Prevention

Preventing flower problems is often the best way to avoid having to use treatments that may be labor intensive, costly, or cause a threat to other nearby plants, people, or animals.

Review the following publications for flower problem prevention methods:

• Disease Prevention (University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener training slide series) discusses prevention strategies and provides examples of common flower problems.

• Insect & Disease Management in Annuals (University of Georgia Extension) describes how to prevent, diagnose, and control insect and disease problems that affect annuals. Much of this advice can be applied toward perennials, too.

Detecting and Diagnosing Problems

Find out what disease this black-eyed Susan has by reviewing the disease prevention slides, located under the "Flower Problem Prevention." (Photo credit: Mary Meyer)

When selecting flowering plants from a catalog, nursery, or garden center, one rarely visualizes a tattered, stunted, or disease-infested plant as the end goal. When disease, insects, environmental conditions, or animal damage interfere with plant health and beauty, it is natural for its caretaker to look for ways to prevent or remedy the problem.

Prevention and remedy begin with an investigation or gathering of information to accurately identify the cause of the problem.

See the following resources from University of Maryland's Plant Diagnostics Web site. The first one will walk you through the process of identifying plant problems, and the second, the flower photographic keys, provides pictures and examples of common flower problems.

• Developing Diagnostic and Decision Making Skills (University of Maryland's Plant Diagnostics)

• Flower photographic keys (University of Maryland's Plant Diagnostics)

Resources by Region

Northeast

• New York. Disease Fact Sheets of Annuals and Perennials (Cornell University).

North Central

• Illinois. Flower Insect Pests (University of Illinois Extension). A fact sheet discussing common flower insect pests.

• Illinois. Focus on Plant Problems: Diseases of Perennial Flowers (University of Illinois Extension). A guide to common perennial flower diseases.

• Indiana. Flower Garden Pests (Entomology Department, Purdue University). A fact sheet discussing several common insect pests of flowers.

• Minnesota. Plant Disease Diagnostics: Annuals/Perennsials (University of Minnesota). A diagnostic tool in which you first choose the host plant and then select the part of the plant affected.

• Minnesota. Flower Insects/Disease (University of Minnesota). A listing of flower insect- and disease-related articles.

West

• California. Pests in Gardens and Landscapes — Flowers (University of California). Problems for specific flowers in California.

• Idaho. Annuals: Insect Problems (University of Idaho). A look at some common insect problems of annual flowers.

• Idaho. Annuals: Disease Problems (University of Idaho). A look at common disease problems of annual flowers.

South

• Kentucky. Guide for Control of Annual and Perennial Flower and Ground Cover Diseases in the Landscape (University of Kentucky).

• North Carolina. Insects and Diseases of Flowers (Clemson University).

Local Extension Service

• Check your state’s Extension service Web site and search for information on flower problems, such as insects, diseases, and abiotic/cultural problems. Your state’s Extension office will have the most relevant information for your area.