Dogwood Tree Disease Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is a common fungal disease of trees and shrubs in minnesota.
Dogwood tree disease powdery mildew. The canker slowly girdles the tree. Sadly many dogwoods are susceptible to a fungal disease called powdery mildew. Powdery mildew usually attacks dogwood from mid to late may until frost in tennessee. Powdery mildew is a powdery white to light gray colored fungus that will grow on succulent stems leaves buds and flowers.
The shoots are also killed in this disease. How to get rid of powdery mildew on dogwood. Today it is severely infected with another disease known as powdery mildew. The infection is manifested in the form of leaf spots and stem cankers.
One of the very common diseases of dogwood trees is the dogwood anthracnose which is caused by the fungus discula sp. White to gray powdery spots blotches or felt like mats form on leaves stems and buds of infected plants. It can cover the leaves and infect young buds shoots and flowers dwarfing developing leaves and blooms and causing distortion and even death. Remove the infected tree and do not replace it with another woody ornamental until the soil has been fumigated and aerated.
We are recommending that you spray at least 6 hours prior to a rain. Variations in powdery mildew disease susceptibility occur within cornus species hybrids and cultivars. If disease is severe enough to warrant the use of fungicides be sure that the dogwood is a valuable specimen and the spray equipment can provide good coverage. Mulch the tree.
For fungicides to be effective they must be applied as soon as symptoms are noticed. The initial symptoms appear as medium to large purple bordered leaf spots and scorched tan blotches. There are many powdery mildew diseases on many of the different plants that we grow but they don t go back and forth across the different species. 2 disease management powdery mildew on dogwoods can be managed easily with a variety of options.
Deprive powdery mildew of excess succulent dogwood growth to feed on by avoiding fertilizers with high nitrogen content. Powdery mildew is a disease which is common on many ornamental trees and shrubs including dogwoods. Banner maxx rubigan and eagle have provided better control over previously recommended fungicides. In the southeast powdery mildew on dogwood is known to be caused by two different fungi microsphaera and phyllactinia.
These are systemic fungicides as are bayleton and cleary s. Sericea is very susceptible to powdery mildew. Disease is often most severe on young leaves and green shoots. Water no later than mid morning to reduce the humidity immediately around the dogwood.
Most of us enjoy the spring blooming of the white to pink flowers of dogwood trees. Florida flowering dogwood is highly susceptible to powdery mildew with the exception of cultivars jean s appalachian snow key s appalachia mist karen s appalachian. Prune out dead limbs.