What Is Wrong With My Collarette Dandy?

Are the leaves covered with white powder?

Are the leaves and flowers covered with gray mold?

Do the leaves have holes in them?

Are the holes large and ragged?

Are there any mucus trails on or around the plant?

Are the young leaves distorted or torn and full of small, brown-edged holes?

Are the leaves discolored, fine webbing may be present on the leaves?

Are the leaves, stems, and buds distorted, sticky with clusters of small insects on them?

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that usually appears in damp places. Encourage good air circulation around the affected plants. Water plants from below to keep foliage dry. Any affected leaves should be cut off and removed. The appropriate fungicidal spray will protect your plant from further infections.

Likely cause for these symptoms is a fungal disease - Botrytis blight. Other symptoms include brown to black spots that may appear on leaves and petals. You can only prevent Botrytis blight disease by planting sweet alyssums in areas with good air circulation. Water plants sparsely. Infected plants should be removed. Spray weekly with a copper fungicide until the disease is under control.

Mucus trails are caused by slugs and snails. Slugs and snails feed on the plant leaves usually at night. To control slugs and snails use diatomaceous earth around your plants. You can also handpick them during the night or use shallow dishes filled with beer as a trap.

Various caterpillars attack Collarette Dandy plants, and make holes in their leaves. You can handpick and destroy them if the infestation is not severe. BTK spray will help in controlling caterpillars.

Capsid bugs are known pests of Collarette Dandy. If only minimal damage is observed, it is not necessary to do more than keep dropped leaves and plant matter cleaned up to prevent capsid hiding places. Capsid bug treatment for heavily damaged plants should be done with a pyrethrin spray.

Earwigs often feed on Collarette Dandy leaves. Since they hide in dark places, trap them in short lengths of hose or rolled-up newspapers. Check traps and destroy captured earwigs daily.

Spider mites are known to cause problems for Collarette Dandy flowers. You can control spider mites by spraying plants thoroughly with water 2-3 times a day for several days. For severe infestations, spray plants with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin.

Distorted leaves, stems, and buds are caused by aphids. These tiny insects cluster under leaves and on growing tips where they feed on plant sap. Leaves, stems, and buds get distorted and later leaves and flowers drop from the plant. You can control them by washing them off the plant with water spray. Introducing their natural predators will keep their number low. Insecticidal soap should be used only with severe infestations.

If there are straight or meandering tunnels in the leaves, that eventually dry up and turn brown, the culprits are leaf-mining sawflies. Prune off and destroy all infested leaves. Cover plants with row cover until flowers open to prevent adults from laying eggs on plants. Certain nematodes can attack larvae inside leaf tunnels.