Advice and care
Describe what you see on the plant, or choose a common symptom.
Rust
Reddish-brown (rusty) spore pustules on the underside of the leaves; the leaves gradually turn yellow and dry up.
Cause
Rusts (e.g. Puccinia asteris). Rust spreads by water, wind and infected seed.
What to do
- preventive: fungicide spray
- remove and burn affected plants
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
Scorch, sunburn and drought
Dry brown leaf edges and tips, dried-out patches; typical of newly planted plants, full sun and wind, or lack of water.
Cause
Scorch and incorrect (insufficient) watering; for outdoor plants, wind as well.
What to do
- in the first year, water regularly and generously, and mulch
- shade sensitive species or plant taller neighbours beside them
- cut off damaged leaves
Leaf spot diseases (fungal)
Well-defined spots on the leaves, brown to black, often with a pale margin or a dark centre (in some, black dots of fruiting bodies are visible). The spots enlarge and merge, and the leaf dries up and falls early.
Cause
Fungi of the genera Septoria, Phyllosticta, Ascochyta, Colletotrichum, Coniothyrium and others. They spread in damp conditions.
What to do
- preventive: remove fallen leaves and affected parts, open up the planting, do not water onto the leaves
- direct: spray with a suitable fungicide
Rust (on ornamental plants)
Orange to brown spore pustules, most often on the underside of the leaves; there may be yellow spots on the upper side. A heavy attack distorts and dries out the leaves.
Cause
Rusts of the genera Puccinia, Phragmidium, Cumminsiella and others. The hosts are roses and many perennials. They spread by water and wind.
What to do
- preventive: remove and burn affected leaves, reduce humidity
- direct: fungicides
Vine weevil / weevil (Otiorhynchus)
At night the adults eat characteristic curved notches in the leaf margins. The most dangerous, however, are the white larvae in the soil, which eat the roots and crown; the plant then wilts and dies (often begonias, primulas, rhododendrons and container-grown perennials).
Cause
Black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) and related species.
What to do
- direct: against the larvae, biological control with the parasitic nematode Heterorhabditis (watered into moist soil); against the adults, contact insecticides in the evening
- preventive: check the root balls of new plants
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.