Garden Pests and Diseases in Australia
Most garden damage in Australia comes from a short list of culprits: aphids, caterpillars, snails and slugs, fruit fly, and a handful of fungal diseases that follow the weather. Start with the symptom you can see, check what is active in your climate this month, and fix it with the mildest method that works. Every guide below covers spotting the problem early, preventing it, and a step by step plan.
Good bug or bad bug? Before you squash or spray, check our Good Bugs vs Bad Bugs photo guide. It puts the pests and the helpers that look like them side by side, with real photos, from the 28-spotted ladybird to hoverflies and assassin bugs.
What is eating my plant? Find it by symptom
Look at the damage before you reach for anything, because the same plant can have two problems at once. Each line below links to a full guide with photos and a step by step plan. If the damage looks like a pest but you cannot find the insect, the cause is usually a disease or watering, so check the wilting and spots groups too.
Holes in leaves or leaves chewed away
Check at dusk with a torch: most chewers feed at night.
- Cabbage moth: green caterpillars that chew brassica leaves to lace
- Caterpillars: loopers, armyworm, corn earworm and cluster caterpillars
- Slugs: ragged holes, feeding at night and sheltering in damp spots by day
- Snails: seedlings, leafy greens and ripening strawberries
- Flea beetle: tiny jumping beetles that leave small round holes
- Pumpkin beetle: yellow-orange beetles on pumpkins, zucchini, cucumbers and melons
- 28-spotted ladybird: the one plant-eating ladybird, easy to mistake for the helpful ones
- Earwigs: night feeders on seedlings, soft fruit and flowers that also eat aphids
- Grasshoppers: chewed leaves, stems and fruit, worst after wet springs inland
- Pear and cherry slug: shiny black larvae scraping pear, cherry and plum leaves to skeletons
- Shot hole: a fungal disease that leaves round holes in stone fruit and almond leaves
Curled, puckered or distorted leaves
Look on the undersides and at the growing tips before you decide.
- Aphids: clusters on new growth, sticky honeydew and ants running up the stem
- Thrips: slender insects barely two millimetres long that rasp leaves, flowers and fruit
- Whitefly: tiny white insects that rise in a cloud when you brush the plant
- Psyllids: nymphs that curl, blister or pimple new leaves
- Spider mite: tiny sap-suckers that build up in hot, dry weather
- Leaf miner: larvae tunnelling between the upper and lower leaf surfaces
- Peach leaf curl: red, puckered leaves on peaches and nectarines in spring
- Mosaic virus: light and dark mottling with distorted growth
- Erinose mite: rusty brown felt under lychee leaves
- Tomatoes: read why tomato leaves curl
White powder, fluff or fuzzy mould
The colour and the weather help: powder in warm weather, fuzz in cool and wet.
- Powdery mildew: a white powdery film on leaves, common on cucurbits and peas
- Downy mildew: strikes in cool, wet weather on brassicas, lettuce, onions and grapes
- Mealybug: soft insects under white waxy fluff in leaf joints
- White rust: chalky white blisters under the leaves of kang kong and salsify
- Botrytis: fuzzy grey growth on flowers, fruit and stems
- Sclerotinia: cottony growth and hard black lumps at the base of lettuce
- White rot: white fluff and tiny black seeds on onion and garlic bulbs
- Chocolate spot: brown spots with grey mould on broad beans
Spots, blotches and rusty pustules
Note which leaves are marked first: old and low, or new and high.
- Leaf spot: fungal and bacterial spots on silverbeet, tomatoes, capsicum and greens
- Bacterial spot: small dark spots on tomato and capsicum leaves and fruit
- Early blight: target-ring spots on tomato and potato leaves
- Late blight: fast-spreading collapse of tomato and potato in cool, wet weather
- Rust: orange or brown pustules on beans, leeks, garlic and silverbeet
- Black spot: roses, apples, pears and grapes
- Anthracnose: dark sunken spots on beans, cucurbits, tomatoes and mangoes
- Black rot: yellow leaf edges and blackened veins on brassicas
- Melanose: rough brown specks on citrus leaves and fruit
- Citrus scab: corky scabs on lemons and twisted young leaves
Wilting, collapse or stunted growth
Check the water first. If the plant recovers by evening, the soil was dry. If it does not, look lower.
