Date palm: diseases and other problems with the plant. Palm diseases at home: diagnosis and effective therapy What types of palm diseases are there?

Most often, exotic plants with high adaptive capacity and good health are grown in indoor floriculture. However, despite their unpretentiousness, palm trees, once in an unusual microclimate, can get sick.

What diseases of palm trees growing at home may owners encounter, what symptoms are alarming, and is it always possible to save a tropical beauty?

As practice shows, most of the ailments of these unusual plants are associated with improper care or inappropriate conditions. After all, even the most persistent and uncapricious palm tree remains a tropical guest, accustomed to a certain climate. And every gardener who decides to have such a tree must study its needs and create favorable conditions, as close as possible to natural ones. It is worth paying attention to the following points:

• Humidity

It should be high; most palm trees do not tolerate dryness well. Most often, this is the cause of disease and death of exotic plants.

• Natural leaf dieback

For all representatives of the flora that have foliage, this process is the norm. But in a palm tree, the scars that remain in place of the petioles are necessary for the full formation of the trunk. However, it is advisable that indoor palm trees the foliage was preserved as long as possible and remained green.

The most common ailments of palm trees growing indoors

It is important to devote a little time to preventive measures that will protect your tropical pet from possible illnesses and diseases. However, they are not able to 100% eliminate the possibility of developing diseases and then the palm tree will need emergency help.

Violation of the watering regime and consequences

Palm trees love moisture, but not excessively; when the soil is overwatered, the tree begins to rot. Overdrying the soil is also dangerous; in this case, the leaves of the plant become pale, covered with spots, their growth stops and the blades wither. To avoid this, you should care for your exotic beauty properly:

• The crown of the palm tree should be sprayed warm water daily.
• It is recommended to regularly wipe the leaves with a damp sponge or napkin, moistening them and removing dust and dirt. Caution must be exercised when performing the procedure on specimens whose leaves are covered with a waxy coating or hairs. If the covering is removed, the leaves will die.
• For irrigation and other activities, soft, settled water, slightly lukewarm or at room temperature, is used.

If the rules are not followed, you may encounter alarming symptoms and deterioration of the plant’s condition.

The appearance of brown spots on the foliage

Pigmentation can be different, initially small spots “blur”, occupying increasingly larger areas, their round shape becomes angular. The most common reasons similar:

• Overmoistening of the soil, stagnation of moisture in it.
• Watering palm trees with hard, cold water.
• Keeping the plant at low air temperatures.

You can improve the condition of a green pet only by adjusting the conditions of detention and correcting care errors. The amount of water introduced is reduced by 2 times; it is preliminarily settled or filtered rainwater is used. Damaged leaves are removed.

The appearance of spots and drying of leaves also occurs when the tree is infected with insect pests - spider mites or scale insects. In the latter case, the palm tree will be covered with the finest cobwebby coating.

To rid the plant of uninvited guests, you need to treat its leaves with a strong solution of laundry soap and repeat the procedure after a week.
If the infection is severe, you will have to resort to more powerful insecticides. For example, you can use the drug Actellica for treatment. The crown is processed, and after 7-14 days the event is repeated for prevention.

Darkening of the foliage gives way to a whitish coating

These are signs of the dangerous fungal disease penicillosis, which is also called “white leprosy.” It develops when a plant is infected by spores of pathogenic fungi living in the soil. Moreover, despite the fact that pathogens are in the soil, the top of the palm tree is the first to suffer from their activity.

The disease can be identified by the following symptoms:

• Some parts of the foliage darken and dry out.
• After 7-10 days, the leaf blades become covered with a white coating.
• Severe deformation of the green mass occurs.

The main food for the fungus in the soil mixture is the remains of organic matter that has not had time to decompose. But when the plant’s immunity decreases, it weakens, the microorganism is activated and settles on young greenery. The following factors contribute to the development of the disease:

• Significantly increased humidity - up to 70% and above.
• The planted palm was already infected or damaged.
• The plant was kept indoors at an air temperature below + 15 degrees.
• The soil used is contaminated with fungal spores.
• Direct sunlight falls on the tree.
• The irrigation technology is broken - there is a high risk of penicillosis affecting the palm tree if moisture gets to its growth point.

Treatment of a room dweller begins with eliminating the causes that provoked the activity of the fungus. Then pruning of the above-ground parts affected by fungal spores is required. Fungicides are effective treatments for penicillosis.

To prevent illness from overpowering the exotic beauty, you should take care of the light and temperature conditions.

Yellowing or darkening of foliage, further decay of the tree
Often, infection of a plant by fungi leads to the development of various rots. Both the stem and the root system can rot. The main reason is abundant and frequent watering, leading to stagnation of moisture. Associated factors that aggravate the situation are a lack of minerals or sudden temperature changes.

The owner should be attentive to the exotic, since at the first signs of disease the palm tree will require transplantation:

• The green part of the tree withers and becomes drooping.
• Foliage color becomes yellow or dark.

Otherwise, the plant will begin to rot and then it will not be possible to cure it. Resuscitation measures consist of the following procedures:

• The soil should be shed.
• Carefully remove the specimen from the pot.
• The earthen ball is removed, the root system must be carefully examined and damaged and affected parts must be removed.
• The palm tree is placed in a solution of fungicide with zinc or copper for a quarter of an hour.
• The sections are sprinkled with charcoal; you can use activated or wood charcoal. Some gardeners sprinkle them with ground cinnamon powder.
• A fresh substrate is being prepared; it should be sterilized in the oven or disinfected by spilling it with a solution of potassium permanganate.
• When the tree is planted, the soil is watered with water and a fungicide solution. After 5-7 days the procedure is repeated.

Until the palm tree fully adapts, the frequency of watering is reduced. When young sprouts appear, you can care for the exotic according to your usual regimen.

The main fungal diseases of palm trees

Caring for a home palm tree is not difficult, but only if the gardener knows about the characteristics and needs of the tropical plant. Otherwise, the palm tree may be favored by pathogenic fungi - pests that provoke dangerous diseases and pathologies.

Alternaria and dry spotting

The causative agents are fungi belonging to the genus Alternaria. First of all, they affect the foliage, less often the stem; in tuberous plants, the tubers may be damaged.

Signs of the disease: spots on the leaves are brown, dry, with concentric circles. Gradually they turn black, grayish conidia become noticeable.

• Abiga peak – 25 g per 5 liters of water.
• Oxychom - 10 g per 2.5 liters of water.
• Vitaros – 1 ml per 0.5 liter of water.

The crown of the tree is sprayed once every 1.5 weeks; 2-3 procedures will be required.

Anthracnose

Pests are pathogenic fungi that may belong to the following genera: Colletotrichum, Gloeosporium, Kabatiella. It is worth noting that palm trees and ficus trees suffer from their activity more often than other indoor plants.

With anthracnose, foliage, petioles, stems are affected, and the fungus reaches the fruits.

Symptoms: leaf blades become covered with spots that look different depending on the type of pathogen. They can be small, round, reddish, brown or yellow. In any case, they grow and sometimes have a dark spot inside. The higher the humidity, the faster the pathogen spreads.

Anthracnose is treated with fungicides:

• Bordeaux mixture 1% - diluted according to the recommendations specified in the instructions.
• Copper sulfate - 10 g per 1 liter of water.
• Colloidal sulfur – 25 g per 5 liters of water.
• Abiga-pik – 25g per 5 liters of water.

