![]() Snap and green beans infected by gray mold can be sprayed with fungicides containing chlorothalonil. Check the label on the fungicide product for when and how often it should be used for specific plants. It is best to test the fungicide on a few plants first before treating all of them. Caution is recommended, however, especially with the new bedding plants developed in the past 10 years. However, neem oil is a rather weak fungicide. The label will also tell the spray interval required before reapplying sprays.Īnnual and perennial bedding plants, flowering and foliage plants, and seedlings in beds, flats, or pots may be sprayed with fungicides containing chlorothalonil, thiophanate-methyl, copper fungicides, or neem oil (clarified hydrophobic extract). For fruit and vegetable crops, the label will state the pre-harvest interval (the time that must elapse between spraying and harvesting). Always check the label of the fungicide product to determine if it will control gray mold, if it is labeled for use on the specific plants, and how often the plants should be sprayed. Several fungicides are approved for homeowner use to control gray mold on specific vegetables and flowers. Fungicides can be applied on a protective basis before disease develops, especially during periods of high humidity and cool temperatures. Maintain Healthy Plants: Follow recommended cultural practices, especially proper fertilization, irrigation, and pruning practices.Ĭhemical Controls: Chemical control of gray mold using fungicides is rarely needed on most plants. Gray mold thrives in shaded and crowded plantings and in areas of poor air circulation. Use a wide spacing between plants to promote drying. Provide Good Air Circulation: Do not overcrowd plants. Keep Leaves Dry: Avoid overhead watering and wetting of plants since this fungus is easily spread by splashing water and wind. Plant tissues that are stressed, aging, or inactive are easily infected plant parts for gray mold to become established. ![]() In the vegetable garden, remove infected plants immediately after harvest. Collect and discard faded flower blossoms and fallen petals. Sanitation: Following good sanitation practices is one of the best ways to reduce this disease. Gray mold is not difficult to control using the following cultural methods. Prevention & TreatmentĬultural Controls: Remember, cool, damp weather favors the development and spread of this disease. In the vegetable garden, look for gray mold on tomatoes and beans. Commonly infected are apples, pears, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and grapes. ![]() Many fruits, vegetables, and berries are also easily infected by gray mold, especially after being harvested and moved to cool storage areas. The disease also commonly affects African violet, amaryllis, calendula, camellia, bulbous iris, delphinium, dahlias, larkspur, snapdragon, impatiens, and hyacinth. Flowers with thick succulent petals, such as begonias, peonies, and geraniums, are particularly susceptible. Gray mold affects a wide range of annual and perennial plants. Corms and bulbs of perennials and annuals may rot when infected with gray mold. On some plants, such as roses, it can cause slightly sunken areas called cankers on the stems. The disease can cause spotting and decay of flowers, leaves, fruits, and berries. Ripe strawberries or raspberries left too long in the refrigerator often develop gray mold on the surface of the fruit. Infection usually begins as brown to gray circular spots that later become fuzzy when the fungus produces gray masses of spores. A cloud of grayish-white spores may be noticed when infected leaves or flowers are picked. Typically, as its name suggests, gray mold causes a gray, fuzzy coating on aging flower blossoms and soft, ripe fruits. Gray mold can cause different symptoms on different kinds of plants. Gray mold ( Botrytis cinerea) on harvested strawberries.Įdward Sikora, Auburn University,
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