White Mold!!!!! & Mealybugs!!!!!!!!

I have been too involved with my (balcony) garden lately, in studying them and their behavior towards climatic and positional changes. Two new flowering plants have arrived to the collection.

A weird Moss Rose.

Vinca Rose - Peach

But what worries me actually now, more than anything else, is the fungus, that has been affecting my plants.

They first appeared on the marigold and lasted in them until the plant perished. These are white, insect like creatures that seem to originate from a web at the stem region and then spread in all directions. Some study refers to moist conditions for their origin. Whatever the origin is, it seems impossible to get rid of them and now I have 4 of my plants infected. Medicines have failed me.

“White mold, or sclerotinia, is a plant disease caused by fungal infection. The fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is the most common culprit, but some other Sclerotinia species also infect plants. White mold is also sometimes called stem rot, stalk rot, wilt, or head rot. The fungus is most common in temperate climates, though it can grow in a wide variety of ecological environments. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is one of the most successful plant pathogens and it affects some of our most important food crops.”

The result is slower growth of plants, no flowers and even if there are any, the flowers are infected and never bare seeds. I even doubt the pigeons that always dirty my balcony; could they have carried the disease? Also some of the plants have this moving creature wom i suspect to be meally bugs....not sure though.

Those White spots....

My uncle told me this first – “Can’t do anything with them, you have to throw the plant.” Even though I did value his advice based on his good gardening background, it bothered me to pluck the plant away without trying some remedies. So may be the hard way but satisfying indeed, I tried the medicine which failed.

Reading through the net now, I find similar recommendations like that of my uncle. It asks for replacement of the affected soil completely and pruning of the infected regions.

So I am doing what seems the best now - Separating of the affected plants, replacing the soil and replanting the pruned plant. I have to experiment them with one to see the result. I really hope it works and my plants survive.

So are there any another emotionally easy way to get rid of this crazy white predator?