DISEASE ID · WATER MOLD (FUNGUS-LIKE) DISEASE
Downy mildew
Also called Downy mildew on roses, downy mildew on impatiens
A water mold that blotches leaves and can drop them fast. It likes cool, damp weather and shows up on roses, impatiens, and even St. Augustine lawns.
How to spot it
- Angular yellow, purple, or brown blotches on rose leaves
- Patches that look scorched or burned
- Purplish-gray fuzz under rose leaves in humid weather, or white fuzz under impatiens leaves
- Fast leaf drop
- On St. Augustine, white or yellow-green streaks that run with the leaf veins
Why it shows up
It is active in cool, damp weather. Mild nights of 60 to 75 degrees are enough. The pathogen can live on plant debris for a long time, so old leaves and dead plants keep it around.
How we treat it
We will identify it on a visit and recommend the right fix. For flowers like impatiens, that often means pulling and bagging the infected plants and cleaning up the debris. We will talk through anything else with you.
What you can do
- Pull and bag infected plants, and clean up the debris.
- Rake up fallen leaves.
- Call us if you are not sure what you have. It can look like other leaf problems.
WANT IT HANDLED?
Let a licensed applicator take it from here.
Tell us about your lawn. We’ll get back to you with a free quote.
Prefer to talk? 817-382-1722Licensed applicator, Texas Department of Agriculture · License #0984138