I have a camellia that looks sick.  Its leaves are 2-3 times the normal size and are real thick.  I have seen other plants around town that look the same so I am sure you have an answer.  If it matters any, these are the camellias that bloom in the fall and not the big leaf ones that bloom in the winter.  Can you help me with this?

A: I certainly can. As you noticed, this is a very common disease that affects camellias.  This disease affects Camellia sasanqua (the small leaf camellia that blooms in the fall) more than Camellia japonica (the large leaf camellia that blooms in the winter). The cool nights and rains we had in the early spring made this disease flourish.  This disease is caused by the fungus Exobasidium camelliae. There is another Exobasidium fungus that affects azaleas in a very similar way.  

Leaf gall is the common name for this fungus. As you describe in your question, the leaves become very large and fleshy. The new growth is much thicker than normal and then the leaves break apart and release spores. When the leaf breaks apart, you can see the lower part of the leaf turns white. The disease spreads by wind and splashing water.  

The best control for leaf gall is to pick the infected leaves off as soon as you see them in the spring. If you can pull them off before the spores develop, you can prevent the disease from spreading.  Once you pull them off, place them in a plastic bag (the one your newspaper comes in is handy) and throw them away in the garbage or burn them.  

Usually this disease does not require chemical treatment.  The manual pulling off of leaves and limiting overhead irrigation in the spring, when the nights are cool, keep it in check. If you have a severe problem year after year you could apply Mancozeb at bud break.  This should be your last resort.  

For this year, pull off as many infected leaves as you can. Soon your plants should go back to producing its normal size leaves. The leaves that were affected by leaf gall will soon wither, turn brown and fall off the shrub.

This coming Friday night is the Charleston Battery’s Green Expo Night. Last time I checked, over 30 vendors of “green products” will be exhibiting their products. As an official supplier to the Charleston Battery, Possum’s will be there in full force showing off some of our green goods.  You can see how well our organics work by looking at their field. This will be fun for the whole family, hope to see you and your family there.

 Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply, 481 Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant (971-9601), 3325 Business Circle in North Charleston (760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd, in Charleston (766-1511).  Fax your questions to 406-2700 or e-mail them to your newspaper’s editors.  You can also call in your questions to the Garden Clinic, Saturdays 11:00-Noon, on News Radio 94.3 FM (721-TALK).

See more columns at www.moultrienews.com

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