What Are Diseases?

• Biotic - Can be diseased caused by fungi, bacteria or viruses. (example: powdery mildew, botrytis, etc).
• Abiotic - Not infectious or caused by other living organisms, usually a result of improper environmental conditions, nutrients, potting, etc (example: edema)
• How diseases develop - Many are often initiated during production where the pathogens remain dormant or undetected since plants are often grown under optimal conditions. Usually stress in new homes they are brought into like improper light, nutrient, or watering is what causes these pathogens to no longer remain dormant. Therefore, proper care usually can help to prevent pathogens from becoming present that induce diseases to develop. So in order for a disease to develop a pathogen/causal agent, host plant, and favorable env. conditions need to exist & interact over a period of time. Sometimes they can also develop from diseases transmitted from pest feeding.

These photos display what different diseases look like, but they are all treated in the same manner most of the time.

These photos display what different diseases look like, but they are all treated in the same manner most of the time.