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This disease is caused by
an organism called a phytoplasma which is a "virus like"
pathogen. The disease is spread by sucking insects who
move it in their saliva from on plant to another. The
aster leafhopper is the most common vector of aster
yellows.
Aster yellows can be
difficult to distinguish from other problems such as
nutrient deficiencies, incorrect soil
pH and shade tree
decline. The physical symptoms for all of these problems
often look a lot like aster yellows. Therefore, it is
imperative that you get a confirmed diagnosis from a
university or other plant diagnostic laboratory.
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The symptoms of this disease may vary rather widely
from species to species of plant being infected.
However, as the name implies, one of the key
symptoms is that the foliage will turn yellow with
green veins. There is a general loss of vigor with
slow growth and leaves that are smaller than normal.
Sometimes flowers are distorted and may be replaced
by a tuft of deformed leaves.
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IF aster yellows is diagnosed landscape, you can
replace infected plants with others that are not
susceptible to the disease. For
annuals,
verbena (Verbena),
salvia (Salvia), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana), geraniums (Pelargonium),
cockscomb (Celosia) and impatiens (Impatiens) are about the least
susceptible bedding plants. See the
list below for plants to
avoid if aster yellows has been a problem.
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Remove Diseased Plants - Aster yellows are at
present, incurable, so any plants diagnosed with this
problem need to be removed and destroyed. The disease is
not fatal in itself but infected plants will lose their
vigor and become aesthetically unpleasant.
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Control Insects - Since the disease is spread
primarily by sucking insects such as
leafhoppers,
controlling these pests will help prevent the spread of
aster yellows. Unfortunately, in the home landscape,
this can be very difficult.
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Control Weeds - Common
weeds such as plantain and
dandelion are known to harbor aster yellows. Removing
weeds from the lawn, beds and borders and surrounding
areas may also help limit the spread of this disease.
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Chemical Controls - Currently, there are no
chemical controls for aster yellows.
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Note: We
have provided some general information and
observations on this topic aimed at the home
gardener. Before you take
any serious action in your landscape, check
with your state's land grant university's
Cooperative
Extension
Service for the most current,
appropriate, localized recommendations. |
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Some flowering plants susceptible to aster yellows: |
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