Kalanchoe diseases and methods of controlling it
Almost all kalanchoe diseases are caused by bad conditions of keeping. It should be noted that this plant enjoys diffused light and measuring watering. Providing the necessary care, you will gain both proper growing and flowering. But if the plant became sick, its leaves spotted and you found out the tiny insects on the flowers and stalk – it’s needed urgently to take measures. Let’s try to save our “green doctor” from problems together. In this article, we are going to tell you about blasts, which can hit the plant and how to control it.
Content:
- 1.Aphids on kalanchoe
- 2.Parlatoria and tortoise scales
- 3.Why do leaves on kalanchoe fall?
- 4.Other kalanchoe diseases
Aphid is the most dangerous enemy of kalanchoe.
Mainly, it appears in the spring. If you don’t take measures urgently, aphid can occupy the neighbor plants and will harm all your flowers. If you found out the tiny insects of black or green color on flowers or stalk, be aware that your plant is suffering from aphid. It takes the sap from kalanchoe and contaminates it with permanent injections of its poison. But that’s not all – the stricken leaves and stalk are covered with sticky matter, which doesn’t let breath deep. Typically, you can find this insect on the draws or inflorescence.
Signs of aphids
The frequent use of nitrogenous fertilizers stimulates the emergence of aphids. It’s already noticed that aphids multiply very fast on full-fed flowers. Aphids can get into the house with the newly bought plants and even with cut bouquets. That’s why it’s important to hold all new flowers in so-called quarantine area, or put it simply, in another room. At the initial stage of infection, it’s difficult to notice any signs of aphids. The insects themselves are rather tiny, and considering that aphids settle on the reverse side of the leaf, they are unnoticed enough. You can find the colony during its growth – due to unhealthy appearance of the plant. It’s polluted and deformed. The leaves begin to turn yellow and fall, the buds aren’t blooming and the present flowers fall too. It’s scary that aphids carry more than 100 types of viruses and its liquid sugary allocation becomes a nutrient solution for fungi.
How to get rid of aphids?
The most radical way is to cut stricken areas and burn them. The remaining parts are treated with appropriate insecticide for houseplants. The treatment is repeated once a week during a month. One can recommend the green potash soap, which is harmless. It should be diluted in water (20 grams of soap for 1 liter) and wash the plant with the solution, wrapping the ground with polyethylene before. If it’s difficult to get this medicine, you can use a laundry soap, it’s also harmful for aphids, but in a less degree.
Parlatoria and tortoise scales
Parlatoria belongs to the suborder of coccid and represents the insects with long two-millimeter body, which is cover with a wax corselet. Females are much larger than males and have no wings and legs. They sit motionless, covering the eggs. The plant stricken by parlatoria covers with some kind of bloom from packing of insects. The leaves begin to turn yellow and fall, kalanchoe growth slows and the blooming stops. State of the plant is getting worse because of additional destruction of black fungus that multiply in the sticky secretions produced by parlatoria. The pest are usually situated on the low side of the leaves. Only young larvae are capable to move, adults are motionless.
To prevent this disease, the plant should be examined regularly and attentively. And in the end of the winter and in the beginning of summer you should care for well-ventilated place for kalanchoe. If the air temperature allows, spray the plant with water more often. Parlatoria don’t like the humid conditions.
Methods of controlling with parlatoria
The insects need to be gathered from the leaves, and then you have to wash the flower with soap solution. In advance they are cleaned with spirit to remove all parlatoria easily. There is no special insecticides to control parlatoria, that’s why you can use any medicine aimed for houseplants. Also one can control pest with the help of folk remedies. Wipe the plant regularly (3-4 times a week) with a cotton swab moistened with vodka or diluted spirit. Parlatoria are also removed with old toothbrush. You can also wash the plant with extract of garlic. 5-6 cloves of garlic are crumbled in the mortar and then pour with a glass of water. Created mixture is extracted in the dark place for several hours, then it’s filtered and sprayed on the plant.
Why do leaves of kalanchoe fall?
All florists want kalanchoe always to delight the eye with green leaves. But it happens that stalk stretches and the lower leaves begin to turn yellow and fall. Such actions indicates the wrong lightening – there is a little sunlight. Sometimes such trouble occurs after flowering: the growth stops, the flower begins to lose its leaves. All this happens when the plant begins to deplete. It urgently needs a transplant or just a good feeding.
The leaves also die off in the cold seasons. It occurs because of neighborhood with central heating. Most likely, the plant stands on the windowsill near the battery and the air around is too dry. Carry the flower in the room with a lower temperature. The best possible temperature in this season is about 13-15 degrees, then kalanchoe can winter without loss of green leaves. The main thing is that there is no too many moisture at low temperature, otherwise you’ll have to treat the plant from mold, which is shown as black or brown spots.
Generally, caring for kalanchoe, it’s important to cut the old shoots in time, then it will please you with its beautiful shape and abundant flowering for a long time.
The other kalanchoe diseases
Phytophthora rot
The signs of the disease are the dead brown spots in the area of branching of kalanchoe. There are a lot of factors that cause a rot, for example excessive watering or poor ventilation. There can be too many fertilizers in the soil or too high temperature in the room. When this disease is found, one stops watering and provide the frequent change of soil. Then the kalanchoe should be watered some time with fungicides.
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Powdery mildew
Signs of disease: one can find specific spots with white bloom of fungus on the leaves. Depending on progress of disease, the leaves die off. The danger is that this fungus, which causes powdery mildew, is easily transferred through the air and can infect the near plants. The disease develops in the conditions of dry air and high temperature. To control it, it needs a regular watering (but not too frequent) and spraying with fungicides.
Grey mold
It’s accompanied with formation of moist grey spots on the aerial part of plant. If no action is taken, the spots will grow, turning into a pasty mass and the plant dies after it. The fungus, which causes disease, is kept in the soil for two years. For its activation, it’s needed excessive moisture, lack of lightening and poor ventilation. If you found out this disease, you have to change the conditions urgently and take care of good lightening and changing the soil. Also it’s necessary to clean the plant with systemic fungicides.
As you can see, all diseases, which kalanchoe can have, are treatable. It’s important to find out it in time and take the necessary actions.