Indoor palm trees perfectly complement the interior of any room. They bring a touch of exoticism, lightness, fill the room with freshness and joy. However, unfortunately, these plants often get sick.

The article discusses the most common diseases and pests of palm trees, as well as ways to deal with them. If you follow the basic rules of care, take timely measures to combat ailments, you can ensure long-term healthy growth and bewitching greenery of an exotic beauty.

Infectious diseases of palm trees and how to deal with them

Infectious diseases bring a lot of harm to the plant, up to wilting. The palm tree loses its charming appearance, turns pale, weakens and requires urgent measures to be taken to save it.

Infectious diseases can overtake a plant for various reasons:

• improper care;
• use of contaminated soil;
• planting a diseased sprout;
• infection from adjacent plants.

Most often, various fungi become the causative agent of infectious diseases. To completely remove the fungus, you need to try hard.

Did you know?Fungi can live in the soil of pots and on the walls of containers for about two years. Therefore, with a strong defeat of the plant, the soil must be thrown away. Treat the container with a fungicide and steam it, or also throw it away.

This type of infection is caused by fungi. Spots appear on the leaves of the plant. They are predominantly round and oval in shape, can be of different colors (yellow, white, brown, light green, brown, gray), sometimes framed by a border around the edges.

The size of the spots depends on the degree of damage to the plant by fungi. With high humidity in the air and soil, the fungus multiplies very quickly. If you do not take action in time, the leaves completely wither.

The main causes of the disease include:

• excessive watering;
• increased air humidity;
• use of contaminated soil or sprout;
• hypothermia of the plant;
• soil is poorly breathable.

Control measures:

• cut off damaged leaves;
• spray the plant with fungicides;
• moderate watering.

Spraying must be repeated 3-4 times at intervals of two weeks. In addition, to prevent the development of spotting, it is necessary to seat the plants on time.

Important!Fungicides are mostly chemicals, and they have to be sprayed at home or in the office where people and children are. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the least toxic options. These include "Fundazol" and "Topaz". When spraying, it is recommended to use a gauze bandage, and the procedure itself should be carried out at a time when there is no one in the room.

palm penicillosis

The disease affects young leaves at the top of the plant. They have dark spots on them. With the development of the disease, the size of the spots increases. After a week and a half, a white coating appears on them, which is formed by fungal spores. The leaves take on an ugly shape.

The fungus starts in the soil, and then moves to the palm tree. The main causes of the disease include:

• excessive watering;
• excessive air humidity;
• placing the plant in direct sunlight;
• use of contaminated soil.

Fighting methods:

• to moderate the humidity of the soil and air;
• remove the plant from direct sunlight;
• remove damaged leaves;
• treat with fungicides.

This is one of the most common plant diseases. The causative agent is a fungus. Root rot appears due to excessive watering of the soil.

The disease develops very quickly. At first, the leaves turn yellow, then darken. Over time, the plants completely fade. Necrotic areas form on the roots.

Did you know?It is possible to cure a palm tree from root rot only at the initial stages of the disease and exclusively through transplantation.

The plant must be removed from the pot and cut off all diseased roots. Even slightly rotted areas must be removed. All damaged leaves and stems must also be cut off. Then the plant is placed in a fungicide solution ("Homecin", "Kuprozan").

Such treatment will destroy the spores of the fungus, which could settle on healthy roots. Otherwise, there is a risk that the plant will continue to wither after transplantation.

After 15 minutes, the palm tree is removed from the solution, it is recommended to sprinkle the places of the cut roots with charcoal powder or a crushed tablet of black coal. Plants are placed in a new pot with new soil.

Within a week after transplantation, the plant should be slightly watered with a fungicide solution. Until the palm takes root in a new place and new young leaves appear, watering should be very moderate.

The disease is caused by a fungus. The causes of the disease are excessive watering, large pressure drops, insufficient fertilizer.