- Fusarium wilt: one-sided wilting and yellowing that ends in collapse
- Verticillium wilt: one-sided yellowing on eggplant, olives, mint and okra
- Root rot: rotted roots in wet, poorly drained soil
- Crown rot: rot at the base of strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb and artichokes
- Nematodes: galls on the roots, worst in warm, sandy soil
- Clubroot: swollen, clubbed roots on brassicas
- Borers: caterpillars and beetle larvae tunnelling into stems and trunks
- Rhizome rot: ginger and turmeric rotting in warm, waterlogged soil
- Damping off: seedlings toppling at the soil line just after they emerge
- Cutworm: seedling stems chewed through at ground level overnight
Damaged or rotting fruit
Cut a damaged fruit open. A maggot, a grub or clean rot each point somewhere different.
- Fruit fly: maggots inside tomatoes, capsicum, stone fruit and citrus; see the Fruit Fly Tracker
- Codling moth: the grub in the apple or pear
- Blossom end rot: a calcium and watering disorder, not infectious
- Brown rot: stone fruit turning into soft brown balls
- Bronze orange bug: sap-sucking shield bugs on citrus
- Stink bugs: shield bugs and spotting bugs that pierce fruit and nuts
- Birds: pecked, half-eaten ripening fruit
- Possums: fruit and new growth browsed overnight
- Flying foxes: protected fruit bats; netting and bagging protect the crop
- Rats: gnawed fruit, stripped corn and citrus
- Pod borer: caterpillars boring into beans and pods
- Pea weevil: round holes in dried and saved peas
- Tomatoes: read why tomatoes split
Sticky or black coating on leaves
The coating is honeydew from sap-suckers, and the black film is a fungus living on it. Treat the insect, not the film.
- Sooty mould: the black fungus on honeydew
- Aphids: the most common source of honeydew
- Scale: bumps under a waxy cover stuck to stems and leaves
- Mealybug: white waxy fluff in leaf joints
- Whitefly: white clouds from the undersides of leaves
Damaged stems, trunks and twigs
Look for sawdust, gum, swellings or silvering.
- Borers: sawdust and webbing at holes in the wood
- Citrus gall wasp: woody swellings on citrus twigs
- Bacterial canker: amber gum oozing from sunken cankers on cherries and apricots
- Silver leaf: a dull silvery sheen on plum and cherry leaves
- Scale: sap-suckers clustered on woody stems
- Banana weevil borer: tunnelled corms and toppling banana plants
Which pests peak when, by climate group
Pests follow temperature and rain, so a Hobart calendar and a Darwin calendar look nothing alike. We group the ten regions by the climate labels in our planting data. The months below come from our pest guides, plus the regional fruit fly season rows used by the Fruit Fly Tracker. Use them as a prompt to check your plants, not as a guarantee, because a hot spell or a wet fortnight moves everything.
Each month the Pest Calendar in the app flags the pests due next in your region, and the Fruit Fly Tracker gives the baiting season and netting advice for every region.
Cool south
- Fruit fly. Tasmania is fruit fly free, so there is no baiting season: do not bring in homegrown fruit from interstate and report suspect maggoty fruit to Biosecurity Tasmania. Melbourne's season runs October to May and starts in September. Canberra's runs October to April and also starts in September.
- Codling moth. September to March in the cooler apple and pear districts, often with two or three generations. See codling moth.
- Pear and cherry slug. A smaller peak around November and a much larger one from mid to late summer.
