What's the Problem?

Despite your tender loving care, occasionally some of your perennial plants may give indications that something is wrong. Before you assume there’s a pest problem, let’s look at a few factors other than pests that can cause trouble in the garden.

Bleached out areas on leaves can indicate sunscald. Gradually acclimate plants to outdoor growing conditions before setting them in the garden.

Drought can cause plants to wilt. Some plants will exhibit yellow leaves; on others, the leaf margins will appear scorched. However, too much water can also cause these symptoms. Check the soil frequently during dry spells, and water deeply rather than just sprinkling the surface. If the soil remains puddled or saturated for days after a rainstorm, you may need to move plants to a location with better drainage.

Blackened plant tissue may indicate freeze damage. Even the hardiest perennials can get nipped during a cold spell. However, if the plant is hardy for your region, most likely it will recover and sprout again when conditions are favorable.

If leaves are distorted or there’s a quick, overall browning of plant tissue, the plant may have been damaged by herbicide spray drift. Other chemicals can also damage plants, including improperly mixed pesticides and chlorine from swimming pools.

Heavy winds, torrential rains, and hail can tear plant leaves.

Lack of nutrients can cause pale foliage and stunted growth. Application of an improperly diluted soluble fertilizer can burn roots; these damaged roots can’t take up adequate water and the plant may wilt.

Keep these environmental conditions and the symptoms they cause in mind as you examine your struggling plants. After all, there’s no point in spraying pesticides if the problem is really sunscald!

Before we discuss ways to identify pests, let’s take a moment to talk about what it means to "manage" pests in the garden.