peonies

Peony Measles

Cultivate your own garden, said Voltaire at the end of Candide.  Looking homeward, I note that peony measles, first seen in mid-July has continued to develop.  Measles, or red spot or leaf blotch or Cladosporium leaf blotch disease are alternative names for this fungal disease. It is caused by, you guessed it, Cladosporium paeoniae or, who knew, with its new moniker, Dicholocladosporium chlorocephalum. 

 

  On the upper leaf surface, reddish and brownish “measles”-like spots develop earlier in summer, now coalescing into purple blotches...

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Authors
Jim Chatfield

I Love Peonies! and Time for Post-Bloom Followup

Peonies in central Ohio are now finished blooming but wow what a bloom this year.  They had just about perfect weather to provide a wonderful display.  Now they they are finished blooming, you can clean up the dead blooms (deadhead) and have pretty nice looking foliage plants in the perennial bed the rest of the season.  Remove the dead blooms by going down into the plant, going below the top layer of foliage. 

 

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Authors
Pam Bennett