Botrytis Blight

• Certain environments favor the germination and spread of botrytis blight. Cool moist weather with little wind helps spores germinate. Tropical plants grown closely together such as in greenhouses or indoors are at high risk for the disease. In fact, greenhouses or indoor environments that have windows closed at night due to cold temperatures in the early spring and fall are breeding grounds for the disease. Noticing the first signs of infection helps gardeners change or alter cultural practices to prevent further damage.
  
  

Symptoms

• Signs that your tropical plant has become infected include brown spots developing on developing stems, blossoms and seedlings. Seedlings often will collapse when the area right above the soil line has been attacked with botrytis blight. Infections on leaves spread to stems. Furthermore, tropical plants such as amaryllis can become infected through the soil when planted outdoors. Bulbs might exhibit rotting. The disease infects outdoor tropical plants through old infected plant debris left in the soil.
  
  

Prevention and Cultural Control

• Both prevention and cultural control methods are the same for botrytis blight. Keep foliage and plants dry by watering at their base. Avoid overhead watering practices. When planting tropical plants outdoors, you should choose areas that have well-draining soil. If your tropical plant continually suffers from the disease, transplant the vegetation to another area of the yard. Because many tropical plants need humidity when grown indoors, keep them from getting excessively humid. The humidity level for indoor growing should not exceed 90 percent.
  
  

Fungicides

• Fungicides are sometimes used to treat botrytis blight. Typically, gardeners growing tropical plants in greenhouses must resort to fungicide treatments. To find the right type of fungicide, check the label to ensure that it treats botrytis blight. Use fungicides that contain active ingredients such as benomyl. Spray fungicides every seven days or according to the directions until symptoms disappear. Gardeners help the fungicides out by pruning diseased portions of their tropical plants to reduce spreading.