Powdery mildew

A common contagious disease that spreads quickly from one indoor flower on the other, so even large palm trees can suffer from it. The causative agents of the disease can be fungi from the genera Podosphaera fuliginea, Erysiphe cichoracearum and Oidium.

You can find out about a plant being damaged by the following symptoms: the leaf blades become covered with small powdery spots that can be wiped off with your fingers, but they appear again and become larger. Over time, they acquire a rich gray color. The leaves begin to dry out and the palm tree stops growing.

Experienced flower growers advise, during active flower growth, to carry out preventive treatments with sulfur and spraying the crown with whey, 3-4 times during spring and summer. In addition, palm trees should not be overfed with nitrogenous compounds, as this increases the risk of developing this disease. But phosphorus and potassium strengthen the green pet, making it more resistant to such fungi.

But what to do if a tropical tree still gets powdery mildew? The following antifungal agents are used for treatment: Pure Flower, Raek, Skor, the active ingredient of which is difenoconazole or Topaz containing penconazole. 2 ml of the drug is diluted in 5 liters of water and the green part of the plant is treated.

With a slight infection, a palm tree can be cured by spraying its foliage with a mixture of soda ash and copper sulfate. It is prepared according to the following algorithm:

1. 10 g of soda dissolves in a liter of water.
2. Add 2 g of tar or laundry soap shavings.
3. 200 ml of water is poured into a glass, 2 g of copper sulfate is added to it.
4. Both solutions are combined and water is added to a volume of 2 liters.
5. The product is sprayed onto the sick specimen.

It is useless to use antibiotics to treat fungal diseases; drugs of this group are in this case ineffective. Bordeaux mixture also helps with powdery mildew.

Gray rot

If it is damp in a pot with a palm tree and the weather is hot, then you can expect a gray-olive coating with a edge to appear on the plant. The culprit of the disease is a fungus from the genus botrytis. Initially, the stem is affected, and later – foliage, flowers, and fruits.

Gradually, the affected areas become similar to dry rot, covered with concentric spots. The spots increase in size and ring the stem. Gray rot resembles a layer of mold and loose cotton wool.

You can prevent the development of the disease if you adhere to the basic rules:

• The soil should be disinfected before use - heated in the oven or microwave.
• Ventilate the room regularly.
• Remove dying foliage.
• Provide the palm tree with plenty of light.

When replanting a tree, it is recommended to water the soil with solutions of special preparations - Trichodermin, Barrier, Barrier or Fitosporin.
If the plant is affected by gray rot, then complex therapy is required, consisting of a number of measures:

• Affected leaves are removed.
• The sections are sprinkled with charcoal or ash.
• Damaged areas can be lubricated with trichodermin paste - the powder is mixed with a small amount of water.
• It is recommended to spray the crown with special products - 0.1% Topsin-M or Fitosporin, diluted to the color of tea leaves.

The following drugs also help against gray rot - 0.2% Fundazol solution, a mixture of 0.2% copper sulfate and 2% laundry soap, Pure Flower, Skor, Raek. As a rule, repeated treatments are required, which are carried out every other week.

These are not all diseases that are caused by fungi, and the owner of an exotic pet should more closely monitor the condition of the pet. In addition, palm trees can also suffer from insect pests.

About pests affecting indoor palm trees

Scale insect and false scale insect

If the foliage of a palm tree is covered with tiny brown droplet tubercles, it means it has been attacked by a scale insect. The insect feeds on the fresh sap of the plant, depriving it of valuable nutrients and leaving pale areas underneath. In addition, scale insects secrete a sticky coating that looks like white dots.

These pests are much more resistant to insecticides than other insects, since they are protected by a special shell, so it is recommended to use intestinal agents against them. When eating the juice of poisoned leaves, the scale insect is paralyzed, which leads to its death.

In addition to treating with insecticidal preparations, you can treat the tree crown with an alcohol solution or a water-oil emulsion. Additionally, it is useful to replace the top layer of soil with fresh substrate.

And there are also many folk recipes to remove these small pests. For example, you can rid a palm tree of scale insect larvae by the following means:

• Infusion of dandelion leaves and roots - 30 g of fresh raw material per liter of water.
• Potato tops tincture - 100 g of fresh herbs per liter of water.
• A decoction of tomato leaves and stems - 400 g of crushed mixture per liter of water, the composition is diluted 3-5 times.
• Garlic tincture - garlic cloves are crushed with a knife or crushed, filled with water: 150 g per 0.5 liter of water. Before use, the product is diluted - 5 g per liter of water.

As a rule, several treatments of the plant are required, and in addition, it is useful to use folk remedies for prevention.

Mealybug

Another unpleasant “comrade”, which is also a close relative of scale insects. He is also not averse to settling on indoor flowers and enjoying their fresh juice.

The mealybug is a 3-5 mm insect with an oval body, painted in a light tone. It reproduces at the “speed of light”; within a couple of days, the larvae of the mealybug can fill the veins, ovaries and even reach the root system of the palm tree.

To save any indoor plant, you should act immediately - the mealybug can destroy even a large palm tree in a short time:

Among the most effective folk remedies From the spider bug, flower growers distinguish the following compositions:

• Infusion of tobacco leaves and stems – 20-25 g per 0.5 liter of water. Before use, it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2.
• Infusion of bitter pepper fruits - pour 100 g of crushed raw materials into a liter of water.

Conclusion

In home floriculture, the most unpretentious and change-resistant representatives of the palm family are most often grown. However, even such specimens can get sick, especially if the plants do not receive proper care and are kept in unsuitable conditions. The owner should know everything about the characteristics and needs of their tropical pets, warning signs and possible treatment.

Almost everyone at least once in their life went on vacation in winter or summer to hot countries, where there is sea, sand, exotic fruits and, of course, palm trees. Today it is not difficult to create a green relaxation corner in your home by placing an exotic palm tree in it, which can be purchased in the store. The most unpretentious plant to grow at home is the beautiful chamedorea, which naturally grows in tropical rainforests. In order for an ornamental plant to decorate a house or apartment with beautiful foliage, you need to know some of the nuances of its cultivation and care.

Hamedorea or bamboo palm in nature reaches a height of 3 to 5 meters. At home, it can grow to about one and a half meters. The plant has a thin trunk, on which ring marks are visible after the fallen lower leaves. At proper care and growing conditions, new shoots will form on the rhizomes, and thin bamboo stems will grow.

On each trunk, dissected large number segments of pinnate green leaves. They have grooved or rounded long petioles. The leaf blade is also quite long, so it is inclined in an arched manner. This is best seen on adult specimens.

At a young age, chamedorea can bloom, and at any time of the year. First, a peduncle forms on the bamboo palm, along the entire length of which bright yellow, slightly velvety, small flowers bloom. Experienced flower growers recommend removing the emerging peduncle, since the plant spends a lot of energy on the formation of buds, which can affect the decorativeness of the leaves.

They grow very slowly, so if you want to decorate your green corner with a large tree at once, then purchase an already mature plant.

Hamedorea gracilis or Neanta

This type of palm tree can most often be seen in flower shops, where Neanta is sold in bushes. That is, several palm trees grow in one pot at once.