- Peach leaf curl and shot hole. Infection happens at bud swell in late winter and early spring, which in most southern gardens is July or August.
- Slugs, snails, downy mildew and botrytis. March to September, when it is cool and wet.
- Aphids. September to December on spring flushes, with a second peak in autumn.
- Powdery mildew. January to April. Melbourne and Hobart summers peak in January and February.
- Cabbage moth. March to May and August to October, the two main brassica seasons.
Temperate
- Fruit fly. Sydney's season runs October to May and starts in September. Perth has Mediterranean fruit fly, active October to May, so begin baiting when fruit is about one third of its final size. Adelaide is a fruit fly pest free area: routine baiting is not needed, but do not carry fruit across the border and report suspect fruit to PIRSA.
- Spider mite. December to March in hot, dry summers, which is how the tracker describes Adelaide and Perth. See spider mite.
- Thrips. September to February in warm, dry weather.
- Powdery mildew and rust. Powdery mildew from January to April, rust from January to May.
- Slugs and snails. March to September.
- Citrus pests. Bronze orange bug from September to December. Citrus gall wasp adults emerge from mid October to mid December in the south.
- Early blight. Midsummer into autumn in warm, humid weather with heavy dew, from Sydney down to Victoria.
- Aphids and cabbage moth. Aphids September to December with an autumn peak; cabbage moth March to May and August to October.
Subtropical
- Fruit fly. Active August to May, starting in late August in both regions. Our SEQ fruit fly guide covers the plan.
- Warm-season insects. Bean fly, whitefly and the 28-spotted ladybird run from September or October to April. Pumpkin beetle and flea beetle run September to February. Leaf miner runs October to April.
- Humid-summer diseases. Anthracnose from December to March, black rot of brassicas from December to April, rhizome rot of ginger and turmeric from December to March, and yellow Sigatoka of bananas from December to April.
- Citrus. Melanose and citrus scab follow wet springs and summers on the coast. Bronze orange bug runs September to December, and fruit-spotting bugs are worst in coastal Queensland and northern New South Wales.
- Bananas. Bunchy top is found all year in South East Queensland and north-east New South Wales. It is regulated, so infected plants must be destroyed and reported.
- Nematodes and pod borer. Nematodes December to April in warm, sandy soil. Pod borer is worst from late summer to autumn.
- Cabbage moth. March to May and August to October.
Tropical
- Fruit fly. Active all year and worst in the wet. Keep traps and both-sex bait going, net or bag fruit as it sets, and clear fallen fruit constantly.
- The wet. Our data treats November to March in North Queensland, and October to March in Darwin, as the hot, wet summer when most of the diseases below peak.
- Wet-season diseases. Anthracnose December to March, black rot December to April, root rot after heavy rain from December to April, rhizome rot December to March and yellow Sigatoka December to April. White rust and crown rot also peak through the wet.
- Pod borer and bean fly. Pod borer is worst from late summer to autumn from the Top End south. Bean fly is worst from September to April.
- Cabbage moth. Active most of the year in warm regions rather than in two short seasons.
- Nematodes. December to April in warm soils.
- Banana diseases. Tropical race 4 of Panama disease is regulated and must be reported. Read the North Queensland and Darwin regional pest guides.
- Flying foxes. Late spring to autumn across the north, usually when native blossom is scarce.
Control in this order
Start at the top and move down only when the step above has not been enough. The first three steps cost little and harm nothing else in the garden, and many problems are solved before you reach a spray.
Prevention and hygiene
Most problems start with how the garden is run. Space plants so air moves between them, and water at the base in the morning so leaves are dry by night. Go easy on nitrogen, because soft sappy growth is what aphids want. Inspect new seedlings before they go in. Clear fallen fruit twice a week in fruit fly season, bin diseased leaves instead of composting them, and rotate crop families so soil diseases such as clubroot and white rot do not build up. Plant alyssum, dill and yarrow nearby to bring in helpful insects. Our watering guide and mulching guide help with the watering side.
