How to Identify Houseplant Disease

Is your houseplant suddenly dropping leaves, getting spots, or just looking sick? Plant diseases can strike fear into any plant parent's heart. One day your plant baby is thriving, and the next it's on the decline! Plant diseases happen to the best of us. Even expert growers deal with fungal, bacterial, and viral plant infections. The good news is that many common houseplant diseases are treatable if caught early. But plant friends, you need to first know how to accurately identify them.

In the third episode of the Grow Better series with my dear friend, Leslie Halleck, we explore how to spot symptoms, diagnose plant illnesses, build a first aid kit, and nurse your plants back to health.

In this episode, we learn:

• [07:00] What is a plant disease?
• [09:55] Why do plants get these diseases? (the disease triangle)
• [11:47] Factors involved when a pathogen meets a host
• [13:11] Difference between signs and symptoms
• [16:36] Challenges of identifying plant symptoms
• [20:17] Is it enough to know what the disease is before you start treating it?
• [20:51] General guidelines for identifying different types of diseases (fungal, viral, and bacterial)
• [24:37] What are some common misconceptions about bacterial and fungal disease infections?
• [28:19] Disease #1 Powdery Mildew
• [30:46] Enjoy a 15% discount on Soltech’s Grove LED Bar Light as a member of the Growing Joy community!
• [32:30] Does the idea of gifting mindfulness through resonating wind chimes intrigue you?
• [34:30] Disease #2 Molds
• [38:12] Disease #3 Leaf spots
• [41:14] Importance of having fungicides in a houseplant care kit!
• [43:14] Disease #4 Root rot
• [45:05] Considerations for propagating specific species (e.g., African violets)
• [48:23] Why do viruses generally have no effective treatments?
• [48:43] What are the go-to resources for diagnosing plant disease?
• [56:26] What is the best course of action for treating black rot on a Dracula or any orchid?
• [59:25] Keep your plants healthy by practicing prevention and environmental management

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Leslie Halleck’s Books
• David Gerald Hessayon Books

For disease-specific treatment guides,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Soltech Solutions

Bring the beauty of nature into your home. Soltech Solutions makes the grow lights you’ve heard me talk about for years: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a 5-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code "bloom15".

Wind River Chimes

Tap into the power of mindfulness and bring more peace, serenity, and magic into your home with chimes. Wind River is a Virginia-based company creating premium handcrafted and hand-tuned wind chimes for over 35 years. If you are looking for a new way to grow joy in your life and find a moment of peace, a Wind River chime is the perfect addition for your home or garden. Plus, it's a perfect personalized gift for your loved ones!

Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on all Corinthian Bells wind chimes.

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Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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