Plant Health

Maintain plant health with our plant pest and disease alerts and factsheets on the most common threats.

PEST & DISEASE FACTSHEETS

Blights: correct identification and treatment options

Downy mildew: protecting plants against downy mildew attacks

Wilt: How growers can recognise pathogens and protect ornamental plants

Rust: Protecting plant crops against rust infections

Spider mites: how ornamentals growers can deal with spider mite threat

Scale insects: Protecting ornamental crops against sap-feeding scale insects

Moles: Options to control root and surface damage caused by tunnelling moles

Leaf and stem nematodes: how cultural controls and nursery hygiene are crucial to combat damage to plants

Nematode damage can be confused with downy mildew - credit: Dove Associates

Botrytis: How to avoid Botrytis infections

Botrytis produces patchy leaf tips on plants such as begonia - credit: Dove Associates

How using green manure can boost growers’ crops

Slugs and snails: natural and chemical control options available to growers

PLANT HEALTH THREATS

Takahashia japonica: cotton stringy scale insects' distinctive ovisacs could lower aesthetic value

Prunus bacterial spot/canker: this notifiable disease can inflict serious damage on all Prunus species

Tasmanian eucalyptus beetle: Eucalyptus trees face the risk of significant defoliation from a beetle that is expected to become established in the UK

Pepper weevil: sweet peppers, chilli peppers and other Solanaceae are at risk from this small but potentially devastating pest

Lemon tree borer: Wood-boring larvae of this beetle could wreak serious economic and environmental damage to native trees and shrubs

Red palm weevil: retailers and growers must beware of this highly invasive pest

Japanese beetle - chafer beetle poses a significant economic, social and environmental impact if it reaches the UK

Japanese beetle: metallic-green thorax and head and wing cases are coppery bronze

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus: can inflict considerable yield losses in commercial tomato and sweet pepper production

Crate of tomatoes with patchy red and green colouring due to tomato brown rugnose fruit virus

Citrus longhorn beetle: this pest threatens to alter our rural, urban and garden landscapes for good

Citrus longhorn beetle has a black body with variable white markings and long antennae

Two-lined chestnut borer: the arrival of this beetle would be another nail in the coffin of the UK's oak trees

Two-lined chestnut borer and marks in wood left by larvae feeding galleries

PLANT HEALTH NEWS

Winners and losers this horticulture week

Most read this horticulture week: peat, RHS, imports, pests, garden centre closing

Defra figures: Plant trade imports rise and exports fall

Plant importing ‘horrendous’ and ‘worst it’s ever been’, UK importers and European exporters tell HortWeek

Biggest pest and disease problems 2022-24 revealed

Plant import disruption continues

Pest risk analysis published

Border plant import issues ease after HortWeek raises awareness

Woodland Trust, National Trust, RHS and HTA demand more British trees now, but ‘rollercoaster’ grants and other issues remain

Apple sauce attracts vine weevils, latest research finds

Delay and damage ‘now the norm’, say importers

Ash dieback means trade will never sell the tree again

Winners and losers this horticulture week: imports, head gardeners and trees, peat

APHA acknowledges plant import issues at Border Control Point

Horticulture Careers showcases launch this October

Plant Healthy passes 100 members

HTA calls again for Government to help horticulture in autumn budget

Rachel Reeves - credit: Chris McAndrew ( CC by 3.0)

PEST & DISEASE ALERTS: W/C 30 September 2025

Botrytis - credit: Flickr/ Svetlana Lisova (CC by S.A 2.0)

Slug Fest supplies pest solutions

Bionema wins £647,000 slug-control funding

John Adlam to concentrate on water and nursery development

Defra CITES consultation could ease costs and red tape

New HSE neonicotinoid advice issued

New Defra boss set to progress horticulture EU-UK agreement

Poinsettia event to hear latest on peat, whitefly and new varieties

John Adlam's Monthly Nursery Checklists

1 October – Bacteria, biocontrol and Botrytis

1 September – Sawfly, scab and stem cankers

1 August – Sap, spider mites and spraying

1 July – Camellias, capsids and caterpillars

1 June – Scale insects, slugs and spider mites

1 May - Bacterial infections, bees and blister mites

1 April – Beetles, biocontrols and blossom wilt

1 March – Aphids, biological control and box blight

1 February - Field planning, frost and Fructogard

1 January - Feeding, field weeds and fogging

1 November - Bud blindness, disease control and glasshouses

1 October - Caterpillars, Choisya and compost tea

EAMU MONTHLY ROUNDUPS

EAMU roundup: September 2025

Horseradish - credit: Flickr/Nick Saltmarsh (CC by 2.0)

EAMU roundup: August 2025

Protected tomato production - credit: Flickr/ Local Food Initiative (CC by 2.0)

EAMU roundup: July 2025

Pumpkins - credit: Flickr/ScotGovRural Matt Cartney (CC by 2.0)

EAMU roundup: June 2025

EAMU roundup: May 2025

EAMU roundup: April 2025

Brussels sprout - credit: Flickr/ ScotGovRural (CC by 2.0)

EAMU roundup: March 2025

EAMU roundup: February 2025

EAMU roundup: January 2025

Tomatoes under glass - credit: Flickr/Local Food Initiative (CC by 2.0 DEED)

EAMU roundup: November 2024

EAMU EXPIRY ALERT

EAMU expiry alert: January 2025

EAMU authorisations that are due to expire by the end of January 2025.