Disease/Disorder Collection – Mechanical Plant Damage
Name of Disorder: Mechanical plant damage by Humans.
Scientific name of pathogen causing disease: Homo sapiens… plus incorrect use of mechanical tiller.
Type of disorder: Physiological… joking. Physical damage mainly to root system.
Cause: Poor work methods and incorrect planting.
Host plant where example was found: Ligustrum undulatum “Lemon Lime Clippers.”
Horticulture situation or host range where this disorder is typically found: Dual purpose garden beds, eg. Annual bed with perennial shrubs planted in. This particular instance is an annual garden bed with topiaries planted in the middle. The topiaries were planted to enhance the appearance of the garden bed when there is no annual crop in.
Plant symptoms: Exposed damaged roots and sick looking plant.
Spread: Wherever this happy gardener wondered with his tiller.
Conditions favouring: Tilling garden beds with both annuals and perennial plants…and Mondays.
Control options suitable for this situation: Evaluate decision to have perennials in annual bed. Place some kind of physical barriers around perennials.
The above information was kindly donated by Werner (Horticulturalist)
