Dr. Phyto

flax / linseed

Linum usitatissimum

Diseases & pests on this plant

• Septoria leaf spot of flaxSeptoria lini

  Small brown spots with grey centers on leaves + stems, lesions expand into elongate brown blotches, severe infection causes premature defoliation + fibre quality loss, stem cankers reduce fibre length in fibre flax, infected seed perpetuates disease.

• Pythium damping-off + root rot (multi-host)Pythium ultimum

  Seedlings rot at soil line + collapse (damping-off), brown mushy roots when plants pulled up, plants stunted + yellow despite watering, sudden plant collapse during stress periods, foul earthy smell from rotted tissue.

• grey mould (Botrytis)Botrytis cinerea

  Fuzzy grey mould on leaves and stems.

• sclerotinia stem rotSclerotinia sclerotiorum

  White cottony growth on stems at flowering height, stems split open to show black sclerotia (1–5 mm) embedded in pith, premature ripening of affected plants.