Dr. Phyto

pansy

Viola × wittrockiana

Diseases & pests on this plant

• pansy & viola downy mildewPeronospora violae

  Pale yellow or greyish blotches on the upper leaf surface match a fine grey-violet downy mould on the underside; affected leaves curl, thicken and turn brown; growth is checked and flowering poor; worst in cool, wet, crowded plantings in autumn and spring.

• 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.

• slugs & snailsGastropoda

  Irregular holes with smooth (not jagged) edges eaten from leaves, flowers and soft stems, often starting at the margins; whole seedlings can vanish overnight; tender hostas, lettuces and bedding are stripped; the tell-tale sign is a silvery dried slime trail on leaves, soil and pots. Damage is worst at night and in mild, wet weather.

• grey mould (Botrytis)Botrytis cinerea

  Fuzzy grey mould on leaves and stems.

• cotton aphidAphis gossypii

  Yellow-green aphids clustering on shoot tips.

• Pansy powdery mildewPodosphaera violae

  Faint, discrete white powdery patches appear first on the upper surface of the older pansy leaves, made of a thin felt of fungal threads and dusty spores. The patches enlarge and coalesce until whole leaves, leaf stalks and even flower buds are coated with a greyish-white powdery film that can be wiped off with a finger. Affected leaves often turn pale, become brittle, curl or yellow, and may be stunted or distorted; heavily covered plants lose vigour and flower poorly. The mildew spreads in warm, dry weather and is favoured by crowded, poorly ventilated plantings.