Leaf spot disease is a very common plant problem. There are two main types – bacterial and fungal – and both can affect indoor and outdoor plants, including grass, trees, and shrubs.
Even the most experienced and diligent gardeners will encounter leaf spot disease at some point. It’s not necessarily a sign that you’ve done something wrong, and this disease will rarely kill your plants. Leaf spot does affect the appearance of infected plants, though.
We recommend that you learn how to identify leaf spot disease, what causes leaf spots, what you can do to prevent the disease, and the best ways to treat it. We cover all of this below.
How to Identify Leaf Spot Disease
Leaf spot is relatively easy to notice if you’re paying close attention to your plants. It causes changes in the foliage, usually in the form of dark spots. Light spots are possible, too, and so is a darkening around the edge of leaves.
These spots are initially small in most cases and will sometimes have a colored halo surrounding them. They will grow as the disease develops, forming blotches as they merge.
The earlier you identify leaf spot disease, the easier it is to do something about it. If left untreated, the leaves on affected plants will eventually drop. Further damage is also possible. That’s why it’s essential to check your plants regularly, including the underside of leaves. Spots can appear on the bottom of leaves as well as the top.
Once you’ve identified leaf spots – or suspect you have – you should take action as soon as possible. The first step is to determine what’s causing the issue.
Causes of Leaf Spots on Plants
Leaf spots appear in many shapes and sizes. It’s worth noting that leaf spot disease is not the only cause of spots appearing on the leaves of plants. Here are some other reasons that can happen.
- Insects and mites: These garden pests can cause leaf spots by feeding on the foliage and leaving behind their excrements.
- Nutrient deficiencies: A lack of suitable nutrients in the soil can lead to plants developing spots on their leaves.
- Environmental conditions: Unsuitable environmental conditions such as high humidity, low temperatures, or heavy rainfall can cause leaf spots.
- Human error: Overwatering or underwatering can lead to leaf spots, and so can using unsuitable fertilizer or plant food. A lack of space in containers can be a cause, too.
Take the appropriate actions if you think any of these are the likely cause of leaf spots. If you’re unsure, you might want to try to address all possible causes simultaneously. This might seem excessive, but it gives you the best chance of solving the problem and saving your plants.
One good way to determine the likely cause of leaf spots is by color.
- Black leaf spots: Most likely to be leaf spot disease (fungal or bacterial).
- Red leaf spots: Most likely to be fungal leaf spot disease or a nutrient deficiency.
- Grey leaf spots: Most likely to be fungal leaf spot disease.
- White leaf spots: Most likely to be fungal leaf spot disease, too much sunlight, or an insect infestation.
- Brown leaf spots: Could be a sign of overwatering, underwatering, leaf spot disease(fungal or bacterial), a nutrient deficiency, or a lack of space.
- Yellow leaf spots: Most likely to be leaf spot disease (fungal or bacterial) or too much sunlight.
- Orange/rust leaf spots: Most likely to be fungal leaf spot disease.
- Green leaf spots: Most likely to be fungal leaf spot disease.
As you can see, it’s hard to identify the cause of brown leaf spots. For other colors, however, the most likely cause is reasonably clear and you’ll have a good idea of the best course of action to try first.
Remember that if the spots are from leaf spot disease rather than any other reason, your plants are at risk of further damage. This is why we recommend assuming the worst and working on the premise that leaf spot disease is the issue.
Plant disease identification apps can help you determine the problem with some degree of certainty. It’s well worth using at least one of the best available options.
Tips for Preventing Leaf Spot Disease
One of the most straightforward ways to prevent leaf spot disease is to grow plants that are resilient to it. Or, at the very least, avoid growing plants that are particularly susceptible to leaf spot disease. Unfortunately, neither option will necessarily help with other causes of leaf spots.
There is, however, a relatively easy way to protect your plants from leaf spot disease AND other causes of spotted leaves. You just need to provide optimal growing conditions and the proper maintenance.
Of course, this is not exactly a foolproof solution. For starters, the required growing conditions and maintenance vary from plant to plant, and they’re not always easy to provide. And while this approach will definitely reduce the risk of leaf spots, it won’t eliminate that risk altogether.
