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InfestationInfestation? - Robert Poore phlox, echinacea, etc.-- P

Lauril Rohde
10 years ago

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that one of our 6 Husker red Penstemon had totally wilted with the leaves just flopping over. We pulled it and replaced with another. This plant is now doing fine. Then I noticed that across the stairs and in another bed the the base of one of our five Robert Poore phlox seems to be going the same route and just yesterday saw something on one of my echinaceas in this same bed also showing beginning signs. Then one of the 6 veronicas in a nearby bed has the edge of leaves turning yellow. The same beginning as the others. See following pix.

afflicted phlox - in bed with echinacea on right
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closeup of afflicted phlox
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afflicted echinacea
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?afflicted veronica in nearby bed{{gwi:226641}}

Unfortunately do not have any pix of the afflicted Husker Red penstemon.

Anybody know what is going on? Insects? If so, how do I treat thing quickly before they decimate my garden beds?

Comments (15)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    not unless you actually put the pix in the post... lol

    ken

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    Ken - photos are there, but took a bit to load.

    I am going to suggest that since it seems to be effecting so many different types of plants, it might be herbicide drift, either aerial or from a lawn application of weed and feed. Or something caused by sucking insects, either directly or something like aster yellows (though I am not sure if that effects penstemons.) These are just guesses.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    i have had the post open for an hour.. on ultra high speed internet.. NOTING.. zip.. zero.. nada ...

    any chance at FREEZE damage ... i had a freeze 5 days ago.. and just now.. seeing weird things ..

    ken

  • lisanti07028
    10 years ago

    No pictures for me, either.

  • thisismelissa
    10 years ago

    I can see the pics just fine and something that occurs to me is a nutrient deficiency.

    Have you ever had your soil tested?

  • dowlinggram
    10 years ago

    Something I noticed in one of the pictures is spots on the leaves. Look closely at the leaves and see if what I'm saying is true because it looks very much to me like some sort of fungal infection. These spots eventually turn the whole leaf brown and then they fall and the spores of the fungus go back into the ground to infect the plants again.

    Your first line of defense is to pick off any leaves that have spots or have turned brown and dispose of them in the garbage. give good space between plants. When you water don't wet the plants because water on the leaves spreads the fungal spores. Get yourself a good fungal spray and spray often

  • User
    10 years ago

    no pics here either....but having had a horrid verticillium affliction (losing cercis and cotinus), I am always a bit wary of fungal disease.

    Without pics though.......

  • tepelus
    10 years ago

    No pics here, either.

    Karen

  • gumneck 7A Virginia
    10 years ago

    I didn't see any photos either using firefox browser. I opened the thread with explorer browser and the photos are there. Weird.

  • docmom_gw
    10 years ago

    I can see the pictures. My first thought was that some one got careless with the weed killer. The greater part of all the plants look quite healthy, but a few areas are completely wilted and yellow. Good luck figuring this out.

    Martha

  • Lauril Rohde
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Wonder why you all are having trouble viewing the pix. Since I could not choose more than one file at a time under "Image file to upload (optional): ", I went to Photobucket and put in urls from there. When I checked the preview myself they came up fine.

    It has been unseasonably cool and wet here. Maybe that's it. A couple of weeks ago I sprayed around with Roundup using a wand and being very careful to stay away from plants on a nonwindy day. Have done this years before and nothing like this ever happened. Am wondering, too, if it is fungus. Will try removing affected stalks/leaves and spray with fungicide although ? of its help. The next few days will be partly cloudy during the daytime and then showers starting around 4-5 p.m. and temps peaking then in high 70's even to low 80's. Not good weather for the poor plants.

  • coolplantsguy
    10 years ago

    Herbicide damage?

  • gailwrite
    10 years ago

    I have the same thing on phlox but not on Husker Red and I have used NO herbicide. This year I have scattered the plants to allow more air, but I think there is a fungus in the phlox - has anyone used a fungicide on phlox with success?

  • teengardener1888
    10 years ago

    i hope your plants are okay :-)

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    10 years ago

    Any chance the soils been to moist for a while. A lot of mine were looking that way but are starting to do a little better now. Just don't water any of them even if the top looks dry without checking deeper down first. Good Luck!