. DiseasesUzambar violets, so beloved by many gardeners in our country, like other houseplants, unfortunately are subject to attacks by pests, suffer from improper care and are satisfiedbut hard to carry fungal disease, bacterial and viral nature. In order not to lose the plants decorating the window sill, it is important to recognize the problem as soon as possible. Descriptions of diseases of violets, their photos and treatment that can save Saintpaulia from death, will help to quickly navigate the situation, to establish care for the plants and return the outlets to health and beauty.
Why violets do not bloom at home?
Facing growth problems of Saintpaulia, long absence of flowering or impaired development of the outlet, amateur growers should look for causes:
- for improper care for houseplants;
- in pests settled in violets or in soil;
- in diseases of violets of different nature and danger to plants.
Pets of inexperienced beginners most often suffer precisely from illiterate organized care. Especially soon on the foliage there are visible traces of improper watering, lack of lighting and fertilizer violets.
With a lack of light, new generations of foliage look dimmer and shallow compared to older ones. Petioles are lengthened, edges of leaf plates are curved upwards. The plant quickly returns to normal, if you put it on the illuminated window sill, protected from drafts.
One of the reasons why violets at home do not bloom may be excessive acidity or salinization of the soil, improper selection of the composition of the soil. In this case, not only the formation of flower stalks slows down or stops altogether, but leaves curl. Similar symptoms can be seen with an imbalance of the mineral composition, for example, with a lack of nitrogen, or with excessive watering.
Uzambarsky violets unusually sensitively react not only to the amount of moisture entering the soil, but also to its temperature.
Light spots on the leaf plates seem to resemble a florist how to water the violets. Such a plant reaction signals excessively cold water or a burn caused by the sun on the wet surface of the leaf. That is why experienced growers recommend using only warm water, and watering Saintpaulias only in the evening, when the probability of a burn is minimal.
Diseases of violets: leaf and root rot
The risk of decay of violet stems is torn when plant separation, cutting and transplanting the apex part of the socket or separating children. The cause of this problem can be both pests and excessive watering after a long period of relative dryness of the soil. On the damaged tissues putrefactive bacteria settle especially quickly, and the defeat of the roots and the stem becomes the most destructive.
Symptoms of this disease of violets can be considered:
- loss of turgor of leaves;
- loss of natural color of the outlet;
- wilting petioles and leaf plates.
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With the comprehensive nature of the disease of violets, as in the photo, treatment can only be urgent and cardinal. Damaged tissue is removed, Senpoly rooted with a healthy sheet, which can give new sockets.
Brown youngsters, babies and rooted leaves are subject to brown rot. In the latter case, the stem at the base becomes brown-brown, softens and thins. On the soil under the rosette whitish filaments of mycelium are found. And if you do not take urgent action, the disease of violet extends to neighboring plants.
As a preventive measure, rooted plants are treated with a contact fungicide, not buried, and then they irrigate the area under the stem with phytosporin or a similar chemical in action.
Wilting and dim coloring of the leaves is observed with the development of root rot. When extracting plants from the soil, softened brownish roots are found, affected by the spores of a harmful fungus, which multiply rapidly and spread in a moist environment. At the same time, low acidity of the soil contributes to the development of the infection that is so dangerous for senpoly.
Reduction in the frequency of irrigation can be considered as one of the effective measures to combat this disease of violets. While plants rarely receive moisture, portions should be abundant. For the prevention and treatment of the disease of violet, as in the photo, use radical treatment with phytosporin. You can reduce the risk of spreading using a soil that does not retain moisture.
Gray decay also leads to liquefaction and weakening of the green parts of the plant, while on the affected surface a gray fluffy coating is clearly visible. All leaves with signs of the disease of violets, as well as dead leaf blades and cuttings are removed, not allowing to fall on the ground. To reduce the risk of infection in a cool season, it is extremely important:
- to avoid excessive humidity;
- refuse spraying sockets;
- properly water the violets, avoiding stagnant moisture and condensation.
Out of chemical preparations for treating sockets and protecting them, they choose speed and foundation.
Powdery mildew on the seniopolis
One of the most common diseases caused by harmful fungi, is affecting African barren. Externally, the manifestation of this disease of violets resembles flour that is scattered on leaf sheets and corollas of flowers, and the infection of saintpaulia occurs with the help of spores of the fungus in the soil.
Violets, weakened after transplantation, recently faded off specimens, young and, conversely, old plants are the most susceptible to the disease.
As a preventive measure, the sockets protect against temperature fluctuations, properly water the violets and use top-dressings. If the infection still occurred, senpolia requires fungicide treatment.
Fusarium as an illness of violets
The disease most dangerous for violets first affects the roots of the plant, which rot and soften, and then the infection spreads through the vessels to the stem, petioles and leafy plates of the lower leaves. With the disease at this stage, most of the old foliage in the lower level fades, the stems and edges become watery, and then completely die off.
The quick death of a plant is promoted by its weakening after flowering, the lack of fertilizer for violets, and the temperature below 16 ° C.
