Bacterial Brown Spot

Small brown spots with yellow halos develop on leaves, causing significant early defoliation. This bacterial disease spreads by rain splash. Avoid overhead watering and remove fallen leaves.

Leaf spot and blotch diseases are primarily cosmetic on established plants, though repeated years of heavy infection can weaken them. Rake up and remove fallen leaves to reduce the spore load going into the next season. Avoid overhead watering that splashes spores from the ground onto lower leaves. If the problem is severe, protective fungicide sprays during spring leaf emergence can help, but sanitation does more than chemistry for most leaf spots.