symptoms
Symptoms
- circleYellowing or reddening of foliage starting at leaf veins
- circleStunted, spindly growth
- circleDistorted, greenish or deformed flowers
- circleExcessive production of small, weak side shoots (witches'-broom)
help
Causes
Caused by a phytoplasma (a bacteria-like organism) spread mainly by aster leafhoppers feeding on infected plant sap; spreads fastest in warm weather when leafhopper populations are high.
healing
Treatment
There is no cure once a plant is infected; remove and destroy infected plants promptly to reduce the source of infection for leafhoppers to spread further.
shield
Prevention
Control leafhopper populations with row covers or insecticides, remove nearby weeds that host the phytoplasma, and choose resistant varieties where available.