Along with pests, indoor plants are threatened by diseases – both viral and bacterial. In addition, home flowers are prone to rot, can become infected with powdery mildew and suffer from other misfortunes. To prevent this from happening, it is important to carry out timely tillage in pots and preventive spraying, especially after you have returned the plants to the windowsill from the terrace or balcony.
Types of indoor plant diseases
What are indoor plants sick and how to deal with diseases of home flowers:
Powdery mildew. This type of disease is characterized by the formation of a white, ashen or grayish plaque on the surface of the affected organs. As a result of the disease, the edges of the leaves are bent inward, tissues are destroyed, the leaf loses its green color and gradually dies.
Rot . A disease of plants that manifests itself in the formation of rot on both underground and aboveground parts of plants. The causative agents of this disease can be different types of microorganisms, giving a similar picture of the disease.
Pay attention to the photo – this disease of indoor plants manifests itself in the form of browning, softening and rotting of the plant:
White rot first manifests itself in the form of watery softened spots, which eventually become covered with a whitish coating with a mass of black, lumpy formations – sclerotia.
Dry rot appears as flat spots with brown tissue.
Penicillium rot is a disease of indoor plants that is caused by fungi of the genus Penicillium. Initially, watery spots appear, which then become reddish-brown and covered with a grayish-green coating.
In addition to rots caused by fungi, there are also bacterial rots.
Bacterial diseases . Some bacteria cause wilting of plants, the appearance of tumors and neoplasms that arise as a result of increased cell division.
Viral diseases . Viruses, penetrating into plant cells and multiplying in them, cause metabolic disorders. Viral diseases of plants externally manifest themselves in the form of a mosaic, leaf necrosis.
Photos of diseases of indoor plants caused by viruses, bacteria and viruses are presented below:
How to treat indoor plants for diseases: effective drugs
It is known that it is much easier to prevent disease or pest infestation than to fight them. Moreover, at home, the treatment of diseases of indoor plants is hampered by the very limited possibilities of using chemical remedies. Therefore, if for the summer period the plants were taken out to the garden or to the balcony, loggia, open veranda, 7-10 days before returning them to the room, carry out preventive spraying from the pest complex.
For this purpose, you can use such effective drugs as: “Fufanon”, “Aktellik”, “Aktaru”.
Remember that in a room where there are potted plants, you can not keep bouquets of cut flowers in a vase. They quickly fade, and pests from them move to houseplants.
Purchased new potted plants should be quarantined for 3 weeks, separate from your houseplants . And only after that, if they do not have pests and signs of diseases, they can take their place among your flowers.
For the prevention of diseases, plants should be watered once every two weeks with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. From fungal and bacterial diseases, indoor plants will protect “Fitosporin-M” or “Gliocladin” and other biological preparations. They, according to the instructions, can be used both for watering plants and for spraying (10 g per 5 liters of water).
They will strengthen the health of plants and increase their resistance to diseases and pests by regular fertilizing, as well as the use of biological preparations.
How else to deal with diseases of indoor plants?
The following describes how else to deal with houseplant diseases using biological preparations:
“Healthy Earth” (water-suspension concentrate, 198 g/l thiram + 198 g/l carboxine). Ideal prevention of development of root rots. The drug is used to disinfect the soil from soil infections. It is a contact-systemic fungicide for the control of plant diseases transmitted through planting material and soil. Protects against diseases for a long time. Suppresses soil infections in the root zone.
“Fitolavin” (water-soluble concentrate, 32 g/l of phytobacteriomycin – a complex of streptothricin antibiotics) is a bactericidal and fungicidal drug. Only “Fitolavin” can help with a large spread of bacterial diseases of vegetable crops in greenhouses. Thanks to the systemic action, it easily penetrates the plant, moves through it and heals it from the inside.
“Fitosporin-M” is an excellent tool for combating indoor plant diseases, natural bioprotection against fungal and bacterial diseases. This is a universal preparation for home, garden and garden plants against late blight, dry and wet rot, scab, wilt, black leg, rhizoctiniosis, alternariosis, macrosporia, etc.
The effectiveness of “Fitosporin-M” is enhanced by the presence in its composition of the natural growth-protective drug “Gumi”.
“Alirin-B” (live cells of Bacillus subtilis M-22 VIZR, titer 1SG9 CFU/g) is a drug based on beneficial microorganisms isolated from natural sources (1-3 tablets per 1 liter of water). Before treating indoor plants for diseases with this drug, carefully read the instructions for use.
“Gliocladin” (fungal culture Trichoderma harzianum VIZR-18, in addition, there is a complex of metabolites (useful soil microflora) – an analogue of the well-known drug “Trichodermin”. Effective against a wide range of fungal diseases. Follow the instructions for use.
Now you know about the diseases of indoor plants and the fight against them, which means it’s time to start preventive measures.