Approximately 1,600 rhododendrom plants from the infected nursery were shipped to Ohio retailers. The shipment went to at least 17 other states.
Credit: OHIO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Credit: OHIO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Gardeners and homeowners who have recently purchased a rhododendron from Walmart or Rural King should monitor the plant for signs of disease, including leaf spots and shoot dieback. It also is advised that Ohioans who purchased rhododendrons or lilac plants from these stores between March and May of this year to dispose of them to prevent further spread of the disease. Plants can be destroyed by burning, deep burial or double-bagging the plant, including the root ball, in heavy duty trash bags for disposal into a sanitary landfill (where allowable).
Consumers should not compost or dispose of the plant material in municipal yard waste. Garden tools used on any affected plants should be sanitized with bleach or 91% (or higher) alcohol before they are used again.
Click here to report possible infected plants.
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