Pests or diseases in herbs

14 years ago

I've been gardening for a while (mostly vegetables and herbs) and I noticed that I can plant mostly anything and it will grow, but when it comes to pests in the garden, how do I control/treat them? I had beautiful sweet basils and they got some kind of disease that started to create black spots on them, little by little, those spots were covering all the leaves in the plants and in a way like burned them. Have you seen something like that before? Is there an organic treatment for this? I also had problems with my sage plant. It is almost 5 ft tall and strong, but its leaves started to grow some kind of like green warts, it started slowly but now, all of its leaves have them. Any suggestions? Do you know if the seeds of these plants are good or they might be infected too with that?

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Comments (5)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
For truly helpful suggestions for these problems, it might be necessary for us to see some images. Verbal descriptions can be lacking.
flora_uk
14 years ago
I was struck by your description of the sage.... "It is almost 5 ft tall..." Are you quite certain this is culinary sage, Salvia officinalis? If so you seem to have discovered a giant cultivar.

It would also be helpful to know whereabouts you are situated so we have some idea of your climate and likely pests and diseases.
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wally_1936
14 years ago
Right about the sage. The only sage I have seen that tall is Sage Bush which is pretty but not for herbal use. The last sage bush I saw had to be 10-20 years old and was about three foot around but not tall. I know it was useful as grandma used it every fall when she made stuffing.
jnieveslacomba_gmail_com
14 years ago
I'm glad to hear from you. Too bad I Just cut the sage plant last Saturday, but I still have the branches/leaves hanging out on my yard. I don't think the dry leaves will reflect the effect of the pest in the plant, but it will give you an idea of the size of the plant. If it was not sage, I don't know what it was, the leaves were exactly the same as any of the sage plant (maybe a little bigger) but the flavor and aroma were the same. And it was sold to me as sage. Maybe it was that I planted it in a big hole left by an old papaya tree that I took out and filled out with compost. I really don't know. I used the leaves a lot for cooking, specially stuffing, or with other herbs as herbs bouquets. How do I add images to the messages? If I can, I will send you in a couple of days images of my "dry and dead sage" and the still fighting for life basil with the black spots. I am in Puerto Rico, in the Caribbean so I have very good weather must of the time but for my taste, way too much rain...
flora_uk
14 years ago
I would love to see pictures of your 'sage' because it is intriguing. Salvia officinalis, culinary sage, is a Mediterranean plant and would not be very happy in Puerto Rico (too warm and too wet) so I am wondering if you have a different plant which is locally referred to as 'sage'. Were you told the name in English or Spanish? I would be really interested to know what it is you have there.