The height of Hamedorea graceful can reach from one and a half to two meters. It has thin trunks that produce about seven light green feathery leaves. Each leaf consists of 8-14 narrow-lanceolate leaf blades.

Neanta is the most unpretentious of all palm trees, as it is able to adapt to almost any growing conditions. It is resistant to many pests, can grow in partial shade and can withstand short drying of the earthen clod. However, in order for the leaves of the plant to always have a decorative appearance, it is still necessary to know certain rules when growing Hamedorea graceful.

Hamedorea palm - home care

Lighting Neanta loves the absent-minded. Many people think that since palm trees grow in hot countries, they should be placed in the sun. This opinion is wrong. Hamedorea grows in nature under the cover of foliage. tall trees and direct sunlight is contraindicated for it. Otherwise, its leaves will turn yellow (see photo).

However, it will not grow completely in the shade. If you place it far from the window in the back of the room, the trunk will begin to stretch, and the leaves will lose their decorative effect. You can place the chamedorea in front of a western or southern window. If your windows face north, then the tree should be on or near the windowsill.

To ensure that the leaves grow in different directions and the trunk does not bend, the plant must be regularly turned in different directions towards the light source.

Air temperature For palm trees, Hamedorea should always be warm. It should not fall below +18 degrees even in winter. Many gardeners like the fact that the plant does not need to be provided with a dormant period and can be grown at room temperature in winter. But if the room is cool during the cold season, then the temperature should not fall below +16 degrees. In this case, the bush needs to be watered less often and does not need to be sprayed.

Watering Hamadorea. When caring for Neantha, the main thing is not to over-moisten the soil. It will tolerate dry soil more easily, so it is necessary to water the plant only after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried thoroughly. In cool rooms, it is necessary to water the tree after the soil has dried to a depth of 3-4 cm.

Remember that they love moist air, not soil! If the leaves begin to turn yellow, the stem at the base has darkened, and there is a musty smell coming from the pot, then you are watering your bamboo palm too often. In such conditions, she may soon die.

Humidity tropical plant loves tall. Therefore, when caring for hemedorrhea at home, it must be sprayed with settled water daily. Plants especially suffer from dry air that comes from heating radiators in winter. In such conditions, sometimes even spraying does not help and the tips of the palm leaves begin to dry out.

In rooms with dry air, spider mites can grow on the leaves and feed on their sap. As a result, the leaves of Hamedorea turn yellow and fall off. A special humidifier can help increase air humidity. If it is not possible to purchase it, then place a container of water next to the palm tree, which will evaporate and humidify the air.

Feeding Hamedorea carried out during the period of active growth, that is, from April to September. In specialized stores you can purchase special mineral fertilizers for palm trees, which are used according to the attached instructions. The plant needs to be fed once or twice a month.

Hamedorea transplant

This is a very important moment when caring for Neantha, since many inexperienced gardeners make mistakes when replanting. As a result, the plant suffers or even dies. But if you follow all the recommendations, your bamboo palm will soon take root and begin to grow.

1. Approximately 10-14 days after purchase, when the plant gets used to its new home conditions, it will need to be transplanted from the plastic shipping container into a new pot. If Neanta is already growing in your house, then the young plant is transplanted into a new container every year, and adult specimens - once every 3-4 years.
2. To replant chamedorea, you can use soil for palm trees from the store or make it yourself from turf soil, peat, humus and perlite, which are taken in equal parts. Before use, it is recommended to sterilize turf and humus in the microwave.
3. The pot for transplanting a palm tree should be only 2-3 cm larger than the previous one. The mistake of many gardeners is that they plant a small tree immediately in a large pot. This should not be done under any circumstances! The size of the pot should be increased gradually.
4. If you are going to plant a single-trunk palm tree, then choose a pot a couple of centimeters larger than the volume of its roots. A small number of roots in a large volume of soil will begin to sour and rot. As a result, the leaves of the chamedorea will turn yellow, and it may even die.
5. It is better to replant the plant using the transshipment method, so as not to disturb the roots. First, a layer of drainage is poured onto the bottom of the new pot, then a small layer of soil, and only after that, a palm tree is placed along with a lump of earth. The roots of the bush are covered with soil mixture and watered.
6. Adult plants do not like replanting, but they need to update the soil. If the chamedorea in the pot is not crowded and the roots are not visible from the drainage hole, then in the spring you can simply remove the old top layer of soil and replace it with a new one.

To get a beautiful palm bush, plant several palms in one pot at once of different ages and length.

Pruning Hamedorea

The lower leaves of any palm tree dry out over time, so they need to be trimmed. This should be done using pruning shears or a sharp knife. It is recommended to wipe tools with an alcohol-containing solution before use and after trimming. After the procedure, the cut sites are treated with any fungicidal preparation. Also, when pruning, you need to pay attention to the tips of the leaves and trim dry ones. Yellow leaves that have lost their decorative effect are also cut off.

Hamedorea pests and diseases

Of the pests, Neantha can infect spider mite, aphids, scale insects and mealybugs. The bamboo palm is resistant to harmful insects, but dry air and contaminated soil can lead to their appearance. If the leaves of Hamedorea begin to turn yellow and dry, carefully examine them from the underside, and also pay attention to the trunk:

• spider mites can be recognized by very small moving dots and cobwebs between the leaves;
• scale insects look like gray or brown plaques that are difficult to tear off;
• green or gray aphid insects can settle on the table and the top of the tree;
• Mealybugs look like pieces of cotton wool.

All these insects feed on the sap of the plant, which is why the leaves first lose their decorative appearance, and soon dry out and fly off. Pests can be destroyed using special insecticidal preparations.

When the soil in the pot stagnates, the air in the room is cold, and the soil is contaminated, chamedorea can be affected by diseases in the form of pink rot or leaf spot:

1. Pink rot It affects the roots of the palm tree, and wet pink, brown or brown spots appear on the leaves and trunk. After some time, the trunk rots and the plant dies. To cure chamedorea, you need to change the soil, trim off the rotten roots, and treat the remaining ones with a fungicide.
2. Leaf spot is a fungal disease that manifests itself as oval or round spots on the leaves of gray, brown, light green, brown, white or yellow. The fungus multiplies quickly and soon the leaves wither completely. It is necessary to reduce watering, trim off affected leaves and spray the bush with a fungicidal preparation.

Problems when growing Hamedorea

The tips of the leaves dry out

Dry and brown leaf tips indicate dry indoor air. Spray the foliage more often, move the tree away from heating radiators and wash the leaves from time to time under a warm shower. Before washing the plant in the shower, the soil must be covered with cellophane to prevent water and bleach from getting into it.

Lithuania takes on a darker green hue and the tips of its leaves dry out in low light. Try placing your chamedorea closer to a light source. If the chamedorea is already large and stands far from the window, then in winter it may need additional artificial lighting.

Hamedorea's leaves are drying up - what to do?

There may be several reasons for this problem:

1. Old lower leaves on palm trees dry out and fall off over time. This is a natural process and there is no need to worry.
2. In dry air at home, the tips of the leaves dry first, and if no measures are taken, then over time the leaf blades will begin to dry out completely. Place containers of water or a humidifier near the plant.
3. Pests can cause yellowing and drying of Neanta's leaves. We wrote above how to deal with them.
4. If both old and young leaves on a plant turn yellow and dry, then the roots may be rotting. Reconsider your care, perhaps you are simply flooding the palm tree or it is standing in a draft. It is recommended to transplant the plant into new soil, having first examined the roots. The rotten ones are cut off, and the remaining ones are treated with a fungicide.

