20 Questions on Plant Diagnosis

Joe Boggs, Ohio State University Extension, Hamilton CountyErik Draper, Ohio State University Extension, Geauga CountyJim Chatfield, Sarah D. Williams, and Mike J. Boehm, Department of Plant PathologyThis is the third fact sheet in a series of 10 designed to provide an overview of key concepts in plant pathology. Plant pathology is the study of plant disease including the reasons why plants get sick and how to control or manage healthy plants.Proper diagnosis of plant problems is a key factor in plant health management. As urban forester Alan Siewert quips: “Treatment without diagnosis, as in medicine, is malpractice.” Despite this, diagnostics is often not given adequate attention.There are three challenges to consider when embarking on plant problem diagnostics:Some plant problems are very obvious, while other problems are very obscure.Some plant problems will not be diagnosed with your first effort. In fact, some plant problems may never be fully diagnosed.Clients usually want an im...