You may have seen our recent blog on common garden diseases here we covered three diseases you’re likely to find lurking in your outdoor space. This is the second part of the series where we will cover three more diseases, what to look out for, and how you can control them (without chemicals!).

‍Brown rot

‍You may notice this fungal disease on your apples or pears around this time of year. The disease also affects cherries and plums. Brown rot is caused by the same fungi that causes blossom wilt and will create a rot that spreads throughout the fruit, appearing from wounds that could have been made by birds. The rot can also spread through fruits touching in a cluster.

The disease will cause fruits to fall from the tree or stay hanging in the tree in an almost mummified state! How badly infected your fruit is will change each year, as it depends on the weather while the plant is flowering.

Help to control brown rot by removing infected fruit immediately. During the spring when the plant is blossoming, remove any infected branches and blossoms to help control the spread of the fungus – this will reduce the amount available to infect the fruits with brown rot later in the year.

Olive scab

‍Also known as ‘Olive leaf spot’, the fungal disease causes unsightly leaf spotting on olives. The disease will then cause leaves to eventually yellow and fall off and reduce the vigour of your plant. Olive scab is visible all year round but it really gets going and begins to spread in the spring and summer.

Wet weather conditions allow the spores to spread across the plant and create purple or brown circular spots that can present as rings or solid circles.

If you notice this disease ensure you remove and dispose of fallen leaves and prune any twigs with die back. Help reduce the spread of the disease by pruning your tree to allow more air circulation and reduce the humidity around the plant. A good way to prevent this disease is to make sure you plant your tree in a spot where it will have plenty of air circulation in the first place!

‍Pestalotiopsis disease

‍This fungal disease attacks conifers and causes die back. The disease mainly attacks plants that have been damaged or weakened. Shoots of the tree will turn brown and eventually die.

Pestalotiopsis disease tends to kick in during wet conditions in the spring and summer and it’s worth noting that not just conifers are susceptible, other woody plants can catch the disease too. Leaves will be left yellow then turn brown before dieback occurs.

One way the disease can enter the plant is if it has recently had an attack by aphids. The aphids leave wounds in the plant that allow the spores to enter.

Keep the disease at bay by trying to control aphid attacks, allowing new plants to fully establish and preventing any unnecessary damage to the plant.

Remember the best protocol for keeping diseases and pests out the garden is to prevent them in the first place. There are lots of things you can do in your garden to keep it healthy. Keep an eye out for more blogs on maintaining a happy garden all year round!