Yellowing of leaves on a palm tree is associated with many reasons:

• planting a plant in a very large pot;
• the soil is depleted and the plant needs feeding;
• the tree stands in a sunny place, and the rays of the sun burn the foliage;
• due to dry indoor air, pests have infested the palm tree;
• frequent watering leads to rotting of the roots and yellowing of the foliage;
• if a palm tree stands in a draft, its roots become overcooled and the leaves turn yellow.

As you can see, all problems when growing chamedorea at home are associated with errors in care and improper placement of the palm tree. Follow all the rules for caring for Neantha and the palm tree will thank you with beautiful foliage that will decorate your green corner in the house.

The most common plant diseases that occur on indoor flowers are described here. Attention: any plants, if agricultural practices are violated (flooding, hypothermia, overfeeding with fertilizers) or when planted in undisinfected soil, may show signs of several diseases. In the surrounding world there are not one or two types of microorganisms, but millions. We can guess the disease by single characteristic spots. There are specific diseases that cannot be confused with anything: gray rot (long threads of gray mold), powdery mildew (leaves as if covered with white dust), leaf dropsy in succulents (green pimples, the plant is not depressed), ring patterns from viruses and some other.

But very often plants exhibit several diseases at the same time, for example, in orchids, tracheomycosis (fusarium) and at the same time septoria or phyllosticosis. Root rot and Alternaria blight. The good news is that the ones offered to us in the store are usually effective against many diseases. But do not forget that drugs of hazard classes 3 and 4 are allowed for personal households (i.e., for the home).

Alternaria and dry spotting

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Alternaria. The fungus mainly affects leaves, sometimes stems and tubers.

Symptoms: Dry ones appear first. brown spots, first of all on the lower and then on the upper leaves. Typically, concentric circles are visible on the spots. As the spot enlarges, it gradually turns black, and gray conidia become visible on it.

Frequent temperature changes and changes in humidity contribute to the spread of the disease, i.e. alternating dry and wet periods. But the optimal conditions for the development of the fungus are at temperatures above about 25-30°C and humidity up to 90%.

Prevention

Avoid crowding the plants; cut out unnecessary branches and leaves during planting. Ventilate the room or greenhouse; if the flowers are on the balcony, make sure there is good ventilation and mold is not growing on the walls - this is an indicator of microclimate disturbances.

Control measures

Fungicides used to combat Alternaria blight:

• abiga peak 50 g per 10 liters of water
• acrobat MC 20 g per 5 liters of water
• oxychome 20 g per 10 liters of water
• home 40 g per 10 liters of water
• Vitaros 2 ml per 1 liter of water

Anthracnose

The causative agent is fungi of the genera Colletotrichum, Gloeosporium, Kabatiella. Palm trees, ficus, anthurium, etc. are more often susceptible.

Symptoms: The disease affects the leaves, stems, petioles and fruits of plants. Spots on different plants, and depending on the pathogen, look different.

• Kabatiella zeae - causes the formation of small round or irregularly shaped spots, 2-5 mm in diameter with a clear outline. It looks like a yellow spot with a brown or black dot inside. If the spot is larger, instead of a black dot, a dark rim is formed, and inside it is a grayish ring.
• Colletotrichum orbiculare - causes the formation of usually reddish-brown spots, often with a slight yellow border, from 2 to 12 mm. On some plants the spots are pale green. Round or elongated in shape. In the affected areas, the spots merge, dry out, become like parchment, crack, and holes form.
• Colletotrichum trichellum - large yellowish-brown or gray-brown spots on leaves and stems with dark sporulation pads. If you look closely, you will notice that on the spots on the upper side of the leaf, the surface is not smooth, but covered with fluffy hairs of spores, however, the spores are noticeable even when the plant is severely damaged. The spots on the fruit are gray-brown with a dark center, depressed.

Anthracnose develops quickly in greenhouse conditions, i.e. at high air humidity (about 90-100%) and elevated temperature 22-27 °. And also with frequent (several times a day) spraying of plants. The fungus is frost-resistant - it is preserved in plant debris, in seeds and spreads with water when watering.

Prevention

Removing leaves with suspicious spots, disinfecting the soil, treating seeds. Suspicious plants purchased in a store should be quarantined. If there are signs of disease, it is necessary to stop spraying the plants.

Control measures

Spraying is usually enough, three treatments using fungicides:

• oxychome 15-20 g per 10 liters of water
• : 100 g per 10 liters of water
• colloidal sulfur: 50-100 g per 10 liters of water
• strobi fungicide, in a system with other fungicides, 4 g per 10 l of water
• abiga-pik: 50 g suspension per 10 liters of water

Ascochyta blight

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Ascochyta. The most severe damage is caused by ascochyta blight of chrysanthemums, which most often affects plants of the Asteraceae family.

Symptoms: at the initial stage, small, only 1-2 mm reddish or brown spots appear on the leaves, sometimes brown, reddish with a yellowish or brown rim, of various shapes. The spots increase in size and acquire a dark brown necrotic hue with a yellowish chlorotic border along the edge. Small black spores of the fungus can only be seen under magnification with a magnifying glass. If the growth of a fungus on a stem rings it, the stem easily breaks.

Sometimes the disease begins with signs of overdrying of the plant - the tips of the leaves begin to dry out, and a dark brown stripe forms at the border with healthy tissue. The pathogen is very resistant to deep temperature changes, i.e. It tolerates both severe drought and soil frost. Preserved on plant debris and seeds. The disease spreads with wind, undisinfected soil, and drops of water.

Prevention and treatment, as with .

Dropsy of leaves (edema)

A disease not caused by a fungus or bacteria, but resulting from waterlogging of the soil, often with insufficient lighting. It usually appears in succulents, typically in peperomia, crassula, Kalanchoe, possibly on pelargonium, schefflera.

Symptoms: the plant, most often, barely noticeable pimples appear on the underside of the leaf, they seem watery, but in fact they are dense, sometimes like cork growths, some look like warts, the color of the leaf can be preserved, i.e. the spots are green and may acquire a gray necrotic color. This is caused by the fact that some of the roots die off (from drying out, waterlogging, hypothermia), and the nutrition through the conducting vessels that were supplied by these roots is disrupted. Since the waterlogging was not severe, the soil had time to dry out, the rotting did not spread further, but the stains remained. The affected leaves will not recover, but if the plant is given good conditions, then the new leaves will be healthy.

The difference between dropsy (edema) and other diseases, root rot, is that the plant is not depressed, it grows noticeably, and the spots themselves are small in patches, affecting 1-3 leaves on the bush. Leaves with dropsy do not turn yellow, dry out or fall off!

Treatment and prevention: Adjust watering, do not overwater, loosen the soil after heavy watering and when compacting the soil in the pot. Make up the soil with a high proportion of draining, loosening particles - at least 1/5 or 1/4 of the volume of the pot.

Downy mildew (Peronosporosis)

Pathogens are fungi of the genera Peronospora, Plasmopara, Pseudoperonospora, Mildew. The disease can affect any indoor plants, but the disease is quite rare.