The leaves are covered with wet spots of dark color, on top of which a white coating forms. The disease develops quickly and leads to the complete death of the plant.

Fighting methods:

• removal of all infected leaves;
• palm transplantation, as in the case of root rot.

Before planting in new soil, the palm tree must be treated with fungicides. After transplanting, until new leaves appear, the plant is watered quite a bit.

However, in the case when the disease has severely damaged the plant, the palm tree can no longer be saved. It, along with the pot and soil, should be thrown away.

Important! To protect the plant from the resumption of the disease, the palm must be placed in a well-ventilated area and maintained at room temperature, do not overmoisten the soil. To check the degree of watering the soil, deepen your finger a little into the ground. Remember that on the surface the ground may be dry, while a little deeper it may be wet.

Palm diseases with improper care and ways to deal with them

The palm tree is unpretentious in care. However, non-compliance with the basic rules of temperature, watering and feeding leads to plant diseases. Timely adoption of measures to eliminate errors in care will return the exotic beauty to a healthy appearance and active development.

Most detrimental to palm trees improper watering. This leads either to excessive soil moisture and rotting of the plant, or to overdrying of the roots, malnutrition. Subsequently, the palm leaves turn pale, become stained, the plant weakens and fades over time.

Formed as a result of excessively moist soil or the use of hard water for irrigation. Such consequences can also lead to a decrease in temperature at the location of the plant. The spots have different shapes and sizes.

At first they are small, rounded, later they grow and become angular.. To overcome the disease, it is necessary to moderate watering, use settled water, and maintain room temperature in the room. All damaged leaves must be cut off.

Lower leaves turned brown

The lower leaves turn brown as they age. In the life cycle of a plant, its leaves are constantly updated: young ones bloom from above, and the lower ones become obsolete and acquire a brown color.

Such leaves must be cut off. The old foliage still takes useful substances from the plant, therefore, in order to ease the load on the root system and the development of new shoots, it must be removed.

The reasons why palm leaves turn brown are:

• dry air;
• insufficient watering;
• low temperature.

The spots on the leaves are dry in nature and grow in size very quickly. If you find these signs, you need to do the following:

• spray the leaves with water;
• normalize the irrigation regime;
• if the room temperature is below 18 ° C, move the plant to a warmer room or place a foam plastic or a tree bar under the pot.

Important! In winter, do not allow palm leaves to touch windows. To prevent the plant from freezing, place a piece of wood, polystyrene foam, or a piece of warm cloth on the windowsill under the pot.

Round spots with a brown halo

Such a nuisance happens when placing the plant in direct sunlight. You should not expose the palm to the open sun, especially in summer.

The plant needs light, but the direct rays of the sun burn the leaves. To remedy the situation, the palm tree must be moved to another place where it will not be exposed to direct sunlight.

Palm pests and how to deal with them

Pests feed on plant sap and take away all the useful substances. Thus, the palm tree is deprived of normal nutrition and fades over time. Timely adoption of pest control measures will save the plant and return it to normal development.

The appearance of such an ailment is accompanied by a violation of the temperature, light regime, improper care of the palm tree, drafts.

Ticks

This is the most harmful parasite for the palm tree. It looks like a small spider, it can be red, brown, gray. It is located below the leaves. The bottom of the leaves is covered with a white coating, along which ticks move.

Why do the tips of the leaves dry on the date palm? Why do spots appear? Date palm ailments may be related both with diseases and with illiterate care.

Fungal and viral diseases

In the diseases of the date palm are guilty various pathogens:

1. Fungi.
2. Viruses.
3. bacteria.

The most common fungal disease gray spot. Signs of the disease are gray spots on the leaves, more on older ones. As the disease develops, black blotches appear - these are spores of the fungus.

For treatment it is necessary to remove all infected parts until the disease has affected the entire plant. Next, the palm is treated with fungicides - special antifungal drugs. The same remedies are applicable for another, no less common fungal disease - pink rot.

