UAEX Plant Health Clinic

08/28/2026

🌳🍂 Brown leaves—and now they’re falling? Don’t panic just yet.

With the extreme heat and dry conditions we’re experiencing, environmental leaf scorch is showing up on many trees and shrubs across Arkansas.

Leaf scorch occurs when leaves lose water faster than the plant’s roots can supply it. Hot temperatures, dry soils, wind, and intense sunlight can all contribute. The sunniest or windiest side of the plant often shows the most damage.

And if those brown, crispy leaves are now dropping from the tree or shrub, that can also be a response to heat and drought stress. Plants may shed damaged leaves when they are unable to supply them with enough water. While alarming, this does not necessarily mean the plant is dying.

💧 What can you do?
• Water trees and shrubs deeply and thoroughly during drought rather than giving them frequent, shallow watering.
• If there has been little or no rainfall, a general guideline is to provide a thorough soaking about once a week, adjusting based on the plant, soil type, and actual soil moisture.
• Young or newly planted trees and shrubs may need water more frequently.
• Water the root zone, extending outward toward and beyond the edge of the canopy when possible.
• Keep irrigation off the trunk and focus water on the surrounding soil.
• Temporary shade or wind protection can help reduce stress on young or vulnerable plants during periods of extreme heat.

🌧️ Arkansas experienced significant drought earlier this year, and we are now facing drought conditions again. Supplemental watering is especially important for young, newly planted, and already-stressed trees and shrubs.

Remember, scorched leaves won't turn green again, but reducing water stress now can help protect the plant and support new growth when conditions improve.

🔎 Not all leaf browning is drought stress. Diseases, insects, herbicide injury, and other problems can cause similar symptoms. If the symptoms don't fit the typical pattern of environmental scorch, further investigation may be needed.

Photos: Leaf scorch symptoms on oak, Japanese maple, and dogwood

08/20/2026

Really great information! Please deeply water your trees.

08/20/2026

A new threat may be responsible for damaging plant leaves and contaminating your produce: herbicide residue.

Tips from a Virginia Cooperative Extension expert ➡️ go.vt.edu/usfPl

08/19/2026

🚨 Is it drought, disease, or a pest?
Sometimes, plants don’t make it easy to tell! 🌱🔎

Our newest Arkansas Plant Health Clinic Newsletter is out, and we’re taking a closer look at three plant problems you may be seeing right now:

🪲 Lace bugs — Leaves looking stippled, dusty, or off-color? Check the undersides of those leaves!

🍎 Bitter rot of apple — Dark, sunken spots showing up on ripening fruit? There may be more to the story than just “a bad apple.”

🌾 Gray leaf spot — Is your St. Augustine grass turning brown from the heat, or is a disease to blame? Learn what to look for!

Plus, we’ve included photos, symptoms to watch for, and management tips to help you figure out what’s happening in your landscape.

📖 Read the latest issue of the Arkansas Plant Health Clinic Newsletter:
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Arkansas-Plant-Health-Clinic-Newsletter-2026.html?soid=1142165174559&aid=ifz7OjvIkXg

Because plants get sick too! 🌿

Photos: Adult hawthorn lace bugs with shiny black spots of frass (Jim Baker, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org), internal V-shaped area of rot characteristic of bitter rot (Gerald Holmes, Strawberry Center, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bugwood.org), and gray leaf spot lesions on St. Augustine grass (Lane P. Tredway, University of Georgia, Athens, GA).

08/12/2026

🌱 What happened to this sweet potato vine?!

This unusual growth has a name: fasciation.

Fasciation is an abnormal growth pattern that can cause plant parts—including stems, flowers, leaves, and even fruits—to become flattened, broadened, elongated, fused, or otherwise distorted. In this case, the sweet potato vine has developed a remarkably wide, ribbon-like stem with numerous shoots emerging along its length!

So, what causes fasciation? That’s the tricky part—it isn’t always known. Fasciation can sometimes be associated with genetic mutations, damage to growing tissues, hormonal imbalances, environmental stress, or certain pathogens. In many cases, however, it appears sporadically and there is no obvious cause.

The good news? Fasciation itself is generally not harmful to the plant and doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. A plant can continue growing normally even when one part develops fasciation.

Plants certainly have some interesting ways of growing! 🌿

08/05/2026

🥒🍈 Is your cucumber or melon plant suddenly wilting? Bacterial wilt could be the culprit.

We recently diagnosed a melon plant with bacterial wilt, a disease spread by cucumber beetles that impacts all cucurbits (cucumbers, melons, squash, pumpkins, and gourds). The bacteria responsible for the disease survive the winter inside the cucumber beetles and are introduced into plants as the beetles feed.

🔍 Symptoms:
• Sudden wilting, even when the soil has plenty of moisture
• Leaves that may recover at night early in the disease
• Yellowing and browning of leaves as the plant eventually dies

Unfortunately, there is no cure once a plant is infected, so prevention is key.

