Do you cut your Liriope back in the early spring every year? That may solve your problem. What you describe sounds like you have not been doing this. Try scattering a handful of cornmeal (or ground corn) around each plant once a month. This should stop your problem.

In my garden liriopes do better in the dryer areas and in areas where the soil is not heavily enriched with organic matter.

What does putting cornmeal around the plants do?

Thanks so much for the advice! I haven't tried cutting them back before.
What DOES cornmeal do?

OK, I'll try it, but I'm presuming you don't mean Martha White self rising!
Do you know how the cornmeal works?
Thanks!

I tried the "corn meal" trick on our gardenia this spring, and the plant has not had the yellow leaves that it usually has had, and the black leaf mold (fungus?) has not been there either. Was it the corn meal??? Who knows, but in past years I have tried many other methods, up to and including rusty nails, with no luck. Our Lirope was hit by frost last winter, so we cut it back, and it is better then ever now. So I suggest you give yours a hair cut, and a side dressing of good old corn meal wouldn't hurt.

WannaBGardener,
Thank you! Thank you! This spring I did a post requesting that gardeners toss cornmeal under Gardenias once a month as I had noted (I'm doing a ton of cornmeal experiments) that it greatly reduced the yellowing leaf problem. You have confirmed my observations! I urge everyone to give this a try, beginning now and through the winter. We all hate those darn yellow leaves/sooty mold and it is possible that these monthly cornmeal applications really help the situation. I do not have a clue as to why it works....but....try it and report back next summer. Please!

Note: When using cornmeal around broadleaf evergreens you may note a spidery yellow fungus developing on the leaves. Don't panic. This will disappear on its own and is harmless.

I read a research report a little more than a year ago, I think from the University of Florida concerning an increase of problems with root & crown rot of Liriope, particularly of the Evergreen Giant. I asked a reputable nurseryman who faxed me the report (I'm in coastal Mississippi) about two years ago after seeing about twenty EG Liriope on a job site that turned yellow & rotted out, just seemed too weird, since the past few weeks I had also seen liriopes rotting out. I knew something was up - but most retail nurseries still say - "HUH?" And I have seen it off and on for the last year or so... apparently the disease isintroduced in the nurseries at the time of division of the pips, and under the stress of a lot of water, like over-irrigating... that is when the disease will surface. So the best advice is to keep the beds dry, don't run any more irrigation than absolutely necessary - and if you have some that are sick, get rid of the soil too. If you can find an article, you may find what to drench the soil with if your problem is extensive. Good luck! The wet weather this year hasn't helped this problem!!

I'm glad to see others with this problem. My lirope are Evergreen Giants and most people I know don't just mow them down like they do the little ones every year. I planted quite a few several years ago and have had trouble with all but one. My cats killed a vole (not supposed to be any of those around here according to the experts but I know one when I see one) so I even put volebloc around them thinking they were being eaten. I will see what happens with the cornmeal.. Guess it doesn't matter if it's yellow or white?

I know that I am in a different climate, but lirope spicata is generally fine in our climate. I put lirope spicata in two gardens last year. One is on a sunnier site but clearly zone 5 with no trees around it. It has thrived. The other site is zone 6, shadier and some of the site is under norway spruce and boxwood. I had replaced the pacasandra with lirope and some of the pac. was also mysteriously dying out. The lirope did not do well at all last winter and I replaced a lot of it (total 3000 plants) this spring and it still isn't working. It is not as if all of it went bad but it definitely did not thrive in any area. I also replaced several inches of the soil when I planted last year. I am completely befuddled and would appreciate some feedback.

I live in South Florida and suffer with yellow leaves and black ?fungus on my gardenias...do you think the corn meal will work here? thanks! Jackie

Do you think the cornmeal will work for black spot on roses? If so, how much cornmeal should I apply and how often? Any particular kind of cornmeal? Thanks!

Plain, not self rising.

Finally an answer to our dilemma! Planted 11 liriopes in a new garden and at least 5 have come down w/ rot. All other plants besides liriopes are doing fine. Have treated affected plants w/ a fungicide that can be used on organic gardens. Will try the cornmeal, too. Should affected plants be removed and if so, should the soil be treated in any special way ? Can I re-plant new liriopes in the same place ? Am new to all this and would appreciate ANY comments !!!!!

If you look on the web for the paper from U. of Fla, you will find it under "Liriope, Diseases of". I knew I had a problem in the spring, but didn't think much about it until it got out of hand. The cornmeal seems to be working for me. I just poured it on the crowns rhst were sffected, not so much on the unsffected crowns. Now my leaves are gettng green again, and are hard to pull out. So I am definitely a convert to cornmeal...except keeping the dog from eating it is s problem.

Here is the link to the UofF article and follow up.
http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/jos/liriope.htm
http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/jos/GRO_MED.pdf

Here is a link that might be useful: UofF Link(s)

I have white spots/smudges on my liriope.
any suggestion on what it is or how to treat it?

Thank you

AFTER APPLYING CORN MEAL DO I WATER IMMEDIATELY OR LEAVE DRY? THANKS

Does anyone know which liriope varieties are least susceptible to crown rot from personal experience? I am in Austin, TX. Also, can anyone provide updates to the older posts on how the corn meal or sulphur is working for them on the crown rot, or any other remedies? I'm also having a problem with entomosporium leaf spot on dwarf hawthorns. Has anyone sucessfully dealt with that? I've made some bad choices on varieties lately!

Does anyone know which liriope varieties are least susceptible to crown rot from personal experience? I am in Austin, TX. Also, can anyone provide updates to the older posts on how the corn meal or sulphur is working for them on the crown rot, or any other remedies? I'm also having a problem with entomosporium leaf spot on dwarf hawthorns. Has anyone sucessfully dealt with that? I've made some bad choices on varieties lately!

My liriope that's 2 years old show signs of stress as to leaves with some yellow edge. It's been really wet the past 2 weeks, thoughts? Will try corn meal as suggested.

I have used cornmeal both on the lawn (for brown patch) and on areas around liriopes. It works. I live north of Houston, Texas.

did you sprinkle the cornmeal on top of the ground or did you try and dilute it and then water the plant with it. I did remove all of my plants from the waterlogged soil and kept them misted while out of the soil for about 2 weeks and I just replanted during this time allowing the soil to dry out and I just replanted them and they seem to be doing pretty good so far will update the post in a week or two

On the lawn, I just scattered it on the problem places. On the liriopes I sprinkled a good amount around each plant. Then I took a cultivator tool and worked it in. Finally, I left a sprinkling on the surface for good measure.

I had read somewhere the rationale for the cornmeal: there are good and bad microbes in the soil. The cornmeal is attractive to the good microbes. They scarf it up and overpower/destroy the bad microbes. The cornmeal is powerful both to destroy fungal type microbes and to also act as an organic fertilizer. These days, anytime something starts acting crazy in my planting beds, I reach for the cornmeal with excellent results.

Thanks for information. Jeff