Symptoms: yellow, then brown spots of irregular shape form on the upper side of the leaves; with downy rose of cucumbers, the spots are angular (specific to the structure of the leaf). Gradually, necrosis occurs in these places, and the spots become brown. On the underside of the leaves, at the beginning of the disease there is a light gray coating from the conidial sporulation of the pathogen that emerged on the surface of the leaf through the stomata, then this coating gradually turns black. Diseased leaves turn yellow, become wrinkled or corrugated, wither and dry out. With a severe degree of damage, the pathogen can penetrate the vascular system, which is noticeable on the cut in the form of darkened vessels (mycelium and spores).

The disease predominates on heavy acidic soils. The spread is aggravated by high humidity and poor ventilation. The source of infection is undisinfected soil and seeds.

Prevention

Maintaining low humidity, regular ventilation, thinning and cleaning of bushes. Changing the soil and its disinfection. If signs of the disease have already been detected, avoid spraying and when watering, avoid getting water on the leaves.

Preparing seeds for sowing:

• immersing them in hot water at 50°C for 20 minutes, followed by rapid cooling in cold water for 2-3 minutes
• soaking in a seed protectant, for example, Maxim

Control measures

Removing diseased leaves and severely affected branches. You can use preparations containing copper: oxychome, cuproxate, 1% solution, ordan. These fungicides are more accessible (cheap and effective) for treating garden and vegetable plants. You can get more modern drugs: Quadris, Bravo - but they are not sold in small packages, they are intended only for agriculture(in cans and bottles), gardeners usually purchase them in collective purchases.

Fungicides available for the simple grower are:

• topaz 4 ml per 10 liters of water
• abiga-pik 50 g suspension per 10 liters of water
• oxychome 15-20 g per 10 liters of water, three times

Start treatment at the first signs of the disease and repeat every 7-10 days, especially carefully treating the underside of the leaves. At least 3-4 treatments are necessary.

Preparations: pureflower, skor, rayok are ineffective against downy mildew.

Powdery mildew

A common plant disease caused by fungi of the species Podosphaera fuliginea, Erysiphe cichoracearum and Oidium - powdery mildew on Oidium grapes.

Symptoms: at the beginning of the disease, small powdery spots appear on flowers and leaves. They are easily erased, but then appear again and increase in size, becoming a rich gray color. Gradually the mycelium thickens and becomes almost brown. Powdery coating can be on both sides of the leaf. The leaves gradually dry out, buds and flowers fall off, and plant growth stops. The most favorable conditions for the development of the disease are high humidity - about 60-80% and warm air within 15-26°C.

Of the domestic plants, powdery mildew most often affects: laurel, Saintpaulia, gloxinia, roses, gerberas, Kalanchoe, etc.

Prevention

To prevent powdery mildew indoor plants and flowers can be pollinated with sulfur 3-4 times during the summer. Overfeeding plants with nitrogenous fertilizers, especially during budding, increases the risk of powdery mildew. On the contrary, fertilizing with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers increases resistance to the powdery mildew pathogen. You should also ventilate the room more often, avoiding cold drafts. Pay attention to the bushes and trees that grow under your windows; if they show signs of the disease, you always need to be on alert - fungal spores are easily carried by the wind.

In addition to treatment with sulfur, preventive spraying with whey (reverse) can be carried out. Regular whole milk is also suitable, but whey is preferable (less traces on the leaves), you need to dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:3 and spray the plants. For prevention, repeat after 2 weeks.

Fighting powdery mildew at home

If powdery mildew has fallen on indoor flowers, and violets (Saintpaulias) and potted gerberas are especially susceptible, indoor roses, then you can use the same means as for garden plants, except for highly toxic ones (Bayleton), but preference should be given to such fungicides as topaz, speed.

You can use the drugs Chistotsvet, Skor, Rayok - they are all available in small packaging, contain difenoconazole, dilute 2 ml per 5 liters of water. For fruit trees, vegetables and berries, dilute 2 g per 10 liters of water, maximum 4 treatments: the first - on a green cone, the rest - after 12-14 days, stop treatments 20 days before harvest.

It is quite safe to spray against powdery mildew at home with a solution of soda ash and copper sulfate: dilute 10 g of soda ash and 2 g of soap (laundry, tar) in 1 liter of water, and separately dissolve 2 g of copper sulfate in a glass of water. Pour the copper solution into the soda solution, add water to a liquid volume of 2 liters and spray the plants.

If you heard from someone a recipe for fighting powdery mildew with antibiotics, do not try to repeat it; penicillins, tetracyclines and other antibiotics do not act on fungal infections; in extreme cases, they will help against bacteriosis, but nothing more.

You can use drugs such as Topaz, Vectra, Hom, Oxychom, Bordeaux mixture (1%). How to get rid of powdery mildew on gooseberries, currants, roses, etc. horticultural crops- read more: .

Spraying with an iodine solution helps as a prevention and treatment: dilute 1 ml of alcohol pharmaceutical tincture of iodine in 1 liter of water. Roses can be increased in concentration - dilute 1 ml per 400 ml of water.

Septoria

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Septoria.

Symptoms: dark brown or dark gray spots with a yellowish border (on anthurium) or, as on azaleas, small reddish or reddish-yellow spots that gradually increase in size. Then black spots appear in the center on the spots - the fruiting organs of the fungus, which can even overwinter on the leaves at sub-zero temperatures and the disease will begin to spread in the spring. Some forms of septoria have different manifestations (depending on the type of plant):

• The causative agent is Septoria albopunctata - looks like small 2-5 mm reddish-purple or brown spots with a gray center. As the disease progresses, the spots increase in size, and in the center of some of them you can see small dark brown or black spores of the fungus. Over time, the spots merge, turn brown, and the leaf dries out. Ideal conditions for the development of the disease are high humidity and temperatures within 28-31°.
• The causative agent Septoria populi, the so-called white spot, first causes the formation of small whitish or gray spots with a brown rim around the edge, round or oval.

Prevention

Removing leaves with suspicious spots, disinfecting the soil, treating seeds. If there are signs of disease, it is necessary to stop spraying the leaves and improve air circulation (ventilation).

Treatment of septoria

When the spots have already appeared and are spreading further, you need to spray using chemicals: among them, a 1% solution (100 g of copper sulfate + 100 g of lime per 10 liters of water, diluted strictly according to the instructions), a solution of copper oxychloride (homogeneous , oxychome), copper sulfate (100 g per 10 liters of water). And also:

• colloidal sulfur 50-100 g per 10 liters of water
• strobe in a system with other fungicides, 4 g per 10 l of water
• abiga-pik 40-50 g per 10 liters of water
• fungicides: pureflower, speed, rayok, discor, keeper - any dilute 4 ml per 5 liters of water
• Vitaros 2 ml per 1 liter of water

Repeat spraying after 7-10 days.

Gray rot

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Botrytis Botrytis.

Symptoms: most often, the affected areas appear on the stems in the form of a fluffy grayish-olive coating. With further development, the disease spreads to leaves, flower ovaries and fruits.

Over time, the lesion takes on the appearance of dry rot with concentric spots. After a few days, the spot grows and rings the stem. During the first week, there is no sporulation of the fungus on the spot; it turns pale in the center to a straw color, and blurred ring-shaped stripes become visible. Gray rot looks like gray loose cotton wool or mold. Tissue necrosis develops inside the stem, while the vessels die and the movement of water stops. The shoot above this zone withers.

