Sun scorch
Bleached, beige to brown, dry patches on the leaves on the sunny side, sometimes also on tomato and pepper fruit. On young trees the bark splits on the south or west side.
Sudden strong sun after a dull period, such as for a houseplant moved outdoors or on a sunny, frosty winter day, burns leaves and bark.
What can you do?
- Move a scorched houseplant a little further from the window or behind a net curtain; the patches stay, but new leaves will be fine.
- In spring, let houseplants get used to the outdoors in shade for a few weeks before they go into the sun; do the same with seedlings (hardening off).
- Protect the trunk of young trees with a reed mat, hessian or white trunk paint.
- Only cut off scorched leaves once they have dried out completely.
Prevention
Get plants used to more light gradually and water well in hot weather. In high summer, don’t remove too many leaves above the fruit.
When to watch out: June–August