Southern blight affects hundreds of different plants, including vegetables, field crops, ornamentals, and fruit. This disease is also known as southern stem blight, basal stem rot, Sclerotium blight, crown rot, and white mold (not to be confused with Sclerotinia white…

One of the key components of IPM is to frequently scout and monitor crops to identify problems before they result in significant economic losses. Proper identification of pathogens, insect pests, nutritional, and physiologic disorders, as well as herbicide drift, is…

Diagnosing landscape plant problems can be challenging. However, an assessment of the entire growing site may aid in the diagnostic process. This publication was designed to provide a starting point for determining possible causes behind various plant problems.  The step-by-step…

Taxus (yew) is an evergreen shrub commonly found in Kentucky landscapes. Numerous conditions can cause these shrubs to exhibit yellowing and browning symptoms. Taxus troubles can be the result of diseases, insects, or adverse growing conditions. Pinpointing the specific cause…

Black rot and frogeye leaf spot are common names of an apple disease that occurs in three phases: (1) leaf infections result in frogeye leaf spot, while (2) fruit rot and (3) branch infections are referred to as black rot.…

Boxwood blight is a disease of boxwood (Buxus spp.) that causes rapid defoliation and plant dieback. Plants are eventually weakened by repeated defoliation and dieback, and the resulting plant stress and consequent colonization by secondary invaders leads to plant death.…

Twig and branch dieback is a common sight in many juniper plantings in Kentucky. While other factors can cause these general symptoms, two fungal diseases are frequently responsible for the dieback. These fungi (Phomopsis juniperovora and Kabatina juniperi) attack several…