Prevention

Preventive measures include disinfection of the soil during replanting (warming in the oven or microwave), regular ventilation of rooms, removal of dying leaves and thinning of seedlings, good lighting. Avoid waterlogging the soil, especially if it is kept cool, if the flowers are on the balcony in early spring or late summer - autumn. When transplanting, you can add trichodermin, barrier, barrier or phytosporin preparations to the soil (spill the soil).

Control measures

At the first sign of disease, remove diseased leaves and inflorescences. Sprinkle the affected area with charcoal powder, chalk or wood ash. You can make a paste from the trichodermin preparation (moisten a small amount of powder with water) and also coat the affected areas. Spraying with topsin-M solution (0.1%) or phytosporin solution (diluted to tea color). For severe damage, spray:

• (0,2%)
• copper-soap solution: 0.2% copper sulfate and 2% laundry soap
• fungicides: puretsvet, skor, rayok - any, dilute 4 ml per 5 liters of water

Repeated treatments are carried out after 7-10 days.

Sooty fungus

Appears in the form of a dry sooty film on aucubes, buxuses, and laurels. Caused by the fungus Capnopodium, which settles on the secretions of aphids, whiteflies, mealybug. The plaque itself is not dangerous for the plant, but it clogs the stomata on the leaves, thereby disrupting the respiration process. The plant slows down and weakens.

Control measures: timely spraying against pests that produce sweet secretions (aphids, scale insects, thrips). After curing the disease, wipe the affected plants with a sponge dipped in soapy water and rinse with warm clean water, treat with phytosporin: take the liquid or paste and dilute it in a glass of water until it is the color of weak tea. Spray the leaves.

Sometimes sooty fungus settles on the surface of leaves affected by other fungi; carefully examine the nature of the spots and quarantine the plant.

Leaf rust

The causative agent is rust fungi, for example, of the genus Phragmidium or Puccinia.

Symptoms: expressed in the appearance of orange-brown tubercles, sometimes yellow or red round spots, on the upper surface of the leaf. On the reverse side of the leaf, pustules are clearly visible - pads (like warts) of oval or round shape. Gradually, the spots develop into stripes, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.

Prevention

The disease is provoked by uneven watering and high air humidity, but even with good care, infection is possible at home through cut garden flowers or with new potted plants purchased at the store, for example, gerberas. The infection can also occur with garden soil, because rust often affects apple or pear trees.

Control measures

Remove affected leaves and branches. Apply fungicide spray:

• abiga-pik 50 g per 10 liters of water
• Bayleton 1 g per 1 liter of water
• Vectra 2-3 ml per 10 liters of water
• 10 g per 1 liter of water
• oxychome 15-20 g per 10 liters of water
• ordan 20 g per 5 liters of water
• strobes
• 4 ml per 10 liters of water
• home 40 g per 10 liters of water

Repeat the treatment 2-3 times after 10 days. Biological products do not help against rust: phytosporin, bactofit, etc.

Phyllosticosis (brown spot)

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Phyllosticta. Among domestic flowers, hibiscus, roses, orchids, etc. are susceptible to the disease.

Symptoms: Small, dark reddish or dark purple dots initially appear on affected plants. They enlarge and turn into brown spots with a purple, almost black border around the edge. The middle of the spot becomes thinner, dries out, and in plants with non-leathery leaves falls out and holes form. When examined through a magnifying glass, black round spores can be seen on the brown areas of the spot. The disease spreads with wind, undisinfected soil, and drops of water.

Phyllosticosis of orchids manifests itself in small spots about 2 mm in diameter, dark brown in color, slightly depressed, no holes are formed, the disease is often called “black spotting”, since the leaf is dotted with small spots like a rash - the spots do not merge into large ones, they remain scattered, but the leaf turns yellow, and then fungal spores become noticeable. The disease spreads quite quickly, since orchids are often in an atmosphere of high air humidity.

Prevention

Compliance with the rules of care and hygiene - timely watering when necessary, but not more often, pour water only at the root, water should not get on the root collar or in the axils of the leaves. Use only warm water for irrigation, without chlorine and salts (iron, calcium). Make sure plants have enough light; weakened, chlorotic leaves are more susceptible to infection. Ventilate the house or rooms, avoiding drafts. Ventilation should be very good - an indicator of proper ventilation is the absence of mold in the bathroom, around the perimeter of the window frame, in the corners of the rooms. Observe the temperature regime, take into account the species requirements of orchids and other plants - deviation from the norm and usual care weakens the immune system.

Treatment of phyllosticosis

• Vectra fungicide - dilute 2-3 ml of the drug per 10 liters of water
• abiga-pik - 50 g per 5 liters of water
• strobe - 4 g per 10 liters of water
• oxychome 20 g per 10 liters of water
• fungicides: pure flower, speed, rayok, discor, keeper - any dilute 1 ml per 1 liter of water
• Vitaros 2 ml per 1 liter of water

Spraying at the first signs of disease or preventive, then subsequent ones at intervals of 7-10 days. In some plants, you can safely remove the affected leaves (for example, in hibiscus); in orchids, do not rush to cut out the affected areas to healthy tissue, this can weaken the plants even more. You can trim the leaf only when it has already turned very yellow. For the rest, treat by spraying.

Root rot

This is a group of diseases caused by a number of pathogenic fungi of the genera: Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Phytophthora etc. All these diseases sooner or later appear on the crown and tops of plants, but infection begins through the root system. If the pathogen is serious and the plant is young (cuttings, seedlings, seedlings), then the leaves do not even have time to begin to turn yellow - the roots and lower part of the stem quickly rot.

Orchids, Saintpaulias, cacti and succulents are most susceptible to root rot. The reason is a violation of agricultural technology.

Black leg is the scourge of seedlings, manifested in the rotting of the lower part of the shoot or cuttings. Rot is the most typical - blackening, softening of tissues. Most of the blackleg affects when the soil is waterlogged, poor aeration, if the lumps of earth are so dense that there is a constant anaerobic environment around the roots. The source of infection is unsterilized soil mixtures, equipment, pots and planting boxes after diseased plants.

Late blight

This is a type of root rot. In this case, the plant first slows down its growth, fades somewhat, the leaves lose color, become pale, only then the roots rot and the plant dies. The first impression with this disease is that the plant does not have enough water, but after watering the turgor is not restored, and the leaves wither even more. In plants with dense leaves, the leaves do not fade, but become covered with extensive brown spots that start from the central vein.

Prevention

Choose the right soil for your plants, add more porous, draining materials to structure the soil. Do not use fine river sand or sand from a children's sandbox (quarry sand) - it cements the earthen mixture! Use small pebbles with a particle size of 3-4 mm, these can be bought in specialized departments and aquarium stores, or sift river pebbles. When planting, add the drug to the pot with the plant.

Make sure that the soil does not become waterlogged, water after the permissible degree of drying: if it is indicated that watering is abundant, it means that the soil in the pot should have time to dry out approximately 1/2 or 1/3 of the top part of the pot before the next watering. If you stick your finger into the soil, you will find that the soil on top is dry, but the inside of the pot is slightly wetter (cooler) - then you can water it.

