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Fungal spores attack emerging tulip leaves. They invariably become malformed, with brown spots leading to rotting of both the foliage and flowers, although the buds may well fail to open. If they do open, there will probably be white spots

There are several different viruses that affect tulips, each with slightly different symptoms. Tulip breaking virus causes streaking or marking of purple, pink and red tulips, usually on the late-flowering cultivars. White and yellow tulips aren

. Infected foliage must be disposed of immediately, as the fungus can survive on the plant if left lying on the ground. The early, large-flowering varieties are most prone to attack, with smaller-flowering species (eg, C. montana) being the most resistant

pull them out if they appear in the garden. Every two weeks from early spring onwards spray plants with a systemic action fungicide.hollyhocks, mallowall year roundCommon fungal problems affecting plantsIris leaf spotRose blackspotRose rustTulip fire

There are many different fungi that cause this problem, each of which usually affects a particular plant or group of plants. In each case they produce similar symptoms. Affected plants will have discoloured leaves, often also distorted when young

. primulassummerMore common fungal problemsIris leaf spotBlack spotHollyhock rustRhododendron leaf spot

A fungal disease weakens the plant and can seriously reduce its flowering performance. The brown spots eventually grow together and develop grey centres. Infection is caused by air or water-borne spores entering the plant through damaged leaves

Most lily bulbs are sold in spring, although some, such as Lilium candidum, are sold in the autumn. This is a time when mould can thrive, so check them carefully when you buy to make sure there are no signs of it - an infected bulb can easily spread the fungus. Lily bulbs don't h...