What is gray mold? It is a fungus that can affect any part of the plant and is one of the most common diseases found among bedding plants. This disease will easily infect plants that are already damaged or beginning to die. Moisture is one of the main causes of gray mold. The wetter your plants are, the more susceptible they are to becoming infected.
How to Identify Gray Mold
- The symptoms of gray mold depend on the type of plant and environmental conditions, but generally spots that appear water-soaked will form on the leaves.
- These spots will then change color from gray to brown, eventually covering most of the leaf and causing it to wilt.
- Under really humid conditions, grayish webbing may appear on the leaves. In this webbing are structures that contain spores.
- Petals, stems, and buds can also be infected.
- Eventually, all of the infected parts of the plant will be covered by a fuzzy gray growth.
How to Control Gray Mold
- Remove the infected plants and destroy them.
- Clean thoroughly between your plants so that the disease cannot infect your other plants.
- You can try using foliar sprays with cultural controls on your plants to prevent further infections.
- Handle your plants carefully when transplanting and pruning. Gray mold usually attacks wounded plants, so avoid harming your plants.
- Keep your plants dry. Avoid overhead watering and watering late in the day. Give your plants time to dry off after watering them during the day.
- Space your plants properly to encourage good air circulation.
- Remember to clean between your plants. Remove any debris, including cuttings and dead leaves.