Re: Fungus (cross-post w/Perennials & Shadegardens)
- Subject: Re: Fungus (cross-post w/Perennials & Shadegardens)
- From: M* T*
- Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 01:19:28 -0400
Diann,
Other than occasionally dealing with powdery mildew on my phlox when
it really gets on my nerves and removing and destroying peony foliage
to avoid botryitis, I ignore any fungal problems.
My take is that fungi are everywhere; their spore fills the air and
healthy plants are able to tolerate them. If they can't, then those
plants lose the Darwinian battle.
By the end of a tough season a lot of plants look fairly ratty;
browning, black spots, whatever. They come back the following year
and are fine.
There are some fungi that are not fun and can be fatal, like those
responsible for die back in rhodies, etc., but if plants are not
otherwise stressed, they seem resilient. Plants, like all other life
forms, have a finite life span. Instead of getting heart attacks,
they succumb to their own particular pathogens, among them the
various fungi of this world.
Best method of dealing with fungal problems in plants IMO is to try
your best to provide the plants with growing conditions that suit
them so they remain healthy and unstressed. If you keep your soil in
good condition; plant in locations that suit the plants; plant plants
that are suited to your conditions and don't let them dry out or get
waterlogged, your plants should be able to cope with whatever is
floating around.
One needs to keep in mind that most nurseries also carry fungicides,
miticides, pesticides and other kinds of cides and are very happy to
sell them.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: DiannThoma@netscape.net
>
> I don't hear much about fungus in these listservs. It's possible I
have many incidences of fungus in my gardens (or hopefully, I'm just
paranoid; but a guy at my local plant nursery identified a Great
Expectations browning incidence as a possible fungus, and it's not
the only plant looking like that....)
>
> Do many of you fight fungus? What kind of plants are highly
succeptible? What do you do about it? Is it fatal? Does it come
back next year if you don't do anything? Some of my old lilly of the
valley look horrible right now: brown-red leaves with black spots
everywhere. Is that fungus??
>
> Also, how are English cottage gardens maintained without lots of
fungus and mildew and rust spreading around (i.e., not much air space
in there)??
>
> Thanks, oh ye gurus!
> Diann
>
>
>
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