A guide to plant health from Jersey Plants Direct
Jersey Plants Direct is a retailer providing top-quality bedding plants, bulbs, perennials and shrubs available for delivery throughout the UK.
In order to help you get the very best from your plants it has published a guide to plant health, as well as dealing with common pests and diseases - one of several topics on which it provides hints and tips.
In order to maximise your chances of successful growing, it advises the following:
- Healthy plants are less prone to disease, so regular checking is essential.
- Use fresh compost at the start of each season
- Fluff up the compost as it comes out of the bag as good air porosity is essential for good root growth.
- Remove any dead or damaged growth as soon as you spot it. Remove carefully and cleanly as damaged areas are more prone to disease.
- Check plants regularly for pests. Spot them early enough and you can target the affected areas without the need to spray the whole plant.
Regular feeding and watering is also essential for growing strong, healthy and well-established plants and avoiding water stress. Check out feeding options here >>
Common diseases
- Mildews
- A fungus that causes powdery mildew, which forms as a whitish dust mostly on the upper side of the leaf, and downy mildew, which forms as a white down on the underside of the leaf. Both look unsightly and will prevent a plant from growing. Avoid over-watering plug plants as mildews favour damp conditions and use a fan to keep the air moving. Remove affected leaves immediately to prevent spread. To treat use a recommended fungicide and spray only affected areas.
- Grey Mould (Botrytis)
- A fungus that infects damaged areas and causes them to rot with a grey mould covering the infected area. This fungus favours damp conditions so ventilate young mini plants regularly when growing on. Avoid damage to plants and cut cleanly when removing damaged or dead leaves. To treat use a recommended fungicide and spray only affected areas
- Rhizoctonia
- A fungus that particularly affects damping off in young plants and causes roots to die back in mature plants which will then inhibit growth. Good hygiene is essential when growing on mini plugs to prevent infection. Good air circulation will help - and avoid over-watering as roots will be weak. Use a recommended spray or drench the compost before planting.
Common pests
- Aphids
- Green or black in colour, these familiar pests are small and come with or without wings. They form in clusters and will cause distortion to the leaves and growing points (curling). Use a recommended insecticide and spray only affected areas.
- Whitefly
- Related to aphids but white, winged and small. They are found on the undersides of leaves where they feed on the sap. In numbers a black soot will form and plants will distort. Use a recommended insecticide and spray only affected areas.
- Slugs
- Among the most notorious of garden pests, slugs feed on growing and dead leaves of plants leaving a slimy layer behind and physically damaging the plant with their voracious appetites. Use recommended slug pellets and apply after planting. Good hygiene will keep slugs away and a saucer of ale will attract and drown them without the need for chemical treatments.
- Red Spider Mite
- Tiny insects appearing red in colour that will distort plant growth. They prefer dry conditions. Use a recommended insecticide and spray only affected areas. This pest will overwinter in sheds, in old canes etc so clean all equipment well at the end of the season.
To get even more hints and tips from Jersey Plants Direct, including advice on feeding, watering, patio planting and jobs to do at the beginning and end of the season, click here.
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