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Home Page > Yardener's Plant Problem Solver > Dealing With Plant Disease > Dealing With Fungal Disease > Fungal Disease on Ornamentals > Diagnosing Fungal Disease

Diagnosing Fungal Disease

Life Cycle of a Fungus

Whether they are molds, mildews or mushrooms, most fungi reproduce by forming millions of microscopic, powdery spores. These are spread by wind, rain splash, insects, contaminated soil and dirty yard tools. When the spores land on a food source such as plant tissues, and moisture levels and other conditions are favorable, they germinate and send out tiny branched threads called hyphae.
The hyphae spread internally by digesting their way through the plant’s cell walls. Eventually they grow into a tangled mass called a mycelium, which is the actual body of the fungus. Depending on the species of fungus, this mycelium may appear as a fuzzy, pale coating on leaves, as in mildews, or as patches of black, blue or green mold. In their most obvious form they are the familiar toadstool. The mycelium eventually develops new

Identifying Fungal Disease

To determine if a plant is suffering from a fungal disease observe it closely. Wilting or spotted, discolored foliage clearly signals a problem. First, examine the plant to rule out insect problems. Then try to determine whether the disease is fungal (treatable) or bacterial or viral (not treatable). Most plant diseases in the home landscape are caused by fungi.
Fungal diseases usually take days or weeks to cause visible symptoms, while bacterial and viral diseases usually strike very quickly, in just a day or two. For example, a healthy zucchini squash plant may collapse and die in just a few days after being infected with bacterial blight transmitted to it by the squash beetle. Fungal diseases develop on plants or trees and shrubs gradually, and many of them look worse than they actually are.


The following questions were asked by visitors who viewed this page:
  • Spirea Jalonica Has Red Spots And Leaves Starting To Yellow
  • Smoke Tree Has Green Mold And No Leaves
  • Lots Of Honey Locust Tree Leaves Are Falling And Tree Is Thin
  • Recently Purchased New Guinea Impatiens Leaves Are Turning Brown
  • Daylilies Have Yellow Dried Up Leaves And Squishy Flattened Roots
  • Should Large Diseased Pussy Willow Be Removed
  • Some Viburnum Leaves Are Turning Brown And Crisp At Tips
  • Crepe Myrtle Trees Have Tiny Leaves That Are Barely Visible
  • Fern Leaves Have Brown Edges And New Fronds Have White Powdery Substance
  • Hibiscus Tree Has Many Leaves With Large White Patches
  • Mature Magnolia Has Squishy Brown Debris And Worms Where Limbs Have Been Removed
  • Leaves Of Geranium Brought Indoors Are Turning Yellow And Have Silver Spots On Undersides
  • Forsythia Leaves Are Turning Yellow In Fall
  • Juniper Ground Cover Slowly Getting Yellow Tips Then Turning Brown And Dying
  • Smoke Tree Has Dead Branches And Leaves Have Brown Spots
  • Flowering Plum Tree Leaves Are Drying Up From Bottom To Top And Falling Off
  • Can Fungus From Citrus Tree Be Affecting Magnolias That Are Dying Back
  • Crepe Myrtle Tree Has Trunk With Dead Flowers And Leaves On Top
  • Bottom Leaves Of Impatiens Are Turning Brown
  • Geranium Leaves Have White Spots
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