Physical barriers and traps
Netting is the single most reliable fruit fly method: cover fruit after petal drop, using mesh of about 1.6 mm that does not touch the fruit. In Victoria, household fruit netting must have a mesh of 5 mm by 5 mm or smaller to protect wildlife, which fine fruit fly mesh meets easily. Use fruit bags on small trees, cardboard collars for cutworm, copper tape and beer traps for slugs and snails, and yellow sticky traps for whitefly. Blast aphids off with a sharp jet of water, and handpick caterpillars and snails at dusk. Male-only lure traps tell you fruit fly is around but do not protect the crop. For rats, use snap traps, keep compost covered and pick up fallen fruit and nuts.
Beneficial insects
Ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic wasps and assassin bugs do much of the work for you if you leave them alive. Swollen tan aphids that no longer move are mummies left by parasitic wasps, which means help has arrived. Before you squash or spray, check the Good Bugs vs Bad Bugs photo guide so you do not remove a helper by mistake. Spraying a broad-spectrum product while beneficials are working undoes weeks of free pest control.
Registered products, used to the label
When the first three steps are not enough, choose a product registered in Australia for your crop and your pest, and follow the label on rate, timing and the withholding period before harvest. You can look up any product on the APVMA PubCRIS database. We do not give homemade spray recipes. Home mixes of soap, oil, chilli, garlic, bicarbonate or neem have no tested rate, can scorch leaves and can kill the insects you want to keep.
- Caterpillars: Dipel (Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt) is a biological insecticide for caterpillars, labelled for many vegetable crops. Check your crop is on the label and reapply after rain.
- Scale, mealybug, mites and soft-bodied insects: pest oil such as Eco-Oil, applied on a cool day and covering every surface. Check the label for your crop.
- Fruit fly: a both-sex protein bait such as Eco-Naturalure, used with netting and clean-up. Bait alone does not save a crop.
- Slugs and snails: iron-based pellets labelled for home gardens and safe around pets and wildlife.
- Last resort: registered pyrethrum knocks down a severe outbreak fast but kills beneficial insects as well, so spray at dusk and only the affected plants.
- Neem: the registered product, Eco-Neem, is labelled for ornamentals only. Do not use neem on vegetables, herbs or fruit.
- Fungal diseases: copper or lime sulphur at bud swell is the standard home garden treatment for peach leaf curl, as long as the label lists your tree.
The one kitchen mix. For early powdery mildew on cucurbits and grapes, fresh cow's milk at one part milk to nine parts water, sprayed weekly in dry weather, is the only kitchen mix we suggest. It works best as prevention or at the first sign, and it will not clear a badly infected plant. The idea comes from Brazilian zucchini trials, and preliminary University of Adelaide vineyard trials reported in 2002 found milk comparable to standard mildew treatments. See powdery mildew.
Diseases and the weather that drives them
Most plant diseases need the right weather more than anything else, so the best treatment is often a change in how you water, space and prune. The months are from the season notes on each disease guide.
