Need Help, Please
Noticed theses brown spots on a few of my TB Iris, they are not on any other Iris than a few TB's, is this Leaf Spot? If not, what do you think it is, if so what is the best & fastest way to rid my gardens of it? I'm just going into bloom, so I don't want to cut them right now, I will live with the ugly to see the blooms. Thanks for any & all help, will be going first thing in the morning to get what I need to tend them.. :)Anita
Yes, so sorry, that IS leaf spot.
Neem Oil spray DID help with my outbreak this Spring. It is a soil borne disease so mulching would help.
Schreiner's website says:
"Excessive moisture and rainy or humid weather can lead to this problem known as leaf spot. Always remove old dead leaves, and cut off and destroy any leaf or part of a leaf that is affected. In the spring, about six weeks before bloom, begin a regular spraying program with a fungicide. Using two fungicides alternately is often more effective than using one exclusively."
~m'
Thank you sooo much Marea, I thought so:(
Remember what I told you on the phone about 1 side of the bed I cleaned & the other I didn't? Well, I guess you can guess what side of the bed has the leaf spot, I have no clue if I can find Neem Oil in the morning, anything else I can get at my local Wallyworld in the morning?
Thinking about you, Just can't get it out of my mind:( I know you will be OK!! You better be, I need you Garden Buddy:)Anita
Some folks may not agree with me on cutting away green foliage. But I have essentially done away with leaf spot in my garden by trimming back any leaves showing the spores. Rain will splash the spores to newly emerging leaves... and on goes the problem. I don't believe a slight trim will hurt your bloom at all.
I've attached a photo of some plants that went throught a good trimming session in previous years. They are all in pretty good shape now.
Also a link that explains a litttle more... http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasefs/450-600/450-600.html
Good Luck, Dan
Will it do me any good to trim the leaves, as you can see I also have a few spots on bloom stalks? I don't want to cut the bloom off, but would do the leaves if it would still help, Thanks so much for the help..:)Anita
Hi Anita... trimming the leaves to get rid of the infected portions is a first step in getting this out of your garden. Supposedly it is spread by rain/water, so what's there could possibly spread. Avoid working in your iris when the leaves are wet, as this will spread the disease. If trimming the leaves would make them unsightly to you, I would leave them alone and opt for chemical treatment and fall cleanup. (see link I provided in the post just above) I'm mostly an organic grower, and have no experience with the chemicals needed. This is a common problem with iris, and some folks don't seem to be bothered by it's appearance as much as others. Your blooms are going to be fine, and afterall, growing iris is for pleasure and enjoyment of the beautiful flowers. So which ever way makes you feel best is what I would recommend.
Hope you have a good day, Dan
;0)Thanks Dan, I will trim & I will use Daconill Fugicied I picked up tady, I have had LOTS of rain, so I would yhink it will just keep spreading if I don't tend it, so I have to do what I have to do, when it stops raining long enough here, I will go out & get started on them, I sure don't want them to die on me.. Thanks :)Anita
Daconil is the right thing to use. I alternate with Mancozeb Flowable which you can buy on line. You spray 7-10 days alternating the fungicides for three or four treatments. Evidently it's important to alternate the fungicides to get rid of the fungus. You have caught it pretty early. I haven't been able to control mine by cutting off the diseased foliage alone. Yours is so minor that you may not have to cut back the foliage at all if you do the spraying right away.
Oh and be sure to use a stickative! Iris leaves are slippery and you want the chemicals to adhere to the leaves.
Thanks Doss, will try to find Mancozeb Flowable? any sub for that? Thanks :)Anita
Anita, I suggest you be relentless in fighting the leaf spot. I would cut away anything showing signs of the disease, and even take a plastic bag with you to collect them in. Also good to be careful not to brush against damp infected leaves and then healthy ones, I understand under moist conditions it can spread rampantly. I'm starting all over with beardeds in these gardens because I could never get it under control in my old one. It was heartbreaking to see so many beautiful blooms with all that ugly foliage. Yours hasn't gotten to the really ugly phase yet, but they ultimately turn yellow with brown streaks, and then dry up. Mine went from looking green with a few spots to really nasty by the time bloom was finished. Good news is that my friend, George, who moved to my old place is having some success fighting the disease among those iris. I'll alert him to this thread.
Best of luck!
Neal
Mancozeb flowable is readily available on line. There was one I used to use but it's no longer sold to non-professionals. Cleary's 3336 is supposed to be effective but I can't get it. Mancozeb is of relatively low toxicity.
http://ace.orst.edu/info//extoxnet/pips/mancozeb.htm
I don't know any other available fungicides. Here's a list that might help but I don't know if you can get these:
http://www.aces.edu/timelyinfo/PlantPathology/2002/May/pp530.pdf
If you are prone to leaf spot the real trick is to catch it at first sign. I treat mine when the leaves are about 6" up because of our very mild wet weather and then every two weeks although you are supposed to do it every 10 days. Remember to alternate sprayings with daconil and use a stickative.
This message was edited May 25, 2008 11:39 AM
Thanks Neal & Doss, I did not see anything on them till the leaves reached about a foot high, then I could see the spots. I need to get something other than the Daconil & I will win,I think the Daconil said spray 10-14 days apart? will have to read it again,I wanted to get right on it, but one thing after the other & I have not yet, but I am first thing in the morning, I would hate for young death for my Iris:(Anita
Hello all!
I am the one that lives in Neals old house. Neal left me like 100 iris that did have the spotty stuff bad. Last August I dug them all(they were in a nursery type bed) and cut the daughters off and destroyed the main rhizome. I soaked the new ones in a broad spectrum fungicide for 24 hours. Then replanted in different areas and some in a long sweeping bed. I have had great success with the iris and the spot. I started about a month ago and see very little signs of the spot and the ones that did have signs have cleared up. I also used the aspirin thing that I think lariann talked about in her article. So who knows which worked, but it's working and thats all that matters.
It was weird that only 5-6 showed sign and they were all together in a line. 20-30 in the line were fine. then the 5-6 spotted ones then 20-30 after the spotty ones looked great. Now the whole line is spot free. I also have tons of blooms and the foliage on all but a very few are nice and healthy. Last night was spray night and I even soaked the soil area around the rhizomes.
I am going to use an alternating fungicide in my spraying schedule. I had seen these iris bloom at Neals before and couldn't stand the thought of killing them. I am very hard headed and can get determined about saving a plant. LOL Out of the 100 or so I treated maybe 4-5 still show just the slightest bit of spot. I think I have an iris success story!!
George
Leaf spot isn't supposed to kill the iris - just makes them look terrible. I spray 2 weeks apart but the general rule is 7-10 days I think.
Congratulations on your success George!
