Giant hogweed: Diseases and Remedies (3-minute Read)

NOTE: Giant hogweed may be referred to as Heracleum mantegazzianum in this article, in fact, those are the same plants, Heracleum mantegazzianum is the botanical name for Giant hogweed.

There is a public health hazard due to the toxicity of giant hogweed. The giant hogweed’s sap is what makes it so vicious. It creates blisters and scars when it gets onto the skin and is exposed to sunlight. It can lead to temporary or permanent blind spots if the sap gets into the eyes. Giant hogweed in its mature stage is easy to identify due to its height and leaves.

Why does my Heracleum mantegazzianum roots have rot?

If left untreated, root rot on your Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) can be fatal. For this reason, if the symptoms appear, we highly advise that you adhere to our recommendations to keep your plant alive: Blackened and softened roots.
Giant

Why does my Giant hogweed have gray mold spots?

Gray mold spots are a type of fungus that is found a lot in flowers, and spreads quite rapidly. If you notice brown (or gray) spots, it is probably this fungus. Don’t ignore these symptoms, as they may end up killing your plant.

Our Solution

When you understand the root of the issue, the solution makes perfect sense. The majority of the time, it is caused by the Heracleum mantegazzianum being overwatered. We urge you to cut off the infected roots and leaves, remove the affected sections of the plant, and then repot your plant in a fresh container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my Giant hogweed have leaf spots?

Leaf We provide you with all the information you need to identify and save your plants if they display signs like leaves that suddenly change color or wilt/droop. This sort of sickness is one of the most aggravating for Giant hogweed owners.

Why are my Giant hogweed leaves turning yellow?

In the world of horticulture, yellowing leaves are undoubtedly the most common problem. The two main causes of this problem are overwatering and a lack of nutrition.

Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:

Here are some signs of yellowing caused by the many deficiencies on the Heracleum mantegazzianum in question:

  • Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
  • Iron deficiency also shows as yellowing between leaf veins, but it hits young leaves on plant tops and branch tips first.
  • Sulfur shortage first affects the youngest leaves, turning them entirely yellow.
  • Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
  • Nitrogen deficiency shows up as a general yellowing. Older, inner leaves turn yellow first. As it progresses, yellowing moves outward, eventually reaching young leaves, too.

Our Solution

You only need to act in accordance with the symptoms listed above. You can address a potassium or nitrogen deficiency by buying a particular soil, and a gardening store consultant will be able to advise you on how to do that. Furthermore, you can also limit how frequently you water your plants.

Is my Giant hogweed sunburned?

It is simple to determine whether your Giant hogweed (your Heracleum mantegazzianum) has sunburn. Your plant will change color in this instance, beginning to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

As we saw above, the leaves of your Giant hogweed can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.

However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.

Why are my Giant hogweed leaves turning brown?

Most of the time, leaves of a Giant hogweed that turn brown is a sign that your plant has been sunburned, it has probably been exposed to too much direct sunlight. Don’t panic, your plant probably won’t die from this, but its growth will take a hit.

Should I leave my Heracleum mantegazzianum in direct sunlight?

No! If your Heracleum mantegazzianum (or Giant hogweed) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Giant hogweed is in such a state!

Our Solution

The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s Giant hogweed out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.

Why are my Heracleum mantegazzianum leaves drooping or wilting ?

In most cases, this happens when your Heracleum mantegazzianum lacks water. This is especially the case for large plants, naturally they need more water than others.

Drooping

You may quickly determine if your Heracleum mantegazzianum plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.

Our Solution

If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Giant hogweed right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.

This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Heracleum mantegazzianum

Water Occasionally

Your plant needs water to survive, but it’s crucial to balance the amount and timing of watering. As we previously mentioned, overwatering could be catastrophic for your Heracleum mantegazzianum.

Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Heracleum mantegazzianum is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Heracleum mantegazzianum close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your Giant hogweed Dust-Free

This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.

This would also make the pests happy, a real descent into hell for your Giant hogweed.

To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)

Keep drainage in mind

If you tend to overwater, you need to pay attention to your drainage, and we advise choosing a saucer and a pot with drainage holes if they are not already there.

In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)