Confederate Jasmine With Leaves Turning Brown?

Question:

I have Confederate Jasmine on my fence. It has brown spots on it and the leaves are turning brown and falling off. Can you help?

Hardiness Zone: 10b

Thanks you,
Jaclyn from Tampa FL

Answer:

Jaclyn,

I can't be certain without seeing it, but the symptoms you're describing sound like flower blight, a fungal disease that commonly afflicts jasmine after spells of warm, moist weather. Symptoms include flowers with dark spots that rapidly join to form blotches and eventually turn brown and collapse. The spores of this fungus over-winter in the soil. Good sanitation practices and providing the proper growing requirements will go along way to help control this disease. Pick off infected flowers to keep the fungus from forming spores and remove any fallen plant debris. Mulch around the base of plants to prevent soil-laden spores from spreading when water splashes onto plants. Make sure jasmine plants have adequate air circulation and avoid planting them in low-lying areas.

Southern blight is another kind of fungal disease that afflicts Jasmine. This is more often seen in young plants with bark that has not yet fully developed. The plant suddenly wilts and dies and for this type of blight, there is no cure.

Ellen