| Weather | Diseases to expect | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Cool and wet, autumn to spring | Downy mildew and botrytis (March to September), damping off (March to May and August to October sowings), late blight (spring and autumn, 10 to 25 degrees), sclerotinia (15 to 20 degrees), white rot (late autumn to spring, in soil at 10 to 20 degrees), chocolate spot (July to October) | Space plants, water in the morning at the base, sow after the cold snap, clear debris and rotate. White rot spores survive in soil for decades, so do not replant onions or garlic in affected beds. |
| Wet late winter and spring on fruit trees | Peach leaf curl and shot hole (at bud swell), brown rot (wet, humid flowering through to harvest), bacterial canker (autumn leaf fall through winter), silver leaf (autumn to early spring) | Spray at bud swell, not after the buds open. Prune stone fruit in summer when cuts heal quickly, and in dry weather. |
| Warm and humid, summer to autumn | Powdery mildew (January to April), rust (January to May), leaf spot (December to May), bacterial spot (December to March), anthracnose (December to March), early blight (midsummer into autumn), black rot (December to April) | Pick off the worst leaves at the first sign, improve airflow, keep foliage dry, and clear infected crop debris at season end. Choose resistant varieties where they exist. |
| Heavy summer rain and waterlogged soil | Root rot (December to April), crown rot (late spring to autumn), rhizome rot (December to March), yellow Sigatoka (December to April) | Improve drainage, build raised beds, avoid planting into soil that stays wet, and raise beds for ginger and turmeric so storm water drains away. |
| Hot dry spells and swings in watering | Blossom end rot (December to February), fusarium wilt (December to March), verticillium wilt (mild spring to early summer and again in autumn) | Water evenly and mulch. Rotate crop families, because wilt fungi stay in the soil for years. |
| Whenever sap-suckers are active | Mosaic virus (September to April, spread by aphids), sooty mould (October to April, living on honeydew) | Deal with the insects and the disease follows. Remove virus-affected plants rather than trying to save them. |
Report these. A few diseases are regulated. Banana bunchy top and tropical race 4 Panama disease must be reported and infected plants destroyed, phylloxera on grapevines is tightly regulated, and exotic strains of late blight must be reported. If you suspect one, contact your state agriculture department before you move any plant material.
Common problems by crop
These are the pests and diseases our plant library links to each crop. Open the crop page for its planting window in your region.
Every pest and disease guide
All 71 guides, listed by how many plants in our library each one affects.
Pests
Good bugs vs bad bugsA photo guide to the helpful insects that look like pests, and the pests that look like helpers.
AphidsAphids are small sap-sucking insects that cluster on soft new growth and the undersides of leaves. Affects 61 plants in our library.
Fruit flyQueensland fruit fly is the major fruit fly across the east coast and is one of the most destructive pests for home growers of tomatoes, capsicum, stone fruit and citrus. Affects 43 plants in our library.
BirdsBirds strip ripening fruit, peck seedlings and pull out newly sown seed across most Australian gardens. Affects 27 plants in our library.
SlugsSlugs are soft-bodied molluscs that feed at night and shelter in damp, dark spots by day. Affects 18 plants in our library.
ScaleScale are sap-sucking insects that hide under a waxy or shell-like cover stuck fast to stems and leaves. Affects 16 plants in our library.
Cabbage mothCabbage white butterflies and cabbage moths lay eggs on brassicas, and their green caterpillars chew leaves to lace. Affects 15 plants in our library.
SnailsSnails are shelled molluscs that feed at night on seedlings, leafy greens and ripening strawberries. Affects 11 plants in our library.
Flea beetleFlea beetles are tiny jumping beetles that pepper leaves with small round holes. Affects 9 plants in our library.
Spider miteTwo-spotted spider mites are tiny sap-sucking mites that thrive in hot, dry conditions and explode in numbers under glass or against warm walls. Affects 8 plants in our library.
Leaf minerLeaf miners are the larvae of small flies or moths that tunnel between the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Affects 7 plants in our library.
WhiteflyWhiteflies are tiny white sap-sucking insects that rise in a cloud when disturbed. Affects 7 plants in our library.
ThripsThrips are slender sap-sucking insects barely a couple of millimetres long that rasp at leaves, flowers and fruit. Affects 6 plants in our library.
28-spotted ladybirdThe 28-spotted ladybird is the rare plant-eating ladybird, unlike its helpful spotted cousins. Affects 5 plants in our library.
Bean flyBean fly is a serious pest of beans in warmer parts of Australia, especially the subtropics and tropics. Affects 4 plants in our library.
MealybugMealybugs are soft sap-sucking insects coated in white waxy fluff that gather in leaf joints and on roots. Affects 4 plants in our library.