If moderate watering is recommended for the plant, then the soil should dry out completely - if you immerse your finger in the pot, it should also be dry inside (the finger does not feel that it is cooler or wetter there). Of course, you don't have to stick your fingers into the soil before every watering. Just wait for the soil to dry out on top and wait another 2-3 days before watering so that it has time to dry out in the depths as well. And if it suddenly gets colder and the temperature drops, you may need to wait even longer - 5-7 days before the next watering.

To propagate indoor plants, cut off only healthy cuttings and leaves. Be sure to sterilize the soil for planting cuttings, especially if you are growing plants that are very susceptible to late blight and root rot (for example, gesneriaceae, gardenias, schefflera). Old, already used pots in which the plants have died must be scalded with boiling water.

Before planting, soak the seeds in a disinfectant, use, for example, the drug Maxim.

Control measures

With a large development of root rot, when a significant part of the roots has died, and most of the shoots have drooped and lost their elasticity, treatment is useless. If the tip of a petiole or twig turns black during rooting, you can cut it off, drop phytosporin into the water and put it back to rooting.

If the plant shows signs of wilting, and the soil is damp, you must immediately remove the plant from the pot. Rinse the root system, remove rot. If there are still healthy roots, treat them (soak for a few minutes) in a fungicide solution:

• Alirin B - 2 tablets per 10 liters of water
• gamair - 2 tablets per 1 liter of water
• ordan 5 g per 1 liter of water
• 3 ml per 2 liters of water
• bactofit 10 ml per 5 liters of water
• oxychome 10 g per 5 liters of water
• home 20 g per 5 liters of water
• Vitaros 2 ml per 1 liter of water

Spotting

This is a whole group of diseases that are both fungal and bacterial in nature.

Pathogens - fungi of the genera Ascochyta, Colletotrichum, Phyllosticta, Pestalotia, Septoria, Vermicularia etc. Spots are diseases whose causative agent is difficult to identify; it can be anthracnose, septoria, phyllostictosis, ascochyta, but the specificity of the spots is not expressed. In this case, brown spots appear on the leaves of the plant, which grow in size as the disease spreads, merge and affect the entire leaf. If the plant is strong enough, resistant to disease, or very well cared for, the spots grow slowly and the leaves dry out just as slowly.

Spot prevention

Violations of living conditions contribute to the development of diseases. This waterlogging is especially aggravated by hypothermia of the root system (after watering with cold water or during transportation from the store to home during the cold season). Spots can also develop in warm, humid conditions, especially if there is poor air circulation and planting in dense clay soil.

Avoid crowding plants and overwatering. Regularly ventilate the room, greenhouses and provide good lighting. For prevention, water the plants with a solution of the drug or Bactofit. You can add tablets of the drug to pots when planting.

Control measures

In garden conditions, you need to collect and destroy any plant debris with stains from dead plants. Trim off affected leaves and branches of house flowers. Spray with fungicides that can cope with most fungal infections.

• abiga peak 50 g per 10 liters of water
• acrobat MC 20 g per 5 liters of water
• oxychome 20 g per 10 liters of water
• home 40 g per 10 liters of water
• Alirin-B 2 tablets per 1 liter of water
• Vectra 3 ml per 10 liters of water
• 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture (100 g copper sulfate + 100 g lime per 10 liters of water)
• copper sulfate: 100 g per 10 liters of water
• Vitaros 2 ml per 1 liter of water

At home, you should try to treat indoor flowers for spots with more affordable and simpler means: use the drugs Pistotsvet, Skor, Rayok - they are all available in small packaging, contain the same active ingredient - difenoconazole, dilute 2 ml per 5 liters of water. Spray the leaves with the solution, repeat after 2 weeks. Add zircon to the solution of these fungicides Chistotsvet, Skor, Rayok (6 drops per 1 liter of solution).

Red burn

The causative agent is a fungus of the genus Stangospora Staganospora. A disease characteristic of hippeastrums and some bulbous plants.

Symptoms: red narrow spots appear on the leaves and peduncles, on which spore-bearing crusts subsequently form; the scales of the bulbs turn completely red. A diseased plant begins to deform the leaves and flowers, flowering does not begin or stops, and the bulbs rot.

Treatment

Treatment of bulbs with fungicides. You can use the drug Maxim (soaking the bulbs), but it can cause burns to the primordia of the leaves and peduncle - their tips have a very thin epidermis. The third photo shows burns from the drug Maxim, although the bulb is cured, the burns will remain.

You can treat red burn of hippeastrum with other fungicides:

• foundationhol (benomyl) 1 g per 1 liter of water
• Vitaros 2 ml per 1 liter of water
• oxychome 4 g per 1 liter of water

Black spot

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Rhytisma, Dothidella.

Symptoms:

• Rhytisma acerinum - causes the formation of large round spots, initially yellowish and blurry. Then black dots appear on them, which gradually merge and form black shiny stroma (nodules), surrounded by a yellowish border. Sometimes there may be no yellowing around the black stromas.
• Rhytisma salicinum - causes similar lesions, only the spots are more convex, more angular in shape, large and small.
• Rhytisma punctatum - causes the appearance of small, dotted or teardrop-shaped, shiny black and convex stromas.
• Dothidella ulmi - causes the formation of grayish-black, rounded stroma; they are convex, shiny at first, later rough, like warts.

A combination of conditions contributes to the spread of the disease: high air humidity, shading and high temperatures.

Control measures

Spraying with fungicides:

• abiga peak 50 g per 10 liters of water
• acrobat MC 20 g per 5 liters of water
• benomyl (foundazole) 1 g per 1 liter of water
• Vectra 3 ml per 10 liters of water
• oxychome 20 g per 10 liters of water
• home 40 g per 10 liters of water
• Alirin-B 2 tablets per 1 liter of water
• Vitaros 2 ml per 1 liter of water

Spraying three times every 10 days.

Tracheomycosis

Tracheomycosis is a group of diseases called vascular wilts- pathogens enter through the roots and infect the vascular system of plants, clog the lumens of blood vessels with their mycelium, release toxins, the plant does not receive water and nutrients and begins to wither.

Tracheomycosis includes diseases such as:

• verticillium wilt (verticillium wilt)
• fusarium wilt (fusarium wilt)
• malsecco in citrus fruits

The symptoms are very similar, all diseases are diagnosed only in the laboratory, all are incurable, they are detected at the stage when pathogenic fungi have already poisoned the vascular system, this is something like blood poisoning in animals. Orchids, phalaenopsis, dendrobiums, cattleyas, etc. especially suffer from tracheomycosis. Other indoor flowers: fuchsias, roses, impatiens, begonias, geraniums; from garden: petunias, carnations, chrysanthemums, asters, dahlias. Vegetables that are prone to tracheomycosis are: cabbage, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, lettuce, melons, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, rhubarb.

There are also plants resistant to tracheomycosis: Saintpaulia, ageratum, gypsophila, mallow, periwinkle, primrose, zinnia, asparagus, ferns, philodendrons. Of the vegetables, only corn and asparagus can resist.

In foreign practice, all tracheomycosis wilts are called simply: wilt - from wilt - to fade.

Verticillium wilt

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Verticillium. It reproduces exclusively asexually - by conidia, affects plant roots and poisons xylem tissue: it grows and reproduces systemically throughout the plant.

