From our perspective, aphids are a significant nuisance. These tiny, soft-bodied insects cluster on our tender new growth, buds, and the undersides of our leaves. They pierce our tissues with their needle-like mouthparts to suck out our vital sap, which is our lifeblood. This feeding weakens us, causing our leaves to curl, pucker, and turn yellow. More dangerously, they excrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which encourages the growth of sooty mold, further inhibiting our photosynthesis. Most alarming is their role as vectors; they can transmit deadly viral diseases from one plant to another as they feed.
Thrips are perhaps our most dreaded adversary. These minute, slender insects rasp and scrape at our developing flower buds and leaves. From our point of view, the damage appears as silvery-white streaks or speckling, and our petals often emerge from the bud already disfigured, streaked, and browned. A severe infestation can prevent our flower spikes from opening at all, rendering our entire reproductive display useless. They hide deep within our leaf sheaths and buds, making them difficult to reach, and they thrive in hot, dry conditions, which stresses us further.
This soil-borne fungal disease attacks us at our very foundation: our corms and root system. The fungus *Fusarium oxysporum* invades our vascular system, the network of vessels we use to transport water and nutrients from our roots upward. From the inside, we begin to literally choke and starve. Our lower leaves yellow and wither first, followed by a general stunting of our growth. The inside of our corm, when cut, will show a dark brown or black rot. This disease is devastating because it persists in the soil for years, and there is no cure once we are systemically infected.
We find Botrytis cinerea to be a constant threat, especially in cool, wet, and humid weather. This fungus appears as a fuzzy gray mold on our flowers, leaves, and stems. It typically attacks our aging or damaged tissues first, but can quickly spread to healthy parts. From our perspective, it causes small, water-soaked spots on our petals that rapidly enlarge into brown, rotten patches, utterly destroying our beautiful blooms. It can also cause our flower spikes to topple over. The fungus produces massive amounts of spores that spread easily by wind and water, making it highly contagious.
Viral diseases, such as Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus or Cucumber Mosaic Virus, are systemic and incurable from our perspective. They are often introduced into our systems by feeding pests like aphids. Once inside, they disrupt our cellular functions, causing a variety of symptoms that weaken us overall. You may see a mosaic pattern of light and dark green on our leaves, yellow streaking, stunted growth, and distorted or malformed flowers. These viruses sap our energy, reduce our vigor, and are passed on to our cormlets, ensuring the next generation is also afflicted.
