I have old bearded iris. Many but not all of the leaves are turning brown from the tips down. I have looked at pics of leaf spot but the leaves do...
Knowledgebase
Iris leaves turning brown #457373
Asked May 27, 2018, 8:30 PM EDT
I have old bearded iris. Many but not all of the leaves are turning brown from the tips down. I have looked at pics of leaf spot but the leaves don't have any dead "spots". Any help would be appreciated.
Indiana CountyPennsylvania
Expert Response
The following is a response from a fellow Master Gardener that may address your issue. If this doesn’t help please feel free to respond with a photo of the problem.
Iris leaf spot may be responsible for the symptoms on the iris foliage. Iris leaf spot is a common disease of bearded irises. The disease is caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella macrospora. The first symptom of iris leaf spot is the appearance of small yellow-brown spots on leaves that are surrounded by water-soaked borders. The spots eventually turn grayish brown, develop reddish-brown borders and grow in size. As the spots grow, several spots may coalesce and destroy entire leaves. Iris leaf spot is most severe when the weather in spring is cool and wet.
Good cultural practices will reduce the severity of iris leaf spot. Remove all diseased leaves and flower stalks in fall or early spring. (The causal fungus survives the winter on infected plant parts.) Plant bearded irises in full sun, space plants adequately, control weeds, and avoid wetting plant foliage when watering.
Fungicides will likely be necessary to control iris leaf spot on plants that were severely infected the previous year. The first application should be made when the leaves first appear in spring. Continue to spray as directed on the product label. Effective fungicide products include those that contain chlorothalonil and myclobutanil. Since bearded iris leaves are waxy, add a spreader-sticker to the fungicide to make sure the fungicide adheres to the iris foliage.
Spreader-sticker is an ingredient that is added to your fungicide or insecticide to increase adherence to the surface that is being sprayed. It is recommended on the waxy leaves but not essential. It is not readily available in box stores but you may find it in your garden center. It is not very expensive - about $15 for a pint and it typically uses about 1 tbs per gallon of spray product.
Hope this helps.