Black Spots on Leaves > Identify, Control & Disease Prevention Tips

Black Spots on Leaves

Several issues can cause black spots on leaves, but the most common is black spot disease — a fungal infection that quickly spreads in moist and warm conditions. Even though these spots look scary, your plant will recover in 99% of cases if you take proper measures. That said, don’t ignore black spot disease – it will infect other plants quickly.

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Signs of damage

Here are the main signs of black spot disease:

Round, black spots about ½ inch (1.3 cm) in diameter with fringe margins.
The spots are present on the upper side of the leaves.
The leaf tissue surrounding the spot is turning yellow.
Lower leaves are infected first.
Infected leaves fall off early.

How to prevent

Black spot disease spreads from drips and splashes in moist conditions. Your plants are especially prone to it if the leaves stay wet for a long time. In the case of indoor plants, you can take these steps to prevent black spots:

Water from the bottom of the plant to keep the leaves dry.
Water early in the day to let the leaves dry.
Ensure good ventilation of foliage.
Do not mist the leaves unless it’s a requirement for your plant.

In the case of outdoor plants, here are some additional measures:

Keep the base of the tree clean of fallen infected leaves by raking.
Prune the lower canopy that rarely dries out and leave the upper one intact.
Plant new greenies apart from each other so they don’t touch when mature.

Heal

It’s possible to recover from black spot disease. Prune all infected leaves, especially those that are already yellowing. Disinfect the shears after cutting each leaf to prevent the spread of disease. Spray the leaves with neem oil once every few weeks or apply fungicides.

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