**FULL QUESTION:**
Dear Gardening Life,
I have been gardening on a beautiful property that has become overgrown. All the yuccas are covered with brown spores. I have cut off all the diseased spikes but how can I treat them? They seem to be the only plant in a 60-foot expanse that is affected.
*—Deborah Benson*
**ANSWER:**
Hi Deborah,
It sounds as though you have brown leaf spot a.k.a. coniothyrium leaf spot, caused by the fungus *Coniothyrium concentricum*. Certainly, cutting off affected leaves and disposing of them is the primary control. Avoiding overhead watering is another. Since outdoors you can’t prevent the rain from wetting the plants, you will have to resort to spraying them with a fungicide. Check the labels for yucca application and follow the directions carefully.
Good luck,
*Karen York, GL Botanical Editor*
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