The hot and humid days of July and August are prime time for fungal infections to start popping up on your trees, vegetables, and landscaping plants. Some of the most common infections are powdery mildew, rust, leaf spot, and blight. Preventative treatments, and acting quickly to treat fungal infections when you first notice them are crucial to keeping your plants healthy and prevent annually recurring infections in trees and perennials. Luckily, myriad organic products exist to prevent and treat fungal infections. We know that the options can sometimes be confusing or seem overwhelming, so here’s a helpful primer:
Sulfur Fungicide
Products include: Bonide Sulfur Plant Fungicide, Safer Garden Fungicide
Sulfur comes in either a powder or a concentrated liquid. It works better as a preventative than a treatment or cure. This is because the sulfur prevents fungal spores from germinating. It can be effective in slowing down an infection by keeping the fungus from multiplying rapidly, but it won’t have much of an impact on existing infections. It is most effective when applied at the beginning of the season, and on a regular basis before you notice signs of a fungal disease. Sulfur should never be applied within 4-6 weeks of using an oil spray. It will have a phytotoxic reaction with the oil, and result in plant death. Some plants are especially sensitive to sulfur products, so definitely avoid using it on gooseberries, apricots, raspberries, currants, and anything in the cucurbit family (cucumbers, squash, melons). It’s also important to consider that with continued application, sulfur can lower the pH of the soil and start to affect plant health.
Copper Fungicide
Products include: Bonide Copper Fungicide
Copper is a good choice of fungicide because it essentially kills the fungus. It is very successful for treating and preventing tomato blight and can be applied once a week. It’s important to follow the dilution instructions very carefully, since too strong a mixture can burn leaves. Young plants, and new growth are often very sensitive to copper, so applying an extra diluted mix is a good idea. It’s also important to apply copper during cooler times of the day when the sun is not too bright, so evening applications are preferred. Azaleas and Rhododendron are sensitive to copper. With long term use, copper can accumulate in the soil and eventually make it to streams as runoff. Large accumulations of copper can reduce the diversity of naturally occurring plant life. It’s unlikely that home gardeners will contribute to this problem, but it is a factor to consider.
Oil Based Fungicide
Products include: Organocide, Neem, PureSpray Green, Monterey Horticultural Oil
Neem oil is going to be the most effective oil for controlling fungal infections. It is a good choice for mild to moderate powdery mildew infections, but doesn’t do much good for blight, leaf spot, or rust. Oils are mostly used to control insects, but since many fungal infections are spread by insects, keeping pests at bay is a good practice for maintaining plant health.
Bacterial Fungicide
Products include: Serenade, Actinovate
Bacterial fungicides, also called biofungicides are an exciting new development! They contain bacteria and other microbes as the active ingredient and work in a variety of ways. Some bacteria actually prey on and consume the fungus infecting the plant, some trigger a defensive response in the plant that helps it prevent the fungus from further invasion, and some bacteria produce a toxin or antibiotic that acts against the fungus. Biofungicides work best as a preventative spray, but an application after disease is noticed can be very effective at preventing the spread of the pathogen. Unfortunately, spraying a biofungicide after you notice an infection will not likely cure the plant of the disease, except in the case of mild to moderate powdery mildew infections. Since these sprays contain living organisms, it’s important to store them at a constant temperature. Room temperature is usually fine, but leaving them outside or in a shed or garage where temperatures fluctuate daily and seasonally, can reduce the number of live microbes and decrease the efficacy.
Potassium Bicarbonate
Products include: GreenCure
Potassium bicarbonate is safer for the environment, and less harsh on plants than some of the other fungicides like copper and sulfur, so it is a good choice for sensitive plants. It works by killing the mature fungus as well as the spores, so future infections are less likely. With prolonged use, potassium bicarbonate can raise the pH of soil, so testing the pH regularly is recommended.
Terry says
I just noticed what appears to be blight on some of my tomato plants. I’ll come in to the store tomorrow for some copper fungicide. I also noticed some blossom end rot in some tomatoes. Any suggestions? I have some lime with calcium but I already applied it when I planted? Thanks for posting.
ashley says
Hi Terry, Calcium and magnesium deficiencies can cause blossom end rot. Fortunately there are a lot of cal-mag products to feed your tomatoes with.