Nevertheless, providing the right environment and care for your plants should always be a priority. We offer all kinds of advice to help you with this, in our plant guides and on our blog.
Proper plant maintenance is especially effective against problems caused by nutrient deficiencies and too much or too little water. Protecting against the bacterial and fungal infections which cause leaf spot disease is more challenging.
One useful preventative measure is to keep your plants free from debris that can harm them. You should clean up any general garden debris and debris from other plants as necessary.
Keeping your plants well pruned can help, too. Some plants get overgrown when not cut back regularly, which can increase the chances of leaf spot disease. Pruning is also an opportunity to get rid of any unhealthy parts of a plant. This will strengthen your plants overall and make them more resistant to leaf spot and other plant diseases.
Finally, make sure you pay attention to humidity and air circulation. The fungi that cause leaf spot disease thrive when there is lots of moisture and poor air circulation. To avoid this combination, I recommend watering the soil instead of your plants’ foliage and leaving plenty of space between your pots.
Treating Leaf Spot Disease
You can still end up with spotted leaves even if you take excellent care of your plants and follow the proper steps to prevent leaf spot disease. This doesn’t mean you’re a terrible gardener or plant carer, so don’t beat yourself up. Focus on taking care of the problem.
There are several ways to treat leaf spot disease, all of which are most effective if you notice the issue early. Always try to monitor your plants so that you can take action before any infection has the chance to spread too widely.
The best treatment for plants suffering from fungal leaf spot disease is usually fungicide. Find one that’s suitable for the plant or plants that are affected, and then follow the instructions for your chosen product. The leaf spots should start getting smaller after a few applications of fungicide before eventually disappearing.
If the fungus has really taken hold of a plant, I recommend that you remove any parts that are clearly infected. You might need to be ruthless as this is your best chance of saving what remains. Make sure that you disinfect your pruning tools before and after using them on infected plants.
Some natural remedies can be effective at treating fungal leaf spot disease, too. You’ll find some potential solutions in the following post.
Your options are limited if bacterial leaf spot disease has infected any of your plants. Copper fungicide can be an effective treatment, but only if you catch the infection early enough. If you don’t manage to do that, your only real option is to remove all the infected parts of any affected plants.
There are other treatments for bacterial leaf spot disease, but they won’t cure the problem entirely and only slow down the spread of the infection. Here are your options.
- Baking soda solution: Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with two tablespoons of vegetable oil, a tablespoon of liquid soap, and a liter of water. Spray the solution on infected plants.
- Neem oil: Spray neem oil liberally on infected plants. Try to cover as much of each plant as you can.
Be sure to stick to the following rules, whichever way you treat leaf spot disease.
- Keep the foliage as dry as possible on any infected plant.
- Regularly monitor all infected plants and take further action if the treatment isn’t working.
- Isolate all infected plants as best you can to avoid further spread of the disease.
Leaf Spot FAQ
What Are Leaf Spots?
Leaf spots are small, discolored areas on the leaves of plants, but they are not always indicative of leaf spot disease. Spotted leaves can also occur due to improper care, a lack of nutrients, or insects.
What Causes Leaf Spot Disease?
The primary causes of leaf spot disease are fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Fungal leaf spot disease is the most common form and also the easiest to treat.
What Plants Are Susceptible to Leaf Spot Disease?
Almost any plant can get leaf spots, and most can get leaf spot disease. The following plants are especially susceptible to leaf spot disease.
Roses, petunias, rhododendrons, geraniums, lettuce, beetroot, and peppers.
How Do I Prevent Leaf Spots?
The best way to prevent leaf spots, including those caused by leaf spot disease, is to provide your plants with optimal growing conditions and proper ongoing care.
You should also keep your plants well-pruned and free from debris, and ensure the surrounding air circulation is good.
How Do I Treat Leaf Spot Disease?
Fungicide spray or powder is the best way to treat plants with fungal leaf spot disease spray or powder. The optimal approach for bacterial leaf spot disease is to remove all infected parts of any affected plants.
Can Plants Recover From Leaf Spot Disease?
Most plants can make a full recovery from leaf spot disease. The key is to spot the disease early and apply treatment as soon as possible.