The baby’s breath plant is best known for adding a little
magic to floral arrangements. The small flowers and delicate leaves create an ethereal
presentation. If you are thinking of planting these flowers in your backyard,
you will want to learn about common problems with baby’s breath plants. Read on
for a discussion of the most common Gypsophila problems.
Baby’s Breath Problems
Baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata) is an herbaceous perennial that is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. It usually grows between 2 and 4 feet (60 and 120 cm.) tall with a similar spread. This plant has slender stems and narrow leaves, with showy white sprays of flowers.
To keep baby’s breath plants happy, plant them in full sun
in a site with good drainage. They need regular watering but will die if they
get “wet feet.” The plants are so healthy and vital that they are considered
invasive in several states, but you may encounter a few baby’s breath issues.
Despite their usual vigor, your baby’s breath may experience
some health problems. Here are a few Gypsophila problems to look out for:
If you note discolored and distorted foliage, your baby’s
breath may be afflicted with leafhoppers.
Aster leafhoppers are tiny green insects that spread aster
yellows disease. Leafhoppers encounter the disease on infected wild plants
and bring the problem into your garden. They can pass this onto the baby’s
breath plants. Using floating
row covers in early spring keeps leafhoppers off the plants. You can also
take preventative action by applying neem
oil to the plants during their first month of growth.
Blotched or discolored leaves can also indicate that your Gypsophila
problems include a fungus causing botrytis
gray mold. Control these baby’s breath issues by improving the air
circulation between plants by thinning them out and/or transplanting them to a
sunnier location. Dusting leaves with sulfur also helps.
Why is My Gypsophila Dying?
Unfortunately, a few problems of baby’s breath are serious enough to kill the plants. Crown and root rots can be the end of your Gypsophila.
These rots are caused by bacteria and fungi that live in the
soil. If you don’t see new shoots in spring, this is likely the problem. You’ll
first see the damage on the crown, the thick area where the root system meets
the base of the plant at the soil level.
As the rot spreads, the crown turns mushy and bad-smelling.
Fungi attack next and the roots can become rotten and blackened. The plant dies
in a few days. Although you cannot cure it, you can prevent it by adding
compost to the soil for its fungus-fighting qualities and keep mulch away from
the crowns in winter.
Another of baby’s breath issues that can kill the plant is
aster yellows, spread by leafhoppers and aphids.
If your problems with baby’s breath include aster yellows, the plant foliage is
stunted and the leaves will wilt and die. You’ll need to remove and throw away
all plants infected with aster yellows. To save the rest of your plants, spray
generous amounts of neem insecticide on them several times a day for 10 days to
kill insect pests carrying the disease.
The baby’s breath plant is best known for adding a little
magic to floral arrangements. The small flowers and delicate leaves create an ethereal
presentation. If you are thinking of planting these flowers in your backyard,
you will want to learn about common problems with baby’s breath plants. Read on
for a discussion of the most common Gypsophila problems.
Baby’s Breath Problems
Baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata) is an herbaceous perennial that is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. It usually grows between 2 and 4 feet (60 and 120 cm.) tall with a similar spread. This plant has slender stems and narrow leaves, with showy white sprays of flowers.
To keep baby’s breath plants happy, plant them in full sun
in a site with good drainage. They need regular watering but will die if they
get “wet feet.” The plants are so healthy and vital that they are considered
invasive in several states, but you may encounter a few baby’s breath issues.
Despite their usual vigor, your baby’s breath may experience
some health problems. Here are a few Gypsophila problems to look out for:
If you note discolored and distorted foliage, your baby’s
breath may be afflicted with leafhoppers.
Aster leafhoppers are tiny green insects that spread aster
yellows disease. Leafhoppers encounter the disease on infected wild plants
and bring the problem into your garden. They can pass this onto the baby’s
breath plants. Using floating
row covers in early spring keeps leafhoppers off the plants. You can also
take preventative action by applying neem
oil to the plants during their first month of growth.
Blotched or discolored leaves can also indicate that your Gypsophila
problems include a fungus causing botrytis
gray mold. Control these baby’s breath issues by improving the air
circulation between plants by thinning them out and/or transplanting them to a
sunnier location. Dusting leaves with sulfur also helps.
Why is My Gypsophila Dying?
Unfortunately, a few problems of baby’s breath are serious enough to kill the plants. Crown and root rots can be the end of your Gypsophila.
These rots are caused by bacteria and fungi that live in the
soil. If you don’t see new shoots in spring, this is likely the problem. You’ll
first see the damage on the crown, the thick area where the root system meets
the base of the plant at the soil level.
As the rot spreads, the crown turns mushy and bad-smelling.
Fungi attack next and the roots can become rotten and blackened. The plant dies
in a few days. Although you cannot cure it, you can prevent it by adding
compost to the soil for its fungus-fighting qualities and keep mulch away from
the crowns in winter.
Another of baby’s breath issues that can kill the plant is
aster yellows, spread by leafhoppers and aphids.
If your problems with baby’s breath include aster yellows, the plant foliage is
stunted and the leaves will wilt and die. You’ll need to remove and throw away
all plants infected with aster yellows. To save the rest of your plants, spray
generous amounts of neem insecticide on them several times a day for 10 days to
kill insect pests carrying the disease.