SYMPTOMS POSSIBLE CAUSES CONTROLS AND COMMENTS Plants wilt; flowers may drop and leaves may turn yellow Dry soil Water logged soil Transplant shock Supply water Improve drainage Do not transplant in heat of day; water regularly after transplanting Plant wilts and dies Root, stem or corm rot (fungal or bacterial disease) Plant in well drained soil; destroy affected plants; use registered pesticides as soil drench Seedlings wilt; stems turn brown and soft and may be constricted at the soil line Damping off (fungal disease) Plant in well drained soil Use registered fungicide as soil drench Plants fail to flower; foliage looks healthy Wrong season Cool weather Insufficient light Too much nitrogen Immature plants Undersized bulbs Plants have specific day length requirements for flowering Do not plant sun loving plants in shade Do not overfertilize; nitrogen stimulates foliage, not flower, production Biennials and perennials often do not flower the first year Too many small flowers Plants not disbudded Some flowers, e.g. chrysanthemum, need to have some buds removed to produce large flowers Tall, "leggy" plant; stem and foliage pale or yellow Insufficient light Pay attention to light requirements of plants General yellowing of leaves; yellowing lowing may be interveinal; plant may be stunted; no wilting Nutrient deficiency Virus disease Soil test Submit sample for laboratory diagnosis Grayish-white powdery growth on leaves Powdery mildew (fungal disease) Use registered fungicide Pustules containing orange, yellow, or brown powdery substance on leaves Rust (fungal disease) Resistant varieties if available; use registered fungicide Brown, dead spots on leaves Fungal, bacterial, or leaf nematode disease (any of several) Submit sample for laboratory diagnosis Brown, dead areas on margins of leaves Scorch, due to hot, dry weather Salt injury Chemical injury Supply water Do not plant near sidewalks or drives that were deiced in winter Not common in home gardens Flowers wilt or fail to open; grayish mold appears on flowers in moist weather Gray mold (fungal disease) Pick off and destroy affected flowers; use registered fungicide Yellow and green mottle or mosaic pattern on leaves Virus disease (any of several) Remove affected plants; do not touch healthy plants after diseased ones; control insects Tiny white flecks or white interveinal areas on leaves Ozone injury Spider mites Use registered miticide Clusters of insects on stems or undersides of leaves; leaves may be curled or distorted Aphids Use registered insecticide Leaves chewed or completely eaten Various insects Slugs and Sowbugs Submit insect for laboratory identification Use beer bait or commercial slug bait Light colored tunnels or blotches in leaves Leafminers Use registered insecticide Leaves stippled with tiny white spots Spider mites Use registered miticide Tiny white winged insects on undersides of leaves Whiteflies Use yellow sticky boards (smeared with grease) to trap them or use registered insecticide White, cottony masses on leaves or stems Mealybugs Use registered insecticide (chart and information from the Texas Agriculture Extension Service)

For effective perennial weed control, timing is everything. Underground bulbs, tubers, roots and rhizomes contain the carbohydrate reserves the plants need to grow. Non-chemical treatments like pulling and hoeing work best after the plants flower, when their reserves are low and the plants, therefore, are at their most vulnerable. Know, though, that you're in for a long battle. Studies show it can take years of regrowth and pulling before the plant uses up its underground stores and starves.

As a result, many gardeners choose to use herbicides for perennial weed control. If you go that route, you'll find that late summer and early fall are the best times for treatment. Cooler nighttime temperatures in these seasons signal the weeds to send most of the carbohydrates they produce from photosynthesis down into their root system. If you apply an herbicide during this period, it is more likely to be carried into the roots, from where it can destroy the plant.

For optimal results, water perennial weeds so they are healthy and growing before you treat them. That may seem counterintuitive, but science shows it's the best approach. If a weed is water-stressed and not growing actively, it won't photosynthesize as much. Less carbohydrate—and less herbicide—will be translocated into the root system.

Unfortunately for gardeners, spring is one of the worst times to tackle perennial weeds. Carbohydrate reserves are generally highest because the plant has yet to use them to flower and produce seed. If you want your garden to look pristine, simply cut back the weeds periodically and make plans to treat them in the fall.

One important thing to note: Follow-up is critical. Don't expect to control any perennial weed with a single treatment. No herbicide can do that. Use a fall application as the starting point for your perennial weed management program and plan to repeat the process the following year. If you eschew herbicides, commit yourself to repetitive pulling. Monitor any persistent weed patches closely, and you'll soon have them under control.

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