Disease

Gray mold

Fuzzy gray mold on fading flowers, soft fruit and damp leaves.

What you'll see

• Fuzzy gray-brown mold on fading flowers, buds, leaves or soft fruit in humid weather.
• Water-soaked spots that turn brown and soft, and buds that rot before opening.
• Soft brown rot on ripening berries, or collapse at the base of soft stems.

Why it happens

Botrytis is a common fungus whose airborne spores invade dying, wounded or soft tissue that stays wet or humid for hours.

How to fix it

1. Gently cut off affected parts, bagging them first so you don't shake spores everywhere.
2. Pick off spent flowers and dying leaves promptly.
3. Increase air flow and lower the humidity, and keep flowers and leaves dry.

Keep it from coming back

• Space and prune plants for air movement, and ventilate greenhouses.
• Water the soil early in the day, not the flowers.
• Remove spent blooms before they rot.

Read more

• Self-watering pots: pros and cons
• How to make a terrarium

Sources

• UC IPM: Botrytis blight, or gray mold
• RHS: Grey mould

General guidance, not a diagnosis. For valuable, edible or outdoor crops, check with a local extension service or plant expert. Use any product exactly as its label says, and keep children and pets away while it dries.