Eddie Seagle is a Sustainability Verifier, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland), Agronomist and Horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International) LLC, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Alumnus (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), Distinguished Professor for Teaching and Learning (University System of Georgia) and Short Term Missionary (Heritage Church, Moultrie). Direct inquiries to csi_seagle@yahoo.com.

“Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer.” Anita Krizzan. “It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. and when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” Mark Twain. “Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.” Charles Dickens. “I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” Ruth Stout. “Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.” Lilly Pulitzer.

As the new season approaches and plants show more and more life, the health of your plants becomes very obvious and concerning. If plants do not respond effectively to cultural practices or appear to be in some stage of decline, questions arise and immediate answers are wanted. Frequent questions are, “What’s wrong with my roses, or what’s wrong with my grass, or what’s wrong with my crape myrtles?” When we look at plants and grasses and determine that something is wrong, we must further evaluate them, the cultural practices, the surrounding environment, and potential causes. It may be simple to correct or more complicated than you ever expected. Are your plants healthy?

If the obvious is not present, then evaluate the micro-climate including light (too much, too little), temperature (too high, too low), water (too much, too little), air (good circulation, poor circulation), and soil air (compaction or over-aerated). Also, evaluate the cultural practices including nutrition (toxicity or deficiency), pruning (too much or too little), mowing (too high or too low), and irrigation (too much or too little).

Next, observe the symptoms or the plant’s response to a causal agent, whether it be an insect, pathogenic agent, or other. These symptoms become a means in the determination and diagnosis of the problem. Some symptoms are common to several insects and diseases, while others can be unique to particular pests.

Symptoms are a result of pathogenic activity, insects or abiotic damage and injury. Such abiotic injury includes environmental stresses, chemical damage, animal injury (urine or fecal matter), people damage (traffic and errors), and mechanical damage (dull mower blade or dull pruners).

These injurious agents can be infectious or noninfectious. Insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasitic plants and nematodes can be infectious and cause decline or death. Mites, rodents, rabbit, deer, slugs, snails, weed, ice, wind, sun scald, hail, mowers, tools, vandalism, nutrient deficiency, fertilizer burn, chemical injury, drought, poor drainage and shade are non-infectious but are injurious to plants.

Symptoms of plant injury include chlorosis (yellowing and loss of chlorophyll), spotting (change of color on leaves), holes in leaves, wilting, rotting, dwarfing, blight, galls, and tunneling into branches and trunk.

Wilting can be environmental or the result of pathogenic activity. If lack of water is the culprit then the plant may recover after the addition of appropriate water in due time. If pathogenic activity is the cause then the plant will not recover unless appropriate measures are taken.

Also, look for signs which are indicators of the presence of the causal agent. If insects are the cause, then look for the insect, the activity of the insect (parts of plant missing), eggs, or the frass (droppings of fecal matter) that might be left behind. Some insects may be hard to see and camouflage with the plant. For example, scale may look like bumps on the plant or green aphids in a cluster may appear as part of the plant. If part of the plant is chewed but the insect cannot be found, suspect a nocturnal (night-time) feeder. Lots of birds feeding on the lawn and disrupting the turf is an indication that they are finding food (insects like grubs and caterpillars).

Signs of pathogenic activity (fungus) include a powdery mildew substance (vegetative body of the fungus) on leaf, mycelium growth (cobwebby appearance), or a rust or smut appearance (spores) that makes stains on your shoes and lower pants. Various microscopes are needed for the observation of fungi, bacteria and viruses. However, a simple magnifying lens may help identify the fungus, its fruiting structure or its spores (seed-like contents). Such problems would merit professional assistance and guidance.

After the problem has been identified, measures must be taken to manage the situation. The effectiveness of the measure is dependent on the quality workmanship that follows. An effective management program will include efforts to exclude and eradicate the problem, protect the plant and environment, and select plants that offer a tolerance or resistance to such causal agents.

Spend time talking with specialists, advisors, master gardeners and horticulturalists to become more familiar with the plants you want to establish. Read as much as possible and become familiar with the various chemical control measures available to you. Take some time to visit your local garden center and spend some time simply looking at chemicals and reading labels.

It is not necessary that you become a scientist to grow your landscapes but do make efforts to gain familiarity about plants and their potential problems. Plant pests can be brought into the landscape by bringing in new plants or adding topsoil and mulch that is contaminated, blown in the wind, washed in from excess surface water movement, and/or carried by animals (wildlife and domestic), people, vehicles, bicycles and equipment.

After arrival on the site, pests can spread from plant to plant and zone to zone by wind, rain, people, contaminated garden tools, insects, etc. Since insects and pathogens reproduce rapidly, infestation is quite common and happens quickly once they are on site.

Provide the necessary maintenance and proper care to keep your landscape investment healthy and achieve positive curb appeal. Landscape gardening should be a hobby and not a chore. Welcome Spring next week!

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” -Colossians 3:4. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” -Proverbs 3:5-6. “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” -Philippians 3:7-8. “From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.” -Psalm 3:8. …Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” -Galatians 3:10-11.