Codling mothCodling moth is the classic pest of apples and pears in cooler regions, and the grub in the apple. Affects 3 plants in our library.
Bronze orange bugBronze orange bugs, often called stink bugs, are sap-sucking shield bugs that attack citrus. Affects 3 plants in our library.
CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the larvae of moths and butterflies and include loopers, armyworm, corn earworm and cluster caterpillars. Affects 1 plants in our library.
PossumsBrushtail and ringtail possums browse new growth, fruit and vegetables overnight and are a constant frustration in suburban gardens. Affects 1 plants in our library.
Pumpkin beetlePumpkin beetles are yellow-orange beetles that attack pumpkins, zucchini, cucumbers and melons. Affects 1 plants in our library.
EarwigsEarwigs are pincer-tailed insects that feed at night on seedlings, soft fruit and flowers, while also eating aphids and other pests. Affects 1 plants in our library.
GrasshoppersGrasshoppers and locusts chew through leaves, stems and fruit and can arrive in destructive swarms after wet springs in inland and rural areas.
CutwormCutworms are fat moth caterpillars that hide in the soil by day and feed at night, chewing through seedling stems at ground level.
RatsRats and mice gnaw fruit, dig up seed, strip corn and citrus and tunnel through garden beds.
NematodesRoot-knot nematodes are microscopic soil worms that invade roots and form galls, blocking the plant's water and nutrient uptake.
Citrus gall waspWoody swellings on citrus twigs that hold dozens of tiny wasp larvae, worst on lemons and grapefruit in southern backyards. Affects 10 plants in our library.
Stink bugsSap-sucking shield bugs and spotting bugs that pierce fruit and nuts, from spined citrus bug in the south to fruit-spotting bugs on the coast. Affects 6 plants in our library.
Erinose miteMicroscopic mites that cover the undersides of lychee leaves in rusty brown felt, distort new flush and can stop the tree setting fruit. Affects 2 plants in our library.
PsyllidsTiny jumping sap-suckers whose nymphs curl, blister or pimple new leaves, including bay psyllid and the psyllids on lemon myrtle. Affects 2 plants in our library.
BorersCaterpillars and beetle larvae that tunnel into stems and trunks, including fruit tree borer, currant borer and the borers of jackfruit. Affects 6 plants in our library.
Pear and cherry slugShiny black, slug-like sawfly larvae that scrape pear, cherry and plum leaves down to brown skeletons in spring and late summer. Affects 2 plants in our library.
PhylloxeraA tiny aphid-like insect that feeds on grapevine roots, has no cure and is tightly regulated; report suspected cases. Affects 1 plant in our library.
Flying foxesProtected fruit bats that raid ripe fruit at night; wildlife-safe netting and bagging protect the crop without harming them. Affects 1 plant in our library.
Pod borerCaterpillars of the bean podborer moth and Helicoverpa that bore into flowers and pods of edamame, lablab, cowpeas and other beans. Affects 3 plants in our library.
Pea weevilA small beetle whose grubs feed hidden inside pea seeds, leaving round holes in dried and saved peas. Affects 2 plants in our library.
Banana weevil borerA black weevil whose grubs tunnel through banana corms, weakening plants so they topple and produce small bunches. Affects 1 plant in our library.
Diseases & disorders
Powdery mildewPowdery mildew is a fungal disease that coats leaves in a white powdery film, common on cucurbits, peas and many other crops. Affects 39 plants in our library.
Downy mildewDowny mildew is a fungal-like disease that strikes in cool wet weather, hitting brassicas, lettuce, onions, grapes and cucurbits. Affects 34 plants in our library.
RustRust is a fungal disease that shows as orange, brown or yellow pustules on leaves and stems, common on beans, leeks, garlic and silverbeet. Affects 18 plants in our library.
Root rotRoot rot covers a group of soil fungi, including Phytophthora and Pythium, that rot roots in wet, poorly drained soil. Affects 15 plants in our library.