Bacteria lead to putrefactive processes. They are characterized by the softness of the stem and leaves, which also discolor and fall off. The appearance of bacteria is facilitated by increased soil moisture and keeping in a cold room.

If a mosaic type pattern appears on the leaves, this indicates a viral infection. Most often the plant insects infect, which must be destroyed in time indoors. They may be:

• flies;
• mosquitoes;
• moths.

And other insects that can enter the room. Mosquito nets should be placed on windows for protection.

Once every six months, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment of plants with special chemicals.

Reasons for the loss of decorative appearance

Soil oversaturated with moisture can lead to the appearance on the leaves brown spots. Watering with cold water leads to the same result.

Barrel softening, in combination with a putrid smell, also signals an excess of moisture that threatens the life of the plant.

To check, you need to remove it from the pot and examine it. If dead roots are found, separate them from the living ones and clean them thoroughly. Transplant into another pot and into drier soil.

Date palm leaves dry, what to do? If watering is insufficient, the leaves begin wither and turn yellow. It may also be due to poor-quality water - too hard or low in essential trace elements.

But the same symptoms can also indicate too dense soil, and associated moisture stagnation. The best solution in such a situation would be to transplant into looser soil.

Brown coloration of leaf tips is the result of insufficient air humidity. The same symptom is characteristic of hypothermia.

Diseases and pests

Red spider mite is one of the main enemies not only of the date palm, but also of many other indoor plants.

The size of the insect is only half a millimeter. It is bred in rooms with extremely low humidity and high temperature. Starts first in the stem, gradually spreading to the leaves.

Symptoms are gray or yellow spots and cracks. If you do not take action, the green pet will die, completely covered with cobwebs. Particular attention should be paid to the spring, this is the time of the most likely infection.

Shchitovka also feeds on plant sap and spreads very quickly. Insects gradually cover the entire palm tree, its surface becomes like the smallest scales. As a result of the loss of juice, the foliage withers and turns yellow, the shoots may dry out.

Photo

Date palm diseases: photos show how your plant can suffer from improper care or pests.

• phosphamide;
• fitoverm;
• actellik;
• pyrethrum.

The proportion of the chemical solution is 2 g per 1 liter. water. Spraying is advisable to carry out once a week.

Traditional disinfection is also suitable: wipe the infected areas with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol and spray the rest of the plant.

For health and freshness

How to rejuvenate a date palm? The renewal of the date palm consists in the constant renewal of leaves that appear from above and die from below. Must be deleted wilting or withered lower branches.

upper branches can't be cut! This can lead to the death of the plant. The drying of the upper branch is an unnatural process and signals a disease.

Proper care is a panacea for many diseases

The most susceptible to diseases are weakened plants, deprived of competent care (what are they like at home?). Compliance with all rules:

• glaze;
• top dressing;
• temperature;
• light mode;

can prevent many diseases.

It is necessary to regularly inspect the plant, and if pests are found, they should be destroyed immediately.

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There are a variety of diseases of indoor flowers, some of them are complex, requiring a special approach in treatment and preventive measures in the future. Rust - a disease of indoor plants - a rare, but dangerous, capable of destroying a flower. The name of this flower disease is explained by the appearance of the lesions: red and brown spots appear on the leaves of domestic plants, slightly convex and as if fleecy. Actually, it's a fungus. Treatment of home flowers affected by it is long and complicated. Be sure to reconsider the conditions in which the plant is located, and the scheme of care.

Ficus, completely infected with rust, is very difficult to cure.

Rust on plants is not so difficult to recognize, the signs of this disease are specific, they cannot be confused or missed.

1. First, rust appears on the leaves and on the stems of house flowers. It looks like yellow-brown or red-brown convex spots of various sizes and shapes.
2. The spots increase in size, swell and form pustules. The leaves of diseased plants evaporate moisture intensively, the pustules quickly dry out, crack and burst. A “rusty” powder is poured out of them, which poses a serious threat to neighboring healthy plants. These are fungal spores that quickly spread through the air throughout the flower garden.
3. Then the spores completely cover the entire surface of the leaf and stems, appear on the flowers. Plants change color, become brown or brown.
4. Then indoor flowers begin to dry and lose leaves, if treatment is not started, the plants will die.

