Peony leaf blotch
By: Garden Gate staff
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Understand fungal diseases
A fungus ruins all your hard work in the garden! Even though it doesn’t usually kill a plant, it weakens it enough so that something else can. For a better understanding of why a fungus is so hard to get rid of, check out the chart to the left — knowing how it sticks around and spreads could help you prevent it from affecting other plants.
Click ahead to learn about one unsightly fungal disease — peony leaf blotch — and the best way to get rid of it.
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Peony leaf blotch Cladosporium chlorocephalum
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? Before flowers appear in spring, keep an eye out for small, glossy, dark purple spots on the top of the leaf and dark brown spots underneath. Since the disease develops during warm, humid weather, peony leaf blotch is even more visible late in the season. Spots merge into larger blotches, just like the ones on the leaves to the left.
SOLUTION The simplest way to stop the disease is to get rid of problem plants. But a treasured heirloom is hard to part with, so start by providing plenty of space between plants to help air circulate and reduce humidity. In fall, remove all the foliage at ground level and burn it or send it away in the trash — composting it will only spread the disease.
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