ClubrootClubroot is a soil disease that swells and distorts brassica roots into clubbed lumps, choking the plant's water uptake. Affects 14 plants in our library.
AnthracnoseAnthracnose is a fungal disease that causes dark sunken spots on leaves, stems and fruit, common on beans, cucurbits, tomatoes and mangoes. Affects 14 plants in our library.
Leaf spotLeaf spot covers several fungal and bacterial diseases that mark leaves with spots and blotches, common on silverbeet, tomatoes, capsicum and many greens. Affects 13 plants in our library.
Fusarium wiltFusarium wilt is a soil fungus that blocks a plant's water-carrying vessels, causing one-sided wilting and yellowing that ends in collapse. Affects 9 plants in our library.
BotrytisBotrytis, or grey mould, is a fungal disease that coats flowers, fruit and stems in a fuzzy grey growth. Affects 9 plants in our library.
Black rotBlack rot is a bacterial disease of brassicas that turns leaf edges yellow and blackens the veins. Affects 6 plants in our library.
Blossom end rotBlossom end rot is a calcium and watering disorder, not a pathogen, so it cannot spread from plant to plant. Affects 5 plants in our library.
Damping offDamping off is a soil fungus that rots seeds and seedlings at or below the soil line, toppling them just after they emerge. Affects 5 plants in our library.
Mosaic virusMosaic viruses mottle leaves with light and dark patches and distort growth on cucurbits, tomatoes, beans and capsicum. Affects 2 plants in our library.
Bacterial spotBacterial spot is a bacterial disease of tomatoes and capsicum that peppers leaves and fruit with small dark spots. Affects 1 plants in our library.
Sooty mouldSooty mould is a black fungus that grows on the sticky honeydew dropped by aphids, scale, whitefly and mealybugs. Affects 1 plants in our library.
MelanoseA fungal disease that leaves rough, raised brown specks on citrus leaves and fruit, spread by rain from dead twigs inside the tree. Affects 10 plants in our library.
Citrus scabCorky, wart-like scabs on lemon fruit and twisted young leaves, common in wet coastal areas of Queensland and New South Wales. Affects 3 plants in our library.
Brown rotA fungal rot that browns blossoms in spring and turns ripening stone fruit into soft brown balls covered in fawn spores. Affects 7 plants in our library.
Bacterial cankerA bacterial disease that oozes amber gum from sunken cankers, kills buds and branches, and is worst on cherries and apricots. Affects 6 plants in our library.
Shot holeA fungal disease that peppers stone fruit and almond leaves with small round holes and marks the fruit, worst after wet springs. Affects 2 plants in our library.
Silver leafA wood-rotting fungus that enters through pruning wounds and gives leaves a dull silvery sheen; plums and cherries often die from it. Affects 2 plants in our library.
Peach leaf curlRed, puckered, curled leaves on peaches and nectarines in spring, prevented by one well-timed spray at bud swell. Affects 2 plants in our library.
Black spotRose black spot, apple and pear scab, and grape black spot (anthracnose): three fungal diseases with one common name and similar control. Affects 4 plants in our library.
Crown rotSoil fungi and water moulds that rot the base of strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb and artichokes, usually in wet, poorly drained soil. Affects 4 plants in our library.
Verticillium wiltA long lived soil fungus that blocks the water pipes of eggplant, olives, mint and okra, causing one sided yellowing and wilting. Affects 4 plants in our library.
Early blightTarget spot of tomatoes and potatoes, with notes on Cercospora early blight of celery and Alternaria leaf blight of carrots. Affects 4 plants in our library.
Late blightA fast spreading water mould that collapses tomato and potato plants in cool, wet weather, with exotic strains that must be reported. Affects 2 plants in our library.
White rotA soil fungus that rots onion, garlic and spring onion bulbs, leaving white fluff and tiny black seeds that survive in soil for decades. Affects 4 plants in our library.