However, even if you start taking action, it is not always possible to save indoor plants from the disease. Therefore, it is better not to allow its appearance and development.

It is important to know: at a temperature not exceeding 10 degrees above zero, the incubation period of the disease lasts up to 20 days. If the temperature is above 18 degrees, then the incubation period is reduced to 7-14 days.

Reasons for the appearance

Rust is a fungal disease, and the fungus, as you know, loves to settle where it is humid, warm and dark. From this we can conclude that rust on plants appears if they are watered too often and abundantly, not ventilated and kept in the shade, away from direct sunlight or phytolamps.

It is especially dangerous to flood indoor plants with water in winter. Many flowers in the cold season fall into a dormant state until spring, they do not need frequent watering, as well as mineral supplements. If, in addition to this, the pot is near the battery, you should not be surprised at the appearance of such a plant disease.

Over-watering houseplants can lead to rust infestation.

Also, the development of the fungus can provoke the abuse of mineral fertilizers rich in nitrogen. In winter, they are not needed at all. And during the growing season and flowering of plants, you should strictly follow the instructions and do not make too high a concentration of fertilizer.

If pots with plants are on an open terrace, veranda or balcony, then the spores of the fungus can be carried by wind or insects. Sometimes seeds are already infected with rust. It is difficult to recognize this, often impossible at all. This is one of the reasons why the seeds should be treated with potassium permanganate before sowing. As well as containers with soil in which they will land.

Which indoor plants are affected more often than others?

In principle, rust can appear on houseplants of any kind. But certain varieties of fungus love more than others. In addition, there are house flowers that are more sensitive to fungus spores, and are not able to fight it. The following ornamental crops should be protected from moisture and overheating with special care:

• camellia;
• fuchsia;
• Carnation;
• cyclamen;
• pelargonium;
• the Rose;
• geranium;
• chrysanthemum.

A cameo sheet damaged by rust is no longer subject to treatment.

This fungus likes to settle on horticultural crops such as asparagus and citrus shrubs, and often it infects palm trees of various types.

Treat and prevent disease

In most cases, the flower garden suffers from rust due to the fault of the owners themselves - this means that they do not properly care for their plants. In order to prevent the formation and spread of the fungus in the spring, all flowers should be treated with a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture.

What to do if a fungus nevertheless settled on the plant and its leaves began to rust? First of all, it is important to prevent infection of neighboring plants, even if the diseased flower can no longer be saved. Therefore, a sick flower must be immediately taken to a hotel room. Affected leaves break off every single one, even if they have only a few small specks of rust. Then they need to be burned away from the flower garden.

Bordeaux mixture is used to control rust on indoor and garden plants.

The flower itself can be treated with the same Bordeaux mixture. Or use sulfur dust. You can also prepare such a disinfectant mixture yourself:

• heat 5 liters of purified water;
• dissolve 200 g of green soap in water;
• add 15 g of copper sulfate.

The room in which the potted plant is located must be well ventilated several times a day, and it is better to keep the window open at all times. Neither dry air nor high humidity should be allowed.

It is important to water the plant properly. The liquid should be added to the pan or to the ground, but so that the water gets under the root, and not on the leaves and flowers of the plant. If top dressing is used, then preference should be given to preparations containing potassium and phosphorus.

Copper sulfate is a component of a spray preparation that you can prepare yourself.

Beginner gardeners often confuse rust with any red spots on the leaves of plants and begin to spray the flower garden with various fungicides. As a result, many plants die from an improperly applied remedy. Therefore, if there is a suspicion that a plant is affected by a fungus, you should either familiarize yourself with high-quality photos of the symptoms and manifestations of the disease, or invite a knowledgeable person to inspect the plants and diagnose.