The fight against fusarium is to urgently remove the diseased plant from the window sill, which contains other violets. It is best to destroy the affected specimen with the ground, and to subject the pot to disinfection with copper sulphate or available fungicide. As a preventive measure, the irrigation regime is adjusted, and also in this case it is necessary to water the violets with phytosporin solution. This procedure is carried out monthly.
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Phytophthora of rosettes of saintpaulia
Phytophthoracosis on saintpaulia plants is manifested in the form of brown, drying spots on the leaves. As the disease progresses on violets, such spots spread, the affected tissue undergoes necrosis, the socket fades. Restore the elasticity of the foliage is not obtained after watering.
If the apical part of the outlet is intact, you can cut it off and try to root it, having previously treated it with an antifungal medication and having removed all tissues affected by the disease of violet. A healthy cut should have a light green tint. For rooting, you can take healthy leaves.
The remaining part of the outlet is destroyed, all violets adjacent to the diseased specimen are subjected to preventive treatment.
Bronze and leaf spot viruses
Viral diseases change the appearance of leaf plates, tissue supply and plant development. These diseases can be the reason why, at home, violets do not bloom, and then completely stop developing.
The bronze virus, for example, causes the appearance of ugly leaves with discoloration. Such plants are sometimes not viable and destroyed. And to spread the disease of violets can occur pests in apartments. In this case, it is thrips.
Pests on plants of barberry violets
The pests affecting saintpaulia can cause serious harm to the room culture, since both the green parts of the plants and the roots fall within their area of interest. In addition, they spread the most famous diseases of violets.
Mites at home become the most dangerous pests of indoor plants. Cyclamen mites are especially common and violent in violets, infection of which is practically negligible in the initial stages. Only with the appearance of new leaves it becomes obvious that the rosette is inhabited by microscopic insects, which lead to the cessation of the growth of saintpaulia, the failure of the violet to bloom at home, the grinding and twisting of the leaves in the center of the rosette.
The pest control is carried out using a phytoverm or other insecticides, after having isolated the diseased plant.
The nematode is no less insidious enemy of violets. From the soil, worms penetrate the root system of plants and vessels that feed the rosette. They suck juices, poison the plant with toxins and disrupt the supply of tissues. As a result, the violet looks weakened, refuses to bloom, grows poorly. On the green part of the plant, nematode damage looks like stalk thickening, shredding and changing the shape of foliage, mass formation of children.
At the same time, the nodes and vesicular thickenings, where worm cysts develop, are clearly visible on the roots.
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It is reasonable to part with such a violet, but if you wish to propagate a rare variety, you should never take leaves from the lower tiers, where nematodes can live. The affected plant is destroyed along with the soil. The tray, pot, and pots are thoroughly disinfected.
Aphids are most easily detected by sticky secretions on foliage and insects themselves on the back side of leaves and on petioles, at their base. It is possible to wash off the pest with a soapy solution, trying not to over-moisten the soil, as well as with the preparation Antitlin, fitoderm or tobacco dust.
Thrips, which easily move from plant to plant, are the most dangerous for home sapphire. In addition, a pest that feeds on plant sap, multiplies rapidly and is capable of carrying pathogens of various diseases of violets to outlets. You can kill thrips using Aktara or another solution of a similar drug. When processing, the earthen clod is necessarily affected, and, besides, the flower stalks are torn off in order to deprive the pest of food - Saintpaulia pollen.
The presence of mealybugs produces white flakes on the leaves, stems and petioles at the place of their connection with the stem. Whitish lumps are visible in the soil coma of the affected plant. These are the places of accumulation of worms that feed on plant sap. Infected violet quickly fades, leaves become dull, yellowish.
If you do not take urgent measures, not only can the sick violet die, but the neighboring outlets can suffer. The treatment is carried out by watering the violets with Mospilan or the Regent, the faded parts must be removed and destroyed.
Sciarides are well known to all flower growers engaged in the cultivation of indoor crops. Small black flies above the pots are dangerous because they feed on Saintpaulia juices, and in the form of larvae can cause serious damage to the underground parts of plants.
The control of pest saintpaulia consists of spilling the soil with a systemic insecticide, as well as organizing the care of plants. In this case, more than ever, proper watering of violets is important, since excess moisture in the soil contributes to the reproduction and activation of harmful insects.
Protective preventive measures against diseases of violets and their pests
It is possible to reduce the risk of contaminants of violets of this culture with dangerous diseases of this culture and to protect pets from being attacked by pest control, following simple safety rules and establishing prevention.
According to experienced flower growers, the most dangerous for the collection are new outlets purchased in a greenhouse or store. Such plants are never placed next to the existing violets until 3-4 weeks have passed. Such quarantine is necessary to monitor the violet and its acclimatization.
If the plant is acquired flowering, it is better to remove the flower stalks. This will reduce the risk of infection with thrips. Before planting, not only the soil, but also the pots must be decontaminated. From the first day for the plants create acceptable conditions for lighting, food and watering. We must not forget about the use and fertilizers for violets, especially necessary after flowering, when the plant is depleted.
Video about diseases of violets
