What Is Wrong With My Chinese Bellflower?

Are the leaves mottled with yellow patterns?

Are the leaf margins notched?

Are the leaves and twigs covered with small, armored insects?

Are the leaves yellow, branches, and leaves are covered with small bumps?

Are the leaves yellow and the plant looks weakened, tiny, white insects are present?

Mottled leaves are caused by Mosaic Virus. There is no cure for infected plants. Remove and destroy all plants that have the symptoms of the mosaic virus. Mosaic virus is spread by aphids, so the best way of preventing the disease is to control these insects.

Notched edges on leaves are usually caused by insects - Fuller rose beetles. This small, grayish-brown beetle has a cream-colored stripe on each side of its body. It feeds on foliage usually at night time. Larvae usually feed on roots. You can handpick the adults as they hide in foliage during the day. The application of sticky substance at the base of the plant should prevent adults from climbing up the plant. Introduce parasitic nematodes to the surrounding soil to control larvae.

Small, armored insects on leaves and twigs are armored scales. These tiny, shelled insects often feed on the undersides of the leaves, causing an unhealthy appearance with yellowish blotches on the upper leaf surfaces. Scrape off minor infestations with your fingernail. Prune out badly infested growth, or use a soft brush and soapy water to gently scrub the scales off the stems. Control scales by spraying insecticidal oil during the growing season.

Soft scales often attack Chinese bellflowers. Scrape off minor infestations with your fingernail. Prune out badly infested growth, or use a soft brush and soapy water to gently scrub the scales off the stems. Control scales by spraying insecticidal oil during the growing season.

Yellow leaves and stunted look are caused by whiteflies. These tiny, mothlike flies and their larvae feed by sucking plant juices. Whiteflies secrete honeydew, a sugary substance that makes leaves sticky to the touch. Control whiteflies by eliminating garden weeds and by introducing green lacewings in the garden. Spray infested plants with insecticidal soap every 3 days for 2 weeks.

Mineral deficiencies can cause tip chlorosis or necrosis or cause foliage to discolor, fade, distort, or become spotted, sometimes in a characteristic pattern that can be recognized to identify the cause. When nutrient deficiencies occur, nitrogen and iron are the most commonly seen deficiencies. Apply only the mineral found to be deficient. Excess nutrients, on the other hand, causes symptoms like leaf tip dieback, marginal leaf chlorosis, necrosis (or burn), branch dieback, and pest problems. In this case, you should provide good drainage, and use good practices during fertilization and irrigation.