Pests, Diseases & Disorders of Garden Plants

Some plant diseases spread through water or soil.

Garden plants succumb to a wide variety of pests, diseases and disorders. Identification proves pivotal in correcting any problem that develops in a garden plant. Proper care and maintenance prevents many cases as well.

Insects

Scales are flat or round bugs that attack both indoor and outdoor plants, with the greatest risk of infestation in the spring and summer months. Aphids appear during this same time period, often recognized as dozens of small insects on a single plant. From summer to fall, bright green Japanese beetles eat leaf tissue between the veins on plants, while lacebugs and mealybugs present a risk throughout the growing season.

Diseases

Cucumber mosaic wilt infects more than 700 plant species, such as tomatoes, and often occurs after being introduced by aphids. Fungal diseases remain the single most common cause of plant diseases, resulting in problems such as wilt, rot, damping off and powdery mildew. Common bacterial diseases include blight and canker. Bacterial diseases often spread from one plant to the next through insects, soil or splashed water.

Weeds

Weeds compete with plants for water and nutrients in the soil, crowd out preferred plants and act as habitats for insect pests. A combination of manual, cultural and chemical control works best to effectively manage weeds and prevent plant problems.

References

• Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Home Garden Pests
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension: Plant Ailments and Disorders
• Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Lawn and Garden Pests
• Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Cucumber Mosaic Virus
• Ohio State University Extension: Fungal and Fungal-like Diseases of Plants
• Purdue University Cooperative Extension: Weed Control for the Garden and Landscape

Resources

• Ohio State University Extension: Common Insects and Associated Pests