Australian and New Zealand Gardening: Hello Guys, Can you tell me.............., 1 by Kaelkitty

Kaelkitty wrote:
Hi Debi,
Wow that IS weird, A. dioscorides is supposed to have spotted flowers not leaves. It could be something cultural - water spots on leaves left in direct sun can cause localised burning like that but it is probably a virus. Now DON'T PANIC it is also probably harmless, if unsightly. I would cut off and put the most mottled leaf in the trash; actually, if I had a choice I would burn it, but that is a bit awkward nowadays! The plant won't miss one leaf at this stage of growth in any case. Just keep an eye on the plants for further developments.

Have you been feeding the plants? If so, with what, how often, and what strength? Information is always useful!

Here is a picture of my Arums and their friends which I took just before the house move. Left to right the big green pots at the front are A. dioscorides, Dracunculus vulgaris, and Arum palaestinum which has pure black flowers. The big pots at the back are Arum italicum and a second pot of A. palaestinum. Off to the left, mostly out of shot, there are three more pots the same size; two more of the Dracunculus and one more of the spotted Arum. All of these are species which will grow through the winter, flower in the spring (once the tubers are big enough) and then go dormant for the summer.

This, I must say is the best colour I have ever had on the leaves. I am trialling a new bulb planting product this year and I am wondering if that is the cause. I am going to wait until the end of the season and then look at my overall results both with and without the new stuff. If I find in favour, I will be telling everyone all about it, you betcha!

TTFN, KK.