Madalyn says
Hey Terry,
Ashley’s right about calcium and magnesium, and a lot of times tomatoes need more than what is available in the lime applied at the beginning of the season. I’d recommend bone meal (also very high in phosphorus), crab shell, or a liquid cal-mag supplement. Luckily once you start adding calcium, the problem is resolved very quickly!
Jan Johnson says
I use Neem, Bt and Serenade for bug and disease control. Since Neem comtrols some baterial disease will it also kill the bateria in Serenade and Bt products if used together? The products are a little costly and I don’t want to waste time and money.
Jeff says
As I understand it, copper is a preventative, and potassium bicarbonate kills fungi but doesn’t prevent re-infection. Can they be mixed to both kill and prevent?
Prof. B. Bhattacharya says
I have an apple plant in my balcony. The climate in Kolkata is humid and hot. Leafs have converted to black. I applied Cu base fungicide three times with gap of five days. The condition has not improved. Please advice.
Prof. B. Bhattacharya says
Some corrections. Read all the leaf are gradually blackening. Blackening starting from leaf tips. Can I use ice in soil to cool down soil temperature.
ashley says
We believe the plant has what sounds like an over watering issue. Make sure there is plenty of drainage in the pot and the plant is in full sun. If it is a fungal issue we would suggest a sulphur based organic spray. Ice cubes will have no effect on cooling the tree down. If it is too hot there for apples, you might try another, more heat-tolerant tree.
Jo Ogbajie says
Hi everyone. I noticed yellowing of my cucumber plants last week. don’t know the kind of infections on the cucumbers. I need help on the best form of treatment. The cucumbers are fruiting now.
ashley says
Hi Jo, Yellowing could be caused by many different problems – pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, to name a few. Check your plants on the top and underside of leaves for pests and caterpillars, to either identify, or eliminate that possible cause. Downy mildew can cause yellowing – remove affected leaves and dispose of them. Cut back some foliage on the vines to let air circulate more freely. Good luck!
Melanie says
Hi…my daughter (14) received a cherry tomato plant for X-mas, and takes its care of living healthily, serious (and personal). The care instructions on the little label attached said, “Do not transplant. 6 hours of sunlight daily & water 1 in. wkly.” Every morning she puts it out in the sunlight, (highs avg. 70-75) in CA, and brings it in before the temps begin to cool. Unfortunately, (small) white fuzzy spots surfaced on the leaves, and the tomato’s remain green showing no signs of ripening, or growth. Which treatment and further care will have the best outcome? Thanks
Bernard says
I am into herbs so is it advisable to use any of these products above
Susan McIntyre says
Hello,
This common but overlooked airborne pathogen is known to cause diseases of unknown cause. Some online documents state this cancer-causing, mental illness-inducing microorganism is not zoonotic. That’s wrong! It’s carried and shed by bats in their feces. And healthy people can get it, too.
My coworkers and I, all immunocompetent, got Disseminated Histoplasmosis from roosting bats, that shed the fungus in their feces. The doctors said we couldn’t possibly have it, since we all had intact immune systems. The doctors were wrong.
More than 100 outbreaks have occurred in the U.S. since 1938, and those are just the ones that were figured out, since people go to different doctors. One outbreak was over 100,000 victims in Indianapolis. 80-90+% of people in some areas have been infected, and it can lay dormant for up to 40 years in the lungs and/or adrenals.
This underdiagnosed airborne infectious disease mimics the flu and can cause malignancies, precancerous conditions, rheumatological diseases, connective tissue diseases, heart disease, autoimmune symptoms, inflammation, adrenal insufficiency, seizures, migraines, hydrocephalus, hallucinations, etc. and is often undiagnosed/misdiagnosed in immunocompetent people.
It’s known to cause hematological malignancies, and doctors claim leukemia patients go into remission when given antifungal. My friend in another state who died from lupus lived across the street from a bat colony. An acquaintance with alopecia universalis and whose mother had degenerative brain disorder has bat houses on their property.
