nursery growers and those who do it subdued fruits will in all probability be familiar with grey mold . This fungus is a subset of Botrytis cinerea and is very common . It ’s marked by the grayish molding that grows on the infected plant .
Host Plants
Many vulgar garden plants , both vegetable and cosmetic , can be infected by this blight . glasshouse growers will know it for its contagion of everything from roses to tomatoes to soybeans . Soft yield is especially vulnerable and gooseberry , strawberries and grape are also often subjected to this fungus .
Symptoms
The most coarse symptom is the gray mold that unremarkably coat the plant ’s root root word at terra firma level and slightly upwards . It will be seen as gray spore and “ fuzz ” on the radical of fruit as well . It eventually manifests as “ trace office ” on fruits , leaving unclouded rings of gray on their skins . Some fruit , such as berry , will literally be coat in it once soundly infected .
Life Cycle
Like most Botrytis fungus kingdom , this one bourgeon from spore and spreads rapidly . It can taint a full adult tomato plant in a week or two and will spread through several way , including direct contact and short distances by “ carrier ” ( hemipteron , doll , and human gardeners ) . Most normally , it infects the soil and mulch that are will year - round , stick thickly coat , almost seed - similar spore that can overwinter and then amount back to infect the next season ’s crops .
How Botrytis Impacts the Plant
It can be anything from a nuisance to deadly , look on how far it progresses and at what part of the ontogenesis cps it gains a bridgehead on the legion works . Most infection will not kill the works , but will severely limit its ontogenesis and development .
Wilted flowers , destroyed crops , and sickly , stunted plant are common .
How to Prevent Grey Mold
Like most fungi , prevention is the practiced way to keep this mold from get out of hand and destroying your garden . Hygienic processes , especially under field glass , is vital – slay all dead and decease leaves , buds and flowers pronto . ventilating system is another key , as is proper watering .
How to Treat
Several treatment are potential beyond destruction of the infected host . “ Drought ” treatments are mutual , wherein the nurseryman leaves the flora in full sun without water for three or four days to dry out out the mold . This impacts the industrial plant negatively , but does not destroy it in most case .
Some natural and chemic fungicides may be adjudicate with varying achiever .
resource : Botrytis Grey Mold
Creative Commons photo courtesy of STEVENDEPOLO
Plant disease : Botrytis or Gray Moldform Penn State Extension
Creative Commons photo courtesy ofSTEVENDEPOLO
