|
You must know what the plant
looks like when its healthy, flowering time, color, structure,
and leaf size.
Should know plant stresses such
as climate, lack of moisture. Look at the leaves as a barometer.
The leaves tell a lot about the plants condition. Its good to
have a magnifying glass.
Branches and stems should be
looked at for swelling, bumps etc. Roots should be looked at
for insect damage. Also look at other plants in the environment:
growing conditions, maintenance, has it been pruned lately, animal
damage, sunlight etc.
Also look into:
* vehicle traffic, construction,
gas leaks, excavation, spraying in the area, spills of some kind.
Leaves
 If
the leaves are eaten or chewed: beetles , caterpillars, bees,
earwigs, or slugs can be responsible.
If leaves are mined: larvae (sawfly),
moth larvae
If leaves are distorted, puckered
or looking too small or too many: fungus or bacteria blocked
the system, aphids, spider mites, herbicides
Spots on leaves: bacteria, fungal
infection, insect sucking on the underside of leaf, if spots
are orange in color it could be rust.
If leaves are wilting: lack of
moisture, too much moisture, nematodes attacking roots, shade
plant stuck in sun, lack of sunlight, galls, fungus or bacteria
blocking up plant
Grayish powdery mold on leaves:
powdery mold
Evergreens
 Evergreen
brown and withered: salt toxicity, dried out
If leaves fall the tree when
they aren't supposed to: drought, fungal diseases, black spot,
root problems, over fertilization, stress (transplanting or drought
stress), caterpillars, spraying.
Honeydew dripping from tree:
aphids, scale
Sooty mold on trees: caused from
honeydew excreted from insects.
Trunks, Stems And Branches
 Small holes in stems: woodpeckers, beetles
( bark beetles), borers.
Sap coming from stems, tiny bumps
on stems: scale.
Woolly bumps woolly scale, woolly
aphids.
Swelling on growths: insects,
galls, bacteria, funguses, infections, dried out plant that has
cracked or dried.
Tents or mats on tree: webworm,
tent caterpillars, forest tent caterpillars |
