Tomato Woes

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In the last few days, we have gotten some inquiries that led me to have this little write up.  I have gotten several photographs of damage on tomatoes.  The damages are observed as sunken, tan to brown leaf spots. Typically these spots occur in interveinal (between veins) areas.  The same damage occurs on several different varieties of tomatoes.   These inquiries were coming from the Northeast and Central Texas region.  And many of these tomatoes were young and actively growing.  In fact, seedlings appeared to be more affected… Read More →

Mushrooms in the Garden Beds

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You may have seen some mushrooms popping up in your garden beds.  Usually, you see them most in beds that are mulched with bark or shredded wood; essentially a recycled wood product.  The Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab gets a lot of questions with regards to these sightings, everything from “Is it dangerous?”, “ Is it poisonous?”, “Will it kill my plants?”, to “How do I get rid of it?”  Let’s break it down. It is dangerous?  The short answer is PROBABLY NOT.  Many times, the mushrooms you see are… Read More →

How to Sample for Oak Wilt Testing

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Oak Wilt season is rapidly approaching!  We have already seen several submissions here at the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab.  However, we have seen a few submissions that weren’t adequate for Oak Wilt testing.  Here are a few pointers on how to correctly take samples from your oak tree: 1.  We need branches that are about 6 inches long and 1 to 2 inches in diameter.  We can’t do anything with twigs!  Ideally, the branches you send should be from the part of the tree that is showing symptoms of decline. 2. If… Read More →

Tours and trainings at the Plant Clinic

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Fewer samples come into the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab in the winter months.  Rightly so, as most plants are dormant at this time.  However, things are not slow at the Plant Clinic.  Fall and winter months are filled with various programs. Most of these programs are in support of our AgriLife Extension agents and our green industry in the various counties around Texas, whether it is Master Gardener intern training in plant pathology or workshops for landscape, nursery and greenhouse professionals.  We also host some group visits… Read More →

Annual Texas live oak leaf drop.

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As spring comes to many parts of Texas, so does an interesting phenomenon.  In March through early May of every year, we get calls for help with “dying” oak trees. The yellowing and scorched leaves often result in defoliation (dropping of  leaves).  Many believe that this is a result of some disease.   Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you see it) this is a natural occurrence in Texas live oaks.  These trees stay green through the winter and will begin to shed their leaves when the weather starts… Read More →