Black root rot of holly usually requires a laboratory diagnosis. If black root rot is diagnosed, there are several mostly preventive disease management options available.
1. Plant only disease-free plants in the landscape.
2. Avoid planting susceptible plants in soils known to be infested with the fungus.
3. In the landscape, badly infected plants should be removed and the site replanted with a non-susceptible host.
4. There are no effective fungicide drenches available for controlling black root rot in the landscape.
5. In the case of hollies, some nursery workers and researchers have observed that good cultural practices may enable some plants to continue to grow in spite of the disease. Plants in the early stages of infection should be well fertilized and watered.
