Worried about sudden oak death syndrome attacking garden plants?
The California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers gives
some tips on gardening to avoid it..
Worried about sudden oak death syndrome attacking garden plants? The California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers gives some tips on gardening to avoid it..
Sudden oak death is caused by a fungus, Phytophthora ramorum. It’s very serious in some oaks, but pretty rare in California nurseries and home gardens.
The fungus can, on rare occasions, be found on camellias and rhododendrons, but it typically poses no serious threat to these or other garden plants.
• Buy plants that are best suited for your garden without worrying about the disease. Most plants are likely free from the pathogen.
• Avoid overwatering because the fungus can thrive in cool, damp environments.
• Don’t be alarmed by leaf spots or browning. While a symptom of sudden oak death is leaf spots, they’re not necessarily indicators of the disease.
• To learn more, visit the Web site www.suddenoakdeath.org or send specific questions to the California Oak Mortality Task Force state coordinator at lbriggs@nature .berkeley.edu