Symptoms: on initial stages diseases, the lower leaves acquire a grayish-greenish color due to the development of interveinal necrosis. The leaf tissue between the veins turns brown and dries out. Then wilting begins, most of the leaves, starting from the bottom, turn yellow, curl and dry out. On a section of the stem, browning of the vessels is noticeable. The lumens of the vessels are filled with thin multicellular mycelium. Plants are stunted, develop poorly, and then die. Sometimes the disease manifests itself on the plant in the drying out and death of individual branches of the bush. If conditions are favorable, the disease spreads to other branches and the entire plant dies quite quickly. If conditions are unfavorable for the development of the fungus, the disease can drag on for months and part of the plant looks healthy, while part dies.

The pathogen persists in the soil in the form of microslerotia for several years. The optimal temperature for germination of sclerotia is 25-27°, humidity 60-70%. The fungus is most likely to develop on soil with a neutral pH value of 7-7.5. Fungal spores germinate and penetrate the conductive tissue, where mycelium develops, causing blockage of blood vessels. Since there is a gradual clogging of the vessels from bottom to top, the withering of the leaves begins with the lower leaves and gradually covers the entire plant.

Prevention

Do not use garden soil for indoor plants without pre-treatment: Place on a baking sheet in a 5 cm layer, heat at maximum temperature for 20 minutes. Disinfect seeds by heating and disinfectants (for example, Maxim fungicide)

Control measures

Chemical agents, due to the unique biology of the pathogen (development in the soil and spread through conducting vessels), are ineffective. Treatment is possible only in the initial stages, by spraying with foundationazole, Vectra (3 ml per 10 liters of water) or topsin-M at a concentration of 0.2%.

Fusarium (fusarium wilt)

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Fusarium.

Fusarium develops only on weakened plants, primarily in dying areas. The course of the disease can follow the type of tracheomycosis wilt or with root rotting. Plants are affected at any age. The fungus is found in the soil and penetrates the plant through the soil and wounds, with water from natural sources, or with a non-sterile instrument during grafting or pruning. Increased air and soil humidity contributes to the spread of the disease.

Symptoms: In young plants, the disease manifests itself in the form of rotting of the roots and root collar. In these places, the tissues turn brown, the stem becomes thinner, and the leaves turn yellow. In affected plants, the tips of the shoots wither (loss of turgor), and then the entire shoot. This happens, as in the case of verticillium infection, due to blockage of blood vessels by toxins and enzymes secreted by fungi. Therefore, darkening of the vessels is also visible on the cross section. But sometimes tracheomycosis appears only on part of the crown, the rest remains healthy for the time being - then the bush or tree becomes depressed and individual branches droop. If you take cuttings from healthy branches at the right time (the cut is clean without darkening), you can root and get a healthy plant.

The speed of the disease depends on how favorable the conditions are for the development of the fungus. With high soil and air humidity, as well as temperatures above 18°C, the disease can destroy the entire plant in a few days. If the humidity is low, the disease can become chronic, in which case the plant slowly withers over 3-4 weeks.

Control measures

Removal and destruction of the plant along with a lump of earth. Disinfect pots with a 5% solution of copper sulfate, bleach, or at least scald with boiling water.

If wilting has just begun, you can try treating the plant with fungicides:

• Vectra 3 ml per 10 liters of water
• benomyl (foundazole) 1 g per 1 liter of water for orchids, 1 g per 100 ml
• Alirin B 2 tablets per 1 liter of water
• Vitaros 2 ml per 1 liter of water

Spraying three times, with an interval of 7-10 days.

How to treat orchids: get rid of the old substrate (throw it away, or boil the bark for at least half an hour). Cut off rotten roots. Prepare a fungicide solution and thoroughly spray the root system and leaves. Leave to dry. Plant in fresh substrate (large pieces of bark, polystyrene foam, cork). Do not spray, water by immersion as needed for a short time (5 minutes is enough). It is advisable to keep diseased orchids at a temperature of 23-24°C, without drafts, in very intense but diffuse lighting (possibly under lamps).

The soil for large plantings (growing seedlings and transplanting tub plants) can be prepared by watering it properly with a solution of potassium permanganate (pink), the drug Maxim, or adding trichodermin. When working, sterilize tools - a knife, scissors and even garter material (wire, thread) with alcohol.

Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic fungi.

Root rot- the disease occurs due to waterlogging of the soil. The leaves turn yellow and then become dark color, and the palm tree is rapidly dying. The development of rot is accelerated by excessive watering, sudden temperature changes, and also by a lack of minerals. Treatment is possible only at the initial stage of the disease. The plant is removed from the flowerpot and cut off the affected roots. Then they are immersed for 15-20 minutes in a solution of a suspension of fungicides containing copper or zinc (cuprozan, chomecin, cinebaftalan). The wounds are sprinkled with charcoal powder or ground cinnamon. Before planting, steam the soil (you can use old soil). By pour 2 times after planting with a solution of fungicides.

Stem rot also occurs with excessive moisture and high air humidity. On wet dark, gray or almost black spots a whitish or pink coating of sporulation of the fungus is noticeable. The disease develops very quickly and the plant dies. At the very beginning of the development of rot, it is necessary to remove all affected parts of the stem and leaves and replant the plant in new soil. If the disease is advanced, so as not to infect other plants, the palm tree is destroyed.

Palm penicillosis. The main signs of the disease are damage to the smallest, youngest leaves at the top of the shoot. Gradually increasing necrotic (shrunken) areas form on them; sometimes a whitish coating is noticeable - these are fungal spores. There is an ugly deformation of young leaves.
The fungus constantly lives and feeds on organic, undecomposed remains in the soil, but immediately moves to palm leaves when its resistance to diseases decreases. Prevention against penicillosis is support optimal temperature and light mode. It is important that water does not fall on the growing point.

Leaf spot(brown or yellow), those caused by pathogenic fungi and bacteria are less common. The spots can be of very different sizes and colors, sometimes with a border, and develop faster in conditions of high humidity. Treat plants with systemic fungicide topsin, spraying 2-3 times every 15 days. Before spraying, remove all affected leaves.

With insufficiently good care, various spots, wilting and drying out of a physiological nature occur, the so-called not and infectious diseases.

Brown spots on leaves appear as a result of excess moisture in the soil, or due to a sharp drop in air temperature, or from too hard water.

Lower leaves turn brown usually with natural aging. They may darken greatly and die. It's not scary, dead leaves are removed.

Brown tips on leaves appear when the air in the room is very dry. This may also be a consequence of a lack of moisture in the soil or the influence of cold. When growing palm trees on a windowsill, do not allow winter time the leaves came into contact with the cold glass of the window.

Round spots with brown edges occur when leaves are burned. Therefore, in summer, when placing palm trees on a south-facing window or balcony, try to protect the plants from direct sunlight.

The leaves are turning pale due to too intense lighting. In addition, pallor can be a cause of red spider mite infestation.

Leaves turn yellow due to insufficient watering, hard water, and also due to poor soil minerals. Do not forget to fertilize the soil and use settled water for irrigation.

Drying leaves palm trees occurs when waterlogging, compaction of the soil substrate and, accordingly, poor air flow to the roots, hypothermia, watering with cold water, poor drainage and, as a result, stagnation of water and rotting of the roots