What is fungus?

There are a number of different fungal diseases that can affect your plant. These vary in appearance, methods of treatment and level of harmfulness.

Symptoms

• Discolored spots or areas form on the foliage and grow larger

• The spots are often randomly placed on the leaf and not necessarily only at the leaf tips or edges

• Spots can be yellow, orange, brown,, or black in color. In many cases the spot may have a yellow ring around the edge towards the green healthy tissue

• The spots spread on the plant if not treated

What to do now

• Isolate the infected plant to prevent the fungus from spreading. In many cases the fungus only spreads to closely related plant species.

• Try to remove heavily affected leaves and dispose of them

• Consider using neem oil or targeted fungicide. There are several good ones on the market, and some are even organic. Make sure to always follow each brand’s specific instructions. The product may need to be applied several times to eliminate the fungus

• Check all of your plants from time to time to make sure it hasn't spread

Common questions

How do I know if it is harming my plant?

Depending on the type of fungus infecting your plant, it may show symptoms such as spots or streaks on the foliage, premature leaf drop or yellowing leaves. Most, but not all fungi, prefer warm humid conditions to grow and spread. They often spread either by wind borne spores or from water droplets splashing the spores to other plants.