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 The
Purdue Plant Doctor website is a mobile-friendly one-stop shop
where gardeners can navigate the bewildering maze of insect, disease
and abiotic problems that affect the hundreds of landscape trees,
shrubs and flowers used in Midwestern landscapes.
“Every year, homeowners invest millions of dollars in their
landscaping materials, and due to insect diseases and sometimes a
lack of experience, problems come up. This is a free, easily
accessible way to identify and fix those problems,” said Janna
Beckerman, a Purdue Extension plant disease specialist and content
specialist for the website.
The website builds on a wealth of Purdue Extension knowledge, using
high-quality images to quickly sort through the thousands of
problems gardeners can encounter on landscape plants and flowers.
Problems found on each kind of plant are ordered based on how common
they are in Midwest gardens and yards. Once problems are diagnosed,
the website guides users through methods to treat their plants.
Today, many websites available to assist growers in
plant health management are sponsored or developed by companies that
produce gardening chemicals or products. Cliff Sadof, a Purdue
Extension entomologist and content specialist for the website, said
those apps tend to suggest particular products, whereas Purdue’s
websites are focused on research-based treatment methods.
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“We start with the least toxic approaches before we
suggest using insecticides or fungicides,” Sadof said. “We want to
teach people how to treat the underlying problems before turning to
chemical solutions. We also have a section devoted to commonly found
beneficials, so someone doesn’t mistakenly harm pollinators and
other beneficial insects.”
Beckerman said the website was designed to appeal to the new growers
that discovered their green thumb during the pandemic.
“We hope this website helps growers regardless of level improve
their gardening experience,” she said. “For this reason, photos of
each plant are included to guide growers through the diagnostic
process.”
[Sources: Cliff Sadof, Janna
Beckerman]
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