Plants wilt; flowers -Dry soil -Supply water
may drop and leaves -Water-logged soil -Improve drainage
may turn yellow -Transplant shock -Do not transplant in heat
of day; water regularly
after transplanting
Plant wilts and dies -Root, stem or corm -Plant in well-drained soil;
rot (fungal or destroy affected plants;
bacterial disease) use registered pesticides
as soil drench
Seedlings wilt; stems -Damping-off (fungal -Plant in well-drained soil
turn brown and soft disease) -Use registered fungicide
and may be constricted as soil drench
at the soil line
Plants fail to flower; -Wrong season -Plants have specific day-
foliage looks healthy length requirements for flowering
-Cool weather
-Insufficient light -Do not plant sun-loving
plants in shade
-Too much nitrogen -Do not overfertilize; nitro-
gen stimulates foliage, not
flower, production
-Immature plants -Biennials and perennials
often do not flower the
first year
-Undersized bulbs
Too many small flowers -Plants not disbudded -Some flowers, e.g. chrysan-
themum, need to have some
buds removed to produce
large flowers
Tall, "leggy" plant; -Insufficient light -Pay attention to light re-
stem and foliage quirements of plants
pale or yellow
General yellowing -Nutrient deficiency -Soil test
of leaves; yellowing -Virus disease -Submit sample for laboratory
lowing may be inter- diagnosis
veinal; plant may be
stunted; no wilting
Grayish-white powdery -Powdery mildew -Use registered fungicide
growth on leaves (fungal disease)
Pustules containing -Rust (fungal disease) -Resistant varieties if
orange, yellow, or available; use registered
brown powdery fungicide
substance on leaves
Brown, dead spots on -Fungal, bacterial, -Submit sample for laboratory
leaves or leaf nematode diagnosis
disease (any of
several)
Brown, dead areas on -Scorch, due to hot, -Supply water
margins of leaves dry weather
-Salt injury -Do not plant near sidewalks
or drives that were deiced
in winter
-Chemical injury -Not common in home gardens
Flowers wilt or fail -Gray mold (fungal -Pick off and destroy affected
to open; grayish mold disease) flowers; use registered
appears on flowers in fungicide
moist weather
Yellow and green -Virus disease (any -Remove affected plants; do
mottle or mosaic of several) not touch healthy plants
pattern on leaves after diseased ones; control
insects
Tiny white flecks or -Ozone injury
white interveinal -Spider mites -Use registered miticide
areas on leaves
Clusters of insects -Aphids -Use registered insecticide
on stems or under-
sides of leaves;
leaves may be
curled or distorted
Leaves chewed or -Various insects -Submit insect for laboratory
completely eaten identification
-Slugs and Sowbugs -Use beer bait or commercial
slug bait
Light colored -Leafminers -Use registered insecticide
tunnels or blotches
in leaves
Leaves stippled with -Spider mites -Use registered miticide
tiny white spots
Tiny white winged -Whiteflies -Use yellow sticky boards
insects on undersides (smeared with grease) to trap
of leaves them or use registered
insecticide
White, cottony masses -Mealybugs -Use registered insecticide
on leaves or stems
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