Botrytis Blight

This fungal disease, also called gray mold, infects leaves, stems, flowers, and bulbs of a number of plants. The fungus often infects dead or dying tissues first, and then spreads into living tissues. Lesions are brown to gray circular spots that later become fuzzy, producing gray masses of fungal spores. Cool, damp weather favors the development and spread of this disease.

Control: Avoid crowding plants and overhead watering. Prune away and discard diseased plant parts. Maintain healthy plants by locating them in the right spot, fertilizing them at the right time of year with the right amount of nutrients, and keeping a two- to three-inch layer of mulch around the base of the plants. Fungicides are available.