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What are Common Shrub Diseases
Some mechanical control can be used to help control this disease. This includes removing infected twigs and raking all dead leaves from around the plant so fungal spores won't splash on the plant and continue to infect it. Try not to prune the plants or overfertilize them in summer, because that will encourage a flush of new growth and it is the new growth that is most susceptible to the disease. Also, avoid overhead watering that will spread the fungus around. If you have to resort to a fungicide, it will need to be applied on the new growth as it appears. In the case of photinias, where there will be several flushes of new growth during the season, you will need to apply the fungicide multiple times. You will need to apply the fungicide until new growth matures. Of course, the best thing to do is plant native shrubs and avoid photinias altogether. Indian hawthorns are less susceptible to the disease and many times simply outgrow the problem. You might be seeing some slow moving black insects with clear lacy wings on the underside of the leaves on your azaleas. Those are lace bugs and can really make your azaleas look sick, especially when that black sooty mold called honeydew starts to form. Look for a general insecticide that will control lace bugs. Watch for mites on your camellias and be sure that they are getting enough water during our dry spells. Drought stress on any plant is like rolling out the red carpet for plant problems. A disease called Rose Rosette disease is starting to show up on roses that are grown on multiflora rootstock, which is most rose bushes that are mass produced for the discount trade. It looks a little like herbicide damage, but the flower buds are thick and don't come true. Many times the diseased growth will be burgundy, but on hybrid teas roses the growth may be lime-colored. It's a serious problem spreading throughout the industry. Look for roses grown on their own rootstock, and avoid roses from discount stores. If you suspect rose rosette disease or see any deformity of new growth on roses, prune out the affected canes as soon as possible. Dip pruning shears in a 10% solution of clorox bleach or lysol between cuttings.. Mealy bugs are the bugs that form a cottony mass on the leaves and stems of plants. If the situation is out of control in the garden, try pruning out the infected parts of the plants immediately, cleaning up any dead leaves around the plant that might still harbor the bugs, and using a weak solution of dish soap to wash off the plant. Be sure to rinse the plant within 30 minutes after washing and don't apply the soap solution in the heat of the day. Whiteflies are tiny white flying insects that also secrete the "honeydew" mentioned above. They can be controlled with several products listed for whitefly control. However, rotate between several different products during the growing season if you have whitefly problems as they quickly develop resistance to many insecticides, especially those labeled, "organic." Aphids are those small orange, yellow, black or brown bugs that seem to be plentiful along the stems of many blooming plants. Ants and ladybugs are the natural control of aphids but many times there's just too many of them for biological control to work. In my garden, I cultivate milkweed and some other plants that aphids congregate on and use these plants as a trap crop to foster the growth of aphids and increase the beneficial bug population.
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One of the most common shrubs used as a hedge is the Red Tip Photinia and I get a lot of questions about the appearance of mildew or purplish spots on new photinia growth. Since it's the new red and shiny growth on photinias that's the main attraction, black spots all over it is certainly a cause for concern. The culprit is usually entomosporium leaf spot. It is a fungal disease that affects photinias, Indian hawthorn, loquat and plants of the rose family.
