Leafy gall

Leafy gall is a disease caused by the bacterium Rhodococcus fascians, which enters the plant through wounds in roots or stems and stimulates the plant tissues to grow in a disorganised way, producing dense clusters of distorted, leafy shoots.

The disease is not common and seldom damaging. In gardens, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, Lathyrus (sweet pea), Nicotiana, Pelargonium (geranium) and strawberries are among the plants most commonly attacked. Expect to see this disease in summer.

You may see the following symptoms:

• dense clusters of distorted leafy shoots, often close to ground level
• witches' broom
• bud
  A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers. proliferation
• reduced lateral
  A branch that grows from the main trunk or trunks. root development
• flattened stems (fasciation) - less common, and this symptom can have several other causes

Non-chemical control

Leafy gall is seldom serious enough to warrant control, but if it is troublesome, carefully sterilise pots, surfaces and tools to help eliminate the causal bacterium, Rhodococcus fascians. All potentially-contaminated growing media (potting compost

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. ) should be destroyed (or sent for council composting

Composting is the process by which plant material is heaped together to rot (decompose) to produce compost. Garden or kitchen waste can be broken down over time in a compost bin or heap to produce crumbly organic matter that can be used as a mulch, soil conditioner and a constituent of potting compost. ).

Chemical control

There are no chemicals available for the control of leafy gall.

Infection by Rhodococcus fascians (formerly Corynebacterium fascians) has a similar effect to that of crown gall, another bacterial disease, but instead of galls the host tissues produce dense clusters of distorted, stunted shoots at ground level. The bacterium disrupts normal plant hormone

Chemical substances that regulate plant growth and development. There are several types of plant hormones, including auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, abscisic acid and ethylene. These hormones play important roles in processes such as cell division, elongation and differentiation, as well as in responses to environmental stimuli such as light and gravity. levels, in particular auxins

Auxin is a plant hormone that plays a role in regulating plant growth and development, particularly in cell elongation, root formation and apical dominance (where the main stem is dominant over other side stems). It is also involved in many other processes, including phototropism (the bending of plants towards light), gravitropism (the response of plants to gravity) and the development of fruit and flowers. and cytokinins, causing the symptoms observed.