Lovage: recognizing and combating diseases and pests

Incorrectly planted or insufficiently cared for lovage plants are very susceptible to diseases and pests. The most common are presented here.

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) proves to be robust and hardy in the bed as well as in the bucket. In general, the plant rarely gets sick. However, if there are any abnormalities caused by illness or an infestation by pests, the cause is often due to incorrect care. However, the plant can occasionally be attacked by the following diseases and pests:

Downy mildew
Ramularia leaf spot
Thrips
Softbugs

Detecting and combating diseases and pests

❍ Downy mildew:

Infestation with downy mildew is quite rare. If the maggi herb is nevertheless attacked by the fungus, the leaves will turn yellow. As time goes on, the foliage turns brown and falls off. The leaf coloring can be explained by the lack of nutrients caused by the invading fungal spores. Downy mildew is favored by a persistent warm, humid climate, which rarely occurs in our latitudes, unless you have grown lovage in a greenhouse.

What needs to be done?
If the plant shows the abnormalities mentioned, only a radical pruning will help. This is not a problem with this vigorous plant. New shoots will soon follow and within a few weeks there will be no more signs of the deformation of the plant.

❍ Ramularia leaf spot:

The Ramularia leaf spot disease is a fungal disease which, as the name suggests, is noticeable on leaf spots. These can have different dimensions and shapes. There are round, but also rather angular spots. The light brown edges are characteristic. As time goes on, the edges begin to form a whole, after which the leaves turn brown and eventually fall off. If a whitish-gray fuzz has formed on the spots on the undersides of the leaves, this is a clear sign of Ramularia leaf spot.

Especially when the soil is low in nutrientsthe disease can spread and also affect the stems of the Maggi herb. Young plants appear particularly vulnerable.

What to do?
The disease does not pose a serious threat. After the affected leaves are shed, new ones form and intervention is not absolutely necessary.

❍ Thrips:

Thrips are pests that are only a few millimeters in size and are also known as blister feet. The insects are dark brown in color and have long, narrow wings. The larvae are wingless and translucent yellowish white. The pests multiply particularly well on dry and warm days. A female can lay up to 70 eggs. It only takes a month for a new generation to emerge, which in turn will eagerly reproduce.

The thrips infest the maggi weed comparatively rarely. In order for an infestation to be recognized as quickly as possible, you must check the undersides of the leaves in particular. The leaves will discolour and eventually fall off.

What to do?
Thrips often show surprising resistance to chemical agents. Natural methods appear far more effective here. So it can already help if you occasionally shower the plant with a stinging nettle brew (instructions for stinging nettle brew) or garlic (instructions for garlic brew). In order to really get rid of all generations of thrips, suitable means should be used over a longer period of time.

❍ Soft Bugs:

Soft bugs occur on different plants. The pests, which are about five millimeters in size, also have their eyes on the leaves of the lovage. The insects hibernate on trees and shrubs and spread to herbaceous plants in spring. An infestation is initially not noticed, it can even happen that the soft bugs have already returned to the woody plants before you notice significant changes in the plant.

Infested leaves appear pitted and deformed. At first glance, you might think you are looking at an infestation caused by biting pests. But the soft bug can only cause this damage by biting and sucking. The pests don't seem to be bothered by the intense smell and taste of the plant.

What to do?
Chemicals are not recommended. In most cases, the pests have already left the plant before the hobby gardener notices the damage. It is therefore sufficient to radically treat infested parts of the plantcut back. The plant will usually recover quickly and sprout again.

How can lovage diseases be prevented?

Since care mistakes always mean stress for the plants and weaken them, it is advisable to follow the care instructions for lovage and to know the needs of the maggi herb. Lovage is usually quite robust and forgives one or the other care mistake. The following methods create the ideal conditions for he althy growth and the avoidance of disease and pest infestation: