and contaminated substrate.
What to do
- preventive: do not overwater, ensure drainage, use uncontaminated substrate and healthy planting stock, treat seed, remove sources of infection
Bacterial diseases
Water-soaked or oily spots on the leaves, often with a yellow margin; the bacteria break down the tissues and cause rots. Spread by water (rain, irrigation), insects and people (infected seed, tools).
Cause
Bacteria that attack plant tissues.
What to do
- preventive: hygiene and phytosanitary measures, healthy propagation material, careful watering
- no bactericides are available in Czechia; copper-based products have only a limited effect
Damping off (Pythium, Phytophthora)
Young seedlings turn black and constrict at ground level, then flop and collapse; the roots and stem base turn brown and rot. Typical with waterlogging and dense sowing.
Cause
Soil-borne fungal organisms Pythium spp., Phytophthora spp., Rhizoctonia.
What to do
- preventive: open, uncontaminated substrate, thin sowing, careful watering (do not overwater), ventilation
- direct: e.g. Previcur Energy according to the label
Bacterial soft rot and leaf spot
Dark, water-soaked spots on the leaves; in fleshy parts the tissues break down into a foul-smelling mush. The bacteria enter through wounds and stomata and spread by water.
Cause
The bacteria Pectobacterium (Erwinia), Xanthomonas and others.
What to do
- preventive: dry conditions, careful watering, hygiene and disinfection of tools, remove affected plants
- bactericides are not commonly available in Czechia; copper has a limited effect
This is general information. When using plant protection products, follow the label.
Planting step by step
- Set out the pots by number
Do not plant anything yet. Set the pots out on the border exactly by the numbers in the planting plan, tall ones at the back (framework), low ones at the front (edge). - Check the spacing
Step back and look from above. There should be gaps between the plants. They will fill them once they have grown together. The recommended spacing is given for each plant (spacing in cm). - Photograph the layout
Before you start planting, photograph the border from above. If something does not fit, now is the time to move it, not after planting. - Plant in groups
Start with the framework (the tallest, at the back), then the filler, and finally the edge. Plant to the depth of the pot, firm in and water at the roots. - Water and mulch
After planting, water generously (~10 l/m²) and mulch the surface between the plants 5–7 cm deep. This holds moisture and suppresses weeds. - Note the planting date
Make a note of the planting day. We will use it to prepare a care plan for the first, most sensitive season.