To begin , you will be glad to teach that few diseases affectBergeniaspp .
In fact , members of this genus are widely study for their natural ability to resist fungi , because they raise antifungal chemicals .
This would make it seem like you never have to vex about disease in bergenia …
But you know how kingdom Fungi can acquire resistance to celluloid fungicides ? Resistance does not necessarily imply immunity , and the same thing can happen with the chemical substance that plant life make to champion themselves .
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Here ’s the bottom line : industrial plant like bergenia that are tolerant to most diseases can still be infect by specialised pathogen .
In this guide , we will brood the primary diseases that may affect bergenia , so you get it on what to calculate for and how to treat them .
Common Bergenia Disease
The most mutual disease to affectBergeniaspecies initially manifests as spots on the leaves . In rare instances , these industrial plant can also succumb to crown or rhizome putrefaction .
Anthracnose (Fungal Leaf Spots)
folio infection in bergenia are typically name to as “ fungal leaf spots . ”
However , my curio about industrial plant disease led me to take a cryptic dive into the scientific lit on bergenia , to find more information on what organisms infect these plants ( my idea of a good metre ) , and to deal it with you !
Identifying the Main Pathogen
I ’ll dispense with you all the gory details , but molecular genetic biological detective work indicates that anthracnose ( Colletotrichumspp . ) is the primary pathogen of bergenia industrial plant .
That is inauspicious , since this fungus may assail a broad range of horde and causes symptoms that include summit and root rot , red ink of leaves , plague on blossoms , and fruit putrefaction .
A groundbreaking ceremony work by theGerman plant pathologist Nirenberg and Gerlachexamined outbreaks of folio spots on bergenia plants in Berlin and other division of Germany .
They identifiedC. acutatumas the source of these infection .
This mintage is comprised of different groups , and according to an article by Sreenivasaprasad and Talhinhas inMolecular Plant Pathology , isolate in group A4 may taint bergenia , as well asstrawberries , walnuts , tomatoes , apples , olives , camellias , rhododendrons , and legion other plants .
That is bad news , since a fungus that is so widespread is much more likely to be find oneself in your area and able-bodied to taint your plants .
The species of fungi that may attack bergenia are widespread in Europe , and separate out that are found in the US , Israel , and New Zealand are highly alike !
This suggests that they may have all spread initially from a central reservoir .
Symptoms and Treatment
The first symptoms you will typically observe are black lesions on the leaves or stems .
If the fungus thrives , it will produce pinkish mass of spores in the centre of the lesions .
This disease is a particular job at temperature graze from 75 to 85 ° F .
Treatments for anthracnose on bergenia have not been wide study , since this plant is not a major commercial crop .
However , be intimate that the same pathogen have anthracnose on strawberries move over us utile information to delineate from for its control .
First , cut off all of the infected farewell and stems and discard them .
Clean your pruning shear between U.S.A. with 70 pct rubbing alcohol or 10 per centum bleach .
ensure to cast away of all of the plant junk from your garden . Do not put it in your compost pile .
Commercial strawberry mark grower have accession to a hard-core group of fungicides . However , most of them are not suited for function by home gardener .
However , one fungicide that can be used in home gardens is captan , trade as Bonide Captan Concentrated Powder Fungicide , available on Amazon .
Spray the plants at 10- to 14 - sidereal day intervals as long as there are signs of infection .
One crucial matter to mark is that while this chemical will keep anthracnose from spreading to other flora , it will not heal plants that are already infected .
Another product you could expend is ZeroTol HC .
ZeroTol HC
It is a combination of atomic number 1 hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid that kills bacterium and fungi on contact .
you’re able to purchase ZeroTol HCfrom Arbico Organics .
Spray daily for three consecutive days as soon as your plants show sign of disease . After that , spray weekly .
Weekly sprays are also advocate to prevent infection when temperature are in the optimal range .
One wonderful quirk of microbiology is that there are microbes out there that will kill other ones ! Some of the most effective strains are deal as biofungicides .
One such product that is commonly used to process anthracnose is CEASE Biological Fungicide . It is composed of an extensively studied straining of the bacterial speciesBacillus subtilis .
CEASE Biological Fungicide
you may detect CEASEavailable from Arbico Organics .
You will get the best results if you treat at the first mansion of contagion . Spray as directed and repeat every seven days or as involve .
If the disease is really entrenched , you’re able to spray more frequently , or use the higher rate recommend on the recording label for cosmetic plants , since you will not be consuming your bergenia !
Learn to useBacillus subtilisin our guide .
Additional Types of Leaf Spots
There are some more obscure fungal diseases that may impact bergenia , but you are not potential to encounter them in your garden .
The German study referenced above identify another eccentric ofColletotrichumfrom lupine plants ( C. lupiniivar.setosum ) that is less aggressive and stimulate different kinds of symptoms on bergenia .
C. lillacolacauses a dreadful transmission ofBergenia ligulatain India , but this metal money is not unremarkably grown in the US .
Scientists in France identified the fungous pathogenPilidium concavumfrominfectedB. crassifolialeaves .
While this pathogen can attack a wide array of plants , this was the first paper of its power to infect bergenia . The fungus has been isolated in the US , Europe , Brazil , China , and Iran .
It is also known as tan - brown rot and causes little , round , water system - soaked spots on leaves and sometimes stems as well .
Crown Rot/Rhizome Rot
Anthracnose is well known to also manifest as the dreaded crown rotting , which causes the flop and end of plants . This condition is also be intimate as rootstock waste in bergenia .
It is rarely a trouble with these plants , unless you put mulch over their crowns .
Since crown bunkum are ordinarily black by the clip your plant show symptoms , your ripe bet is to purge infected plant life from your garden .
Another complication of diadem rots is that collapsing plants look similar even when the damage is get by very unlike eccentric of pathogen .
The water moldPhytophthoraalso commonly cause crown rot , but it can take a research laboratory mental test to key out the germ . It ’s not deserving it in this case , since it is exceedingly difficult to write a plant once it has contracted crown rot .
Read more about identifying and plow crown molder here .
Bergenia Resists Most Infections
While anthracnose can attack bergenia plant , these beauties condense diseases much more rarely than other decorative flora .
Keep an oculus out for spots on the leaves , avoid set mulch on the crowns , and your plants should expand for age .
In the unfortunate case that you do see spots , treating your plants at the first sign of contagion may salvage them , and should prevent the disease spreading around your garden .
And formore information about growing bergeniain your garden , jibe out these guide next :
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About
Helga George , PhD
