Diseases of Herbaceous Perrennials

Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials
By Mark L. Gleason, Margery L. Daughtrey, Ann R. Chase, Gary W. Moorman, and Daren S. Mueller

No other book combines this level of illustration with such comprehensive information on disease problems of herbaceous perennial plants!

Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials is a beautifully illustrated, practical, scientifically reviewed reference book that will help you identify and solve plant disease problems specific to these valuable ornamental plants. As the popularity of herbaceous perennials in the landscape continues to rise, there is a demand for more information on how to produce and grow these striking plants successfully.

The common diseases of more than 150 popular perennials are included in this new book, arranged alphabetically by plant and accompanied by hundreds of fine color photographs to assist in accurate disease diagnosis. Short descriptions of the cultural conditions that will help these plants remain healthy and thrive are given for each host plant. Tips are provided to assist growers and gardeners in managing challenging diseases. This guide includes extensive color illustrations of diseases commonly found on herbaceous perennials in landscapes and nursery production. Accurate color images assist the reader in correctly distinguishing between disease and insect problems and leads to correct disease diagnosis when faced with a bewildering array of symptoms.

The aim of this book is to help readers to recognize the major diseases of herbaceous perennial ornamentals and to manage them effectively. It will be valuable to commercial plant producers and retailers, landscape managers, professional, home, and master gardeners, and the many advisors and extension professionals that serve the green industry. Professional plant diagnostic labs, plant health inspectors, and plant industry salespeople will find this book an essential aid for properly identifying new plant diseases such as downy mildew on rudbeckia, as well as the classic plant problems such as Botrytis blight on peony. To assist those new to the concepts of plant disease, supplementary information is included on the different kinds of micro-organisms that can cause contagious plant problems. References are provided for further reading and a glossary is available to help readers understand unfamiliar terms. Anyone who loves perennials will be able to use this book.

This book consists of three sections. The first section describes basic strategies for diagnosing and managing disease of herbaceous perennials. It explains why Integrated Pest Management is important and outlines some helpful practices to keep diseases in check. The second section includes short profiles of 12 major types of diseases that attack herbaceous perennials. This section helps readers understand how different types of disease-causing agents live and act, and how best to protect plants against them. The third and main section of the book is organized alphabetically by the genus of each perennial plant, which helps readers quickly find information for a particular plant of interest. A Common Name to Latin Name Index is included to help those that are unfamiliar with the Latin names of plants. Photos of some of the major diseases of each genus are combined with text descriptions.

Special features include:
- Over 700 color images of diseases commonly found on herbaceous perennials
- Up-to-date information on important diseases to watch for
- A primer on the different categories of plant diseases and how they are managed
- Symptom descriptions to help the reader tell major diseases of perennials apart
- The basic cultural requirements of each plant
- Encyclopedic arrangement (alphabetically, plant-by-plant)