Also known as “ white-haired mold , ” this fungus infects a lot of herbaceous annuals and perennials . Botrytis has several species with the most common being Botrytis cinerea .
Host Plants
Many ornamentals including anemone , begonia , calendula , chrysanthemum , dahlia , fuchsia , geranium , hawthorn , heather , marigold , pansy , periwinkle , petunia , rose , and more . There are flora - specific blights which can infect peonies and tulip . For vegetable gardeners , there are botrytis blight infections bed to impress asparagus , beans , carrot , cultivated celery , eggplant , grape vine , lettuce , onion , common pepper , strawberry mark , tomato and others .
Symptoms of Grey Mold
Watch for silver - gray spore on plants growing in humid and relatively nerveless area . If an area of a plant wait morbid or off - coloration , inspect tight for tiny specs that flicker fairly embedded in those areas – these are the Sclerotium of the botrytis , which are like capsules for winter storehouse .
As the blight progress , leaves and stem will show larger and larger spots from the botrytis as it spreads . It may also be present on crowns , flowers , bud , and can transfer through seeds and incandescent lamp . It may manifest in dissimilar field of the works depending on species .
Life Cycle
As with most fungi , this blight does well in damp or humid conditions with little air rate of flow . It is a cool - weather fungus , however , so it thrives in lower temperature ( about 60F ) . It spreads relatively quickly and can go from plant - to - industrial plant through irrigation , fall foliage , fly spores , by piggybacking on worm , etc . It often infects seeds or bulbs and overwinters with them .
How Grey Mold Impacts the Plant
Depending upon the host , the botrytis blight can be devastating or just a nuisance . In all cases , it will destroy leafage and lowly yield and efflorescence production . It can sometimes kill the host plant and often does if it begin with the host ’s seeded player or seedling .
While botrytis mainly infect parting and halt , it can infect every part of the plant except the roots , so it will often guttle a little host plant in just a few days .
How to Prevent Botrytis Blight
As with most fungous infections , prevention is about managing the circumstance in which the fungi thrive . Keeping the plants in an aerated surroundings , protecting them from over - moisture , and utilizing at - the - ground watering methods to keep foliation from getting too moist is imperative . take seeds and seedlings that are disease - free and utilizing unpolluted soil and tool is also important .
How to Treat Grey Mold
Treatment can be done quickly with sprayer and fungicides . These are most efficacious when the blight is caught too soon . Removal of infected plants or flora share through quarantine methods ( using a bag , never pertain other , unobjectionable plants , etc . ) can also work , though it seldom gets all of the disease . Some natural remedy include bleaches , ammonia water , and similar fungicidal chemicals .
resource : http://web.aces.uiuc.edu / vista / pdf_pubs/623.pdfhttp://plantclinic.cornell.edu / factsheets / botrytisblight.pdf
Related
Flickr Creative Commons photo courtesy of TIM SHEERMAN-CHASE.
