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Having plant problems? What to know before you shop for a cure

Having plant problems? What to know before you shop for a cure

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

If something is going wrong in your garden, there may or may not be a product available that treats it. A customer came in the other day and wanted to know what to do about a certain plant that is supposed to be evergreen turning brown in some areas. This could be a sign of a pest or disease, but it could also be a symptom of an environmental issue such as salt exposure, pollution, lack of water or sun scald, just to name a few examples. The cure may not be a product, it may be a different cultural practice. A little research before you go shopping might help you save some money or make better purchases.

If you don’t know exactly what the problem is, I suggest that you try an images search in your favorite search engine and try searches like “Diseases of Name of Plant”, “Name of Plant Pest Symptoms” or “Name of Plant Blight”. You may see an image that looks like the condition you are dealing with. Go to that web page and see if there is enough information to diagnose the issue.

Missouri Botanical Garden can help identify your problem in four ways.

 

    • Send them an email with an attached photo requesting identification.

 

    • Call the Horticulture Answer Service at (314) 577-5143.

 

    • Bring a sample to the Kemper Center Plant Doctors at Missouri Botanical Garden. On this web page are guidelines about what to bring and forms to print out to bring with you.

 

If you’re not sure what kind of plant you have, they can help with that too!

By Carolyn Hasenfratz Winkelmann

Carolyn was raised in a DIY household. From an early age she was encouraged to try everything from baking to soldering. These days she enjoys paper crafts, mixed media crafts, sewing, ceramics, mosaics, gardening, making things out of wood, home decor projects and upcycling found items into useable and decorative objects.

In the past Carolyn has worked in the retail, web design, and marketing fields. She now works part time at Schnarr's as a cashier, helps with the store's marketing efforts, writes her own blog and craft tutorials, and teaches craft classes. Carolyn’s father introduced her to hardware stores, his tools, and the “stuff stash” that every DIYer collects. It’s no surprise that time spent at Schnarr’s makes her giddy in the presence of things you can use to create! She still loves working on projects with her Dad and it's a treat to make a joint trip to the hardware store!

Carolyn is excited for the opportunity to help Schnarr's customers enrich their lives with creative and fun projects. She wants as many people as possible to experience the joy that DIY projects have brought to her life.

Other places to share Carolyn’s passion for creating:

Carolyn Hasenfratz Design Blog - http://www.chasenfratz.com/wp/

Carolyn's Stamp Store - http://www.carolynsstampstore.com/catalog/index.php

Carolyn's Pinterest Boards - https://www.pinterest.com/chasenfratz/