Rust can also manifest differently in different colors and cultures. On some flowers, it develops faster, on others it grows very slowly, for weeks and months. In any case, you need to treat the plant, the most important points in this process are to ensure a constant supply of fresh air and remove the affected parts of the flower. Treatment with a disinfectant solution is recommended to be repeated 10-12 days after the first spraying.

The appearance of this pest cannot be confused with anything. This is a fairly large relative of the scale insect. Mealybug reaches up to 8 mm in length.

Female individuals of "hairy lice" have an undeveloped oval-shaped body, more characteristic of insect larvae. Numerous eggs are laid in special sacs in the axils of the leaves. The shoots on which the pest lives are covered with a sticky, waxy coating of white.

Males are not at all like females - they have wings and normally developed limbs, the body is divided into sections and ends in a bundle of tail filaments

With the help of their oral apparatus, females and larvae easily pierce the surface of a leaf, bud or shoot and suck the juices out of it. Young mealybugs are extremely mobile and easily move between plants. Sexually mature males do not feed, because as they grow older, their mouthparts atrophy.

Signs of a mealybug infection

To detect pests, it is enough to carefully examine a houseplant.

Main features:

• drooping appearance, lethargy of leaves and shoots;
• underdeveloped buds, deformed leaves;
• white powdery coating with lumps;
• small "mosquitoes" (male mealybugs) on the windows near the pots;
• the presence of sticky mucus (honeydew) on all parts of the plant;
• the presence of white blotches in an earthy coma during transplantation;
• the presence of white oval insects.

Any of these symptoms may indicate the appearance of a worm. Not a single flower is immune from infection. Citrus, amaryllis, cycad and palm plants, as well as cacti, violets and orchids, should be taken under special control.

Often suffers from an azalea pest, the photo of which is given in the article. The pest attacks young shoots. Leaves stop growing and turn yellow. Azalea, whose photo demonstrates her beauty, struck by insects, is losing its former appearance.

Harm to the plant

The mealybug literally draws all the nutrients from the flowers, disrupting their growth and normal development. Sweet honeydew secreted by females provokes the development of associated fungal infections. Due to the sticky impermeable coating, the green pet's breathing worsens. This can lead to wilting and even leaf fall.

Mealy aphids (another name for mealybugs) do not give preference to a certain part of the plant, hitting everything that comes in its path. Under attack are not only shoots, buds and leaves, but also roots. If treatment is not started as soon as possible, the mealybug will spread to surrounding indoor plantings. In time, he will destroy them all. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately declare war if you notice a mealybug on houseplants. How to deal with a pest will be described below.

Causes of the appearance of the mealybug

Why do these harmful insects appear?

There are several main reasons:

1. The presence of eggs and larvae in the soil. Even purchased soil can be contaminated, so it is very important to treat it with hot steam before use.
2. Transfer of larvae with newly acquired plants. New pets should be kept separately and periodically carefully inspected. You can put them next to the rest of the flowers only after finally making sure that there are no pests.
3. Mistakes in care - low air temperature in the room, stagnation of moisture in the soil, insufficient lighting, excessive fertilization. Improper care significantly reduces the immunity of the plant, provoking various diseases.
4. The presence of dust on the leaves, irregular removal of dry parts.
5. Untimely replacement of earth in pots. Harmful insects can start inside a compacted earthen coma.
6. Poor quality water for irrigation.

Folk methods of dealing with mealybugs

Now you know how dangerous a pest is for plants. You can easily determine that a mealybug has settled on houseplants.

How to deal with such an insect? With a small focus of infection, you can try to get rid of it without special means.

