Greetings from the garden bed. We, the carnations (*Dianthus caryophyllus*), bring vibrant color and a spicy, clove-like fragrance to your landscapes. However, our beauty is often challenged by tiny invaders and silent diseases that can compromise our health and splendor. To help you help us thrive, here is a detailed account of our most common adversaries in the United States and the treatments we need from your perspective.
Our succulent stems and tender buds are a prime target for several pests that drain our vital fluids. The most frequent attackers are aphids, thrips, and spider mites. Aphids cluster on our new growth and undersides of leaves, sucking sap and excreting a sticky substance called honeydew, which often leads to sooty mold. This weakens us, causing leaves to curl and distort. Thrips are more insidious; they are tiny and rasp at our petal tissues, leaving silvery streaks and deformed, discolored blooms. Spider mites, almost invisible to your eye, weave fine webs on our foliage. Their feeding causes a stippled, yellowish appearance on our leaves, which can eventually turn brown and drop. To treat these invaders, we appreciate a strong spray of water to dislodge them, the introduction of beneficial insects like ladybugs for aphids, or the application of horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps, which suffocate them without harsh chemicals. For severe thrips infestations, systemic insecticides may be necessary, but please use them as a last resort.
We despise having wet feet and foliage for prolonged periods, as this creates the perfect environment for fungal diseases. The two most common we face are Fusarium wilt and Botrytis blight. Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne fungus that enters through our roots, clogging our vascular system and preventing water from moving upward. You will see it as a wilting of our lower leaves, which turn yellow and then brown, often on just one side of the plant. Unfortunately, there is no cure once we are infected. The best treatment is prevention: plant us in well-draining soil and choose resistant varieties. If Fusarium strikes, you must remove and destroy the infected plant to protect our neighbors. Botrytis blight, or gray mold, appears as fuzzy, gray-brown growth on our aging flowers, buds, and leaves, especially in cool, humid weather. To combat this, please ensure good air circulation around us, water at the base to keep foliage dry, and promptly remove any spent blooms or dead material. Fungicides containing chlorothalonil can help control an outbreak.
Some of the most devastating problems we face are caused by bacteria and viruses. Bacterial wilt, caused by *Pseudomonas caryophylli*, causes a rapid and fatal wilting. Our stems may develop a slimy rot, and if you cut a stem, a sticky, bacterial ooze is often present. Like Fusarium, there is no cure, and infected plants must be removed and destroyed. Prevention is key, involving sterile potting media and clean tools. Viral diseases, such as those caused by the Carnation Mottle Virus, are often spread by sap-sucking pests like aphids. These viruses cause a range of symptoms, including mosaic patterns on our leaves, stunted growth, and malformed flowers. There is no treatment for a viral infection. Your role is to control the pest populations that spread them and immediately remove any plant showing viral symptoms to prevent a wider outbreak in the garden.
