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Troubleshooting: Garden Rust, Yellowing Leaves, White Spots, and Powdery Mildew #570496

Asked June 14, 2019, 8:32 PM EDT

Hi! Thank you for taking time to answer my gardening questions! I'd love to stop by the office during your open hours. It is tough to make it happen given my work schedule. I am a new gardener and I absolutely love spending time with my plants! I even have 5 lavender in their second year : ) My challenge is troubleshooting the issues that are coming up. Yellow Leaves -Several of my plants have leaves which are starting to yellow -rosemary, peppermint, oregano, catnip, and thyme. I don't believe they are under or overwatered. I can't say that with 100% certainty, but I do feel the soil before watering. They are all in containers and all were planted with a mixture of soil-less potting mix, organic potting mix, and the rosemary also has some sandy loam. I had not fertilized them however, so I will try that. All of the plants are in a place where they receive plenty of sun. Additionally, many of the leaves have little white spots. The catnip has a leaf that looks as though it is being taken over by a white coloring -I suspect a disease is at play? I've attached pictures of these. Finally, my snap dragons succumbed to rust and I've now taken out the plants. (they were not in close proximity to the plants listed above) If I want to plant in the soil where the snaps were previously, or in the bed next to them, do I need to treat the soil? Can rust be spreading to my other plants? Thank you again, for taking the time to read and answer my questions. I hope to find some solutions which are organic and non-toxic. I would also love to check out any basic/beginner gardening resources you recommend. Thank you!

Lane County Oregon

Expert Response

I strongly suspect that the herbs would appreciate some liquid organic. 
A mix I like is 1 TBS fish emulsion and 1 TBS liquid kelp to 1 gallon of water. Water the pots first, then add the fertilizer to permeate the mix. You will see some runoff probably, depending on the size of the pot. Be sure that the soil in the pot has dried down about 1/2 the pot deep before watering the Mediterranean herbs.
 Is the plant in the photo catnip? Most likely sucking pests such as mites, aphids, whitefly etc. There is a disease called powdery mildew which is a common problem, but it looks almost like fine flour on the leaf. This does not really look like that. Catnip is in the mint family and likes more fertilizer and water. Look at the underside of the leaf with a magnifier and see what is going on there. You can then get back to us.
We do have mobile plant clinics so go to our web page or call the office where they will be. I was at one yesterday in Veneta. Pictures are really good and should include the growing medium/pot. Best is an actual plant for best diagnoses.
Once a month there is a free, open to the public seminar in the evening. The local nurseries often have instructive pamphlets which are good, such as Down to Earth and Johnson Bros. and Grays. Nurseries also often have free gardening classes on weekends particularly. More local seed catalogs such as Territorial and Nichols are a wealth of knowledge. Check out these sorts of references first. Feel free to get back to me anytime.


Patricia Patterson Replied June 17, 2019, 4:22 PM EDT

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