White rustChalky white blisters under the leaves of kang kong, salsify and scorzonera, caused by water moulds that love wet leaves. Affects 3 plants in our library.
SclerotiniaA soil fungus that causes lettuce drop and white mould, with cottony growth and hard black sclerotia at the base of plants. Affects 3 plants in our library.
Rhizome rotA water mould that rots ginger and turmeric rhizomes in warm, waterlogged soil, often wiping out a whole patch. Affects 2 plants in our library.
Chocolate spotA grey mould fungus that peppers broad bean leaves, stems and flowers with chocolate brown spots in cool, wet weather. Affects 1 plant in our library.
Banana bunchy topA regulated virus spread by banana aphids that stunts bananas into upright bunches; infected plants must be destroyed and reported. Affects 1 plant in our library.
Panama diseaseA soil fungus that blocks the water pipes of bananas, with race 1 in backyards and tropical race 4 a regulated threat that must be reported. Affects 1 plant in our library.
Yellow SigatokaA fungal leaf spot that streaks and kills banana leaves in the wet season, leaving smaller bunches that ripen unevenly. Affects 1 plant in our library.
Keep going
TomatoesEverything about growing tomatoes in Australia, including the pests and diseases they attract.
Fruit trees and orchard plannerWhich fruit trees suit your region, and how to protect the crop.
Companion planting chartWhich plants help each other and which to keep apart.
Pest management guideThe common pests and the registered products that suit them.
Good bugs vs bad bugsPhotos of the helpers that look like pests.
Fruit Fly TrackerYour region's baiting season and a netting plan.
Pest CalendarThe pests due next in your region, each month.
Aphid control guideStep by step, mildest method first.
Cabbage white and cabbage mothProtect brassicas from sowing to harvest.
Slugs and snailsBarriers, traps and timing.
Powdery mildewPrevention and early treatment on cucurbits.
Tomato and potato blightSpotting early and late blight.
Codling mothKeeping grubs out of apples and pears.
Plant troubleshooting (SEQ)A symptom checker for South East Queensland gardens.
Find your regional guides at South East Queensland, Northern Rivers, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Tasmania, Canberra, North Queensland, Darwin.
Common questions
What is eating my plant?
Look at the damage. Ragged holes with silvery trails mean slugs or snails, lace-like leaves with green caterpillars mean cabbage moth, curled leaves with sticky honeydew mean aphids, and a white powdery film means powdery mildew. Use the symptom finder on this page to narrow it down.
What should I spray on my vegetables for pests?
Try hand removal, netting, traps and beneficial insects first. If you do need a spray, use a product registered in Australia for your crop and pest and follow the label, for example Dipel for caterpillars. We do not give homemade spray recipes.
Is neem oil safe to use on vegetables?
The registered neem product, Eco-Neem, is labelled for ornamental plants only, so do not use neem on vegetables, herbs or fruit. Pick a product whose label lists your crop and pest.
Does milk spray work on powdery mildew?
It can help at the first sign of the disease. Fresh cow's milk at one part milk to nine parts water, sprayed weekly in dry weather, is the only kitchen mix we suggest. It works better as prevention than as a cure.
When is fruit fly worst in Australia?
It depends on your region. In South East Queensland it is active from August to May, in Melbourne from October to May, and in North Queensland and Darwin it is active all year and worst in the wet. Tasmania is fruit fly free and Adelaide is a pest free area. See the Fruit Fly Tracker for your region.
Sources we checked: the season and control notes on each pest and disease guide (NSW DPI, Agriculture Victoria and Queensland Government pages are cited there), the regional rows behind the Fruit Fly Tracker, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority PubCRIS register for product registrations, and ScienceDaily's 2002 report on University of Adelaide milk spray trials. Always read the product label before use.
Know before it strikes. The free Planting Season app shows the pests to watch for on each plant you grow, by region.