Researchers claim the subacute type is more common than believed. It’s known to at least “mimic” autoimmune diseases and cancer and known to give false-positives in PET scans. But no one diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or cancer is screened for it. In fact, at least one NIH paper states explicitly that all patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis be tested for it, but most, if not all, are not. Other doctors are claiming sarcoidosis IS disseminated histoplasmosis.
What if this infection, that made me and my coworkers so ill, isn’t rare in immunocompetent people? What if just the diagnosis is rare, since most doctors ignore it?
Older documents state people who spend a lot of time in a building with roosting bats, in caves, working as landscapers, construction workers, pest control workers, etc. are known to get Disseminated Histoplasmosis, but the info appears to have been lost, for the most part. And now bat conservationists encourage people to leave bats in buildings/homes. What a terrible mistake they’ve made.
This pathogen parasitizes the reticuloendothelial system/invades macrophages, can infect and affect the lymphatic system and all tissues/organs, causes inflammation, granulomas, and idiopathic (unknown cause) diseases and conditions, including hematological malignancies, autoimmune symptoms, myelitis, myositis, vasculitis, panniculitis, dysplasia, hyperplasia, etc. It causes hypervascularization, calcifications, sclerosis, fibrosis, necrosis, eosinophilia, leukopenia, anemia, neutrophilia, pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypoglycemia, cysts, abscesses, polyps, stenosis, perforations, GI problems, hepatitis, focal neurologic deficits, etc.
Many diseases it might cause are comorbid with other diseases it might cause, for example depression/anxiety/MS linked to Crohn’s.
The fungus is an Oxygenale and therefore consumes collagen. It’s known to cause connective tissue diseases (Myxomatous degeneration?), rheumatological conditions, seizures, and mental illness. Fungal hyphae carry an electrical charge and align under a current. It causes RNA/DNA damage. It’s known to cause delusions, wild mood swings (pseudobulbar affect?), and hallucinations. It’s most potent in female lactating bats, because the fungus likes sugar (lactose) and nitrogen (amino acids, protein, neurotransmitters?), releasing lactase and proteinases to obtain them. What about female lactating humans…postpartum psychosis (and don’t some of these poor women also have trouble swallowing)? The bats give birth late spring/summer, and I noticed suicide rates spike in late spring/early summer. It’s known to cause retinal detachment, and retinal detachments are known to peak around June-July/in hot weather. A map of mental distress and some diseases appear to almost perfectly overlay a map of Histoplasmosis. Johns Hopkins linked autism to an immune response in the womb. Alzheimer’s was linked to hypoglycemia, which can be caused by chronic CNS histoplasmosis. Cancer is known to occur more often near rivers than in mountains or deserts, just like this infection.
The bats eat moths, which are attracted to blue and white city lights that simulate the moon the moths use to navigate. Bats feed up to 500 feet in the air and six miles away in any direction from their roost, but not when it’s raining or when the temperature is less than approximately 56° F. The fungus can grow in bird feces, but birds don’t carry it because their body temperature is too high, killing the fungus.
I believe the “side effects” of Haldol (leukopenia and MS symptoms) might not always be side effects but just more symptoms of Disseminated Histoplasmosis, since it causes leukopenia and MS symptoms. What about the unknown reason why beta receptor blockers cause tardive dyskinesia? The tinnitus, photophobia, psychosis “caused” by Cipro? Hypersexuality and leukemia “caused” by Abilify? Humira linked to lymphoma, leukemia and melanoma in children? Disseminated Histoplasmosis is known to cause enteropathy, so could some people thought to have nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug enteropathy have it and taking NSAIDs for the pain/inflammation it causes, and the NSAIDs aren’t the actual culprit?
From my experience, I learned that NO doctor, at least in DFW, will suspect subacute and/or progressive disseminated histoplasmosis in immunocompetent people. Some doctors, at least the ones I went to, will actually REFUSE to test for it, even when told someone and their coworkers have all the symptoms and spend a lot of time in a building with bats in the ceiling. Victims will be accused of hypochondriasis. (My doctors told me only farmer’s get it, it’s only in bird feces, and it only infects the lungs…wrong, wrong, and wrong!) In fact, the first doctor to diagnose me was a pulmonologist, and the only reason he examined me was to try to prove that I didn’t have it, when I really did. No doctor I went to realized bats carry the fungus. And NO doctor I went to in DFW, even infectious disease “experts,” understand the DISSEMINATED form, just the pulmonary form, and the only test that will be done by many doctors before they diagnose people as NOT having it is an X-ray, even though at least 40-70% of victims will have NO sign of it on a lung X-ray. It OFTEN gives false-negatives in lab tests (some people are correctly diagnosed only during an autopsy after obtaining negative test results) and cultures may not show growth until after 6-12 weeks of incubation (but some labs report results after 2 weeks).
One disease of unknown cause that could be caused by Disseminated Histoplasmosis: I suspect, based on my and my coworker’s symptoms (during our “rare” infectious disease outbreak) and my research, that interstitial cystitis and its comorbid conditions can be caused by disseminated histoplasmosis, which causes inflammation throughout the body, causes “autoimmune” symptoms, and is not as rare as believed. I read that “interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the submucosal and muscular layers of the bladder, and the cause is currently unknown. Some people with IC have been diagnosed with other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies, and Sjogren’s syndrome, which raises the possibility that interstitial cystitis may be caused by mechanisms that cause these other conditions. In addition, men with IC are frequently diagnosed as having chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, and there is an extensive overlap of symptoms and treatment between the two conditions, leading researchers to posit that the conditions may share the same etiology and pathology.” Sounds like Disseminated Histoplasmosis, doesn’t it?
My coworkers and I were always most ill around April/May/June, presumably since the Mexican Free-tail bats gave birth in Texas during May (and the fungus was most potent), and fall/Thanksgiving to December, for some unknown reason (maybe migrating bats from the north?). We had GI problems, liver problems, weird rashes (erythema nodosum, erythema multiforme, erythema marginatum/annulare, etc.), plantar fasciitis, etc., and I had swollen lymph nodes, hives, lesions, abdominal aura, and started getting migraines and plantar fasciitis in the building, and I haven’t had them since I left. It gave me temporary fecal incontinence, seizures, dark blood from my intestines, tinnitus, nystagmus, blurry vision/floaters/flashes of light, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, isolated diastolic hypertension, what felt like burning skin, various aches and pains (some felt like pin pricks and pinches), tingling, tremors, “explosions” like fireworks in my head while sleeping, and temporary blindness. Suddenly I was allergic to Comice pears (latex fruit allergy or oral allergy syndrome?). I had insomnia (presumably from the fungus acidifying the blood, releasing adrenaline) and parasomnias. It felt like strong bursts of electrical shocks or steady electrical currents in my body, which now feel like low electrical currents at times, mostly at night. I suddenly had symptoms of several inflammatory/autoimmune diseases, including Fibromyalgia, Sarcoidosis, ALS, MS, Sjogren’s syndrome, etc. that have disappeared since leaving the area and taking nothing but Itraconazole antifungal.
No one, including doctors (we all went to different ones), could figure out what was wrong with us, and I was being killed by my doctor, who mistakenly refused to believe I had it and gave me progressively higher and higher doses of Prednisone (2 years after I already had Disseminated Histoplasmosis) after a positive ANA titer, until I miraculously remembered that a visiting man once told my elementary school class that bats CARRY histoplasmosis. So much of it that they evolved to deal with the photophobia and tinnitus it causes by hunting at night by echolocation. There’s a lot more. I wrote a book about my experience with Disseminated Histoplasmosis called “Batsh#t Crazy,” because bats shed the fungus in their feces and it causes delusions and hallucinations, I suspect by the sclerotia fungal mycelia can form emitting hallucinogens (like psilocybin and dimethyltryptamine) along with inflammation in the CNS. (Schizophrenics have 2X of a chemical associated with yeast, part of the fungal life cycle.)
Thank you for your time,
Susan McIntyre
P.S. Doesn’t this infection share all the same symptoms with Gulf War Syndrome?