Let's Know About Autumn Pests And Diseases

Get to grips with seasonal problems, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness can also be a season fraught with problems for gardeners.

Whether it is warm and dry, or cool and damp, autumn creates conditions that help pests and diseases flourish.

When the weather is still, warm and dry you will get powdery mildew dusting the leaves of your plants, while rusts that can be prevalent on chrysanthemums and hollyhocks will also thrive.

Cooler, damper weather brings out the slugs and snails and also causes fungi to erupt from our lawns and damp areas where decaying vegetation has piled up.

This year our courgettes have been struck by powdery mildew, there are a few signs of rust on the hollyhocks and a little fairy ring has popped up in the lawn.

I am not too disturbed about the latter as the toadstools are saprophytic fungi, feeding on dead plant matter in or under the lawn (probably the roots of a dying tree we removed) and I can get rid of them by sweeping a rake over the top.