🪲 Protect your cucurbits by:
• Scouting early for cucumber beetles and managing them before they feed on your plants and spread the disease
• Removing infected plants promptly
• Planting a trap crop around the garden
• Using row covers early in the season (remove them when flowers open to allow pollination)

Think your cucurbit plant has bacterial wilt? The Arkansas Plant Health Clinic is here to help with diagnosis!

Photos: Bacterial wilt in pumpkin (Jim Jasinski, Bugwood.org), striped cucumber beetles feeding on a cucurbit stem (Clemson University, Bugwood.org) , and bacteria streaming out of the crown of a pumpkin plant (Taylor Klass, UADA).

07/31/2026

Great information on bacterial wetwood!

Why is my tree “bleeding” white foam? We’ve had several calls this week!

The White County Extension Office has received several calls and text messages this week about trees oozing a white, foamy substance from the trunk or large limbs. While it may look alarming, this is often slime flux, also known as bacterial wetwood.

Slime flux occurs when naturally occurring bacteria inside the tree ferment sap. As pressure builds, the liquid is forced out through a crack, pruning wound, or other injury. When the sap reaches the outside of the tree, it may appear dark, wet, bubbly, or even foamy like the photo below.

You may also notice flies, beetles, ants, or other insects gathering around the ooze. Don’t worry—they’re attracted to the sugary, fermenting sap and are not the cause of the problem.

What should you do?
✅ Keep the tree watered during extended hot, dry weather.
✅ Apply 2–3 inches of mulch around the base of the tree (but keep it away from the trunk).
✅ Avoid wounding the trunk with mowers, w**d eaters, or unnecessary pruning.

What should you NOT do?
❌ Don’t drill holes into the tree to “drain” the sap.
❌ Don’t paint or seal the wound.
❌ Don’t spray insecticides or fungicides on the affected area.

In many cases, otherwise healthy trees can live with slime flux for many years. The best treatment is reducing stress and maintaining good overall tree health. However, if you notice extensive dieback, large dead limbs, or have concerns about the tree’s safety, it may be time to have it evaluated by a certified arborist.

If you’re seeing something unusual on your trees and aren’t sure what it is, feel free to contact the White County Extension Office. We’re always happy to help identify problems and recommend the best course of action!

07/29/2026

☀️ The heat isn't just hard on you—it's hard on your plants, too!

With temperatures soaring and little rainfall in many areas, even established trees and shrubs can become drought stressed. While mature landscape plants are more resilient than newly planted ones, they still benefit from supplemental watering during extended dry periods.

💧 Water trees and shrubs deeply about once a week when rainfall is lacking. A slow, deep soaking encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil, making plants more resilient to drought than frequent, shallow watering.

🚿 Don't rely on your sprinkler system to do the job. Most lawn irrigation systems don't provide enough water to adequately soak a tree or shrub's root zone. They can also keep leaves and needles wet, creating conditions that favor certain plant diseases. Instead, water at the base of the plant using a soaker hose, drip irrigation, or a slow-running garden hose.

Keep an eye out for signs of drought stress, such as wilting, leaf scorch, premature leaf drop, or thinning canopies. Providing water before severe stress develops can help plants stay healthier and reduce their susceptibility to insects and diseases.

🌳 A deep drink now can help your landscape weather the heat!

Photo credit: The Morton Arboretum

07/22/2026

🚨 Your plants may be trying to tell you something.

Summer's heat and humidity are fueling certain diseases and pests across Arkansas. Before you assume what's wrong, check out our latest Arkansas Plant Health Clinic newsletter for the symptoms, causes, and management of issues we're seeing now—including southern blight, fusarium wilt, tomato pith necrosis, and bagworms.

🌿 Read the newsletter here: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Arkansas-Plant-Health-Clinic-Newsletter-2026.html?soid=1142165174559&aid=rX6CkxjpCVw

Photos: Bagworms hanging from an evergreen branch in the landscape (Brian Kunkel, Bugwood.org) and a tomato stem showing southern blight fungal growth and sclerotia (Rebecca A. Melanson, Bugwood.org).

07/17/2026

Think the heat is getting to your plants? Spider mites love it. ☀️

These tiny pests thrive during hot, dry weather and can multiply quickly when plants are stressed from drought. Because they're so small, many people don't notice them until damage starts to show.

One of the first signs of spider mites is stippling—tiny yellow or white specks scattered across leaves where mites have been feeding. As populations grow, leaves may develop a bronzed or scorched appearance, become dry and brittle, and eventually drop. Heavy infestations can also produce fine webbing on leaves and stems.

If you suspect spider mites, try the tap test: hold a sheet of white paper under a branch and tap it sharply. Tiny moving specks on the paper may be spider mites.

Management starts with reducing plant stress. Water plants during dry periods and monitor susceptible plants regularly during hot weather. A strong stream of water can help knock mites off leaves, especially when populations are low. Insecticidal soaps can also be effective, but thorough coverage of the leaf undersides is essential. 

🔍 Check the undersides of leaves—catching spider mites early can make all the difference!

The photos show the microscopic spider mites and spider mite eggs as well as the stippling symptoms caused by spider mite feeding.