Popular home remedies:

1. Infusion of medicinal herbs. To process the plant, you can use horsetail, calendula. Powder purchased at a pharmacy should be brewed with boiling water. After the agent has cooled, the plant is treated with it. To prepare the infusion, use the following ratios: 100 g of horsetail (calendula) per 1 liter of liquid.
2. Tincture of garlic. This is a fairly effective method of dealing with mealybugs. Peel and mince a medium-sized whole head of garlic. Pour a liter of hot water and let it brew for 4 hours. Tincture of garlic is applied to the leaves and trunk with cotton wool or a sponge.
3. Oil emulsion. In a liter of warm water, stir 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spray the affected leaves with a spray bottle.
4. Soap-alcohol solution. For its preparation, it is better to take natural soap, without perfume additives. For 1 liter of water, 1 teaspoon of grated soap and 1 tablespoon of ethyl alcohol is enough. Spray the affected parts of the plant, avoiding getting the solution on the earthen ball. You can carry out the procedure 1 time in 3 days. It is necessary to wash off the applied agent a day after spraying.
5. Tincture of lemon and orange peel. A surprisingly simple recipe that allows you to effectively rid the plant of pests. Take the peels of lemon, orange and pour boiling water over them. The ratio is as follows: 30-50 g of zest per 1 liter of liquid. During the day, the remedy should be infused. Then treat your green pets with this infusion using a spray bottle.

Mealybug chemicals

With the ineffectiveness of folk methods or large foci of infection, one has to turn to chemical insecticides.

Widely available effective drugs against mealybugs:

• "Decis".
• "Vertimek".
• "Tsvetofos".
• Nurell D.
• Phosphamide.
• "Bi-58".
• "Actellik".
• Fitoverm.
• "Aplaud".

Special difficulties with such substances should not arise. The main thing is to carefully read the instructions and follow all safety precautions.

Affected plants should be quarantined. Usually 3-4 insecticide treatments are sufficient. If the pests still remain, you need to change the drug.

Precautionary measures

Make sure that the drugs used do not cause harm:

1. Use chemicals only in a well ventilated area.
2. Keep children and pets out of the way.
3. Use personal protective equipment to avoid poisoning.

Preventive measures

1. Periodically inspect green spaces.
2. Replant grown flowers regularly.
3. Inspect the earthen ball during transplantation. Rinse the soil with hot water (about 55°C).
4. Properly care for flowers according to their preferences.
5. Timely remove dying parts of the plant. Dried leaves can serve as a convenient shelter for various pests.
6. Before planting, scald the pots with boiling water, and steam the soil.
7. Observe quarantine measures for new plants.

Insects are an integral part of any ecosystem, but they have no place on the landscaped window sills of apartments. Especially if a mealybug appeared on houseplants. How to deal with a pest, you know. Therefore, use any available methods. After all, healthy home plants without pests are actively developing and delighting the eye with bright greenery and abundant flowering.

Yellow spots on palm leaves can appear for several reasons:

When the leaves of a palm tree grow old, they first become covered with small yellowish spots, and then dry up;
- when there are errors in care (for example, keeping too warm in winter in conditions of dry stagnant air and running radiators, excessive watering - washingtonia requires coolness in winter (16 degrees), moderate watering, access to fresh air, maintaining air humidity), and as a result pests appear on a plant weakened by improper care;
- when a palm tree is attacked by scale insects and, attaching to the leaves, they begin to suck the juice out of them - yellow spots appear on the leaves at the place of their "pricks". A sign of the presence of scale insects are the pests themselves (in the form of immobile wax "growths" on the leaves) and their sticky secretions, which provoke the appearance of a soot fungus;
- when other sucking pests (spider mites, mealybugs, thrips) appear on the palm tree, from the activity of which palm leaves lose their color: turn yellow, turn brown, discolor, dry out. A sign of the presence of pests is the small insects themselves with larvae (as well as their excrement and skins from molting), the appearance of white cotton-like discharge on leaves and petioles or a thin cobweb under the leaves,
when the infection occurs. A sign of pathogenic spotting is the presence of spots on the leaves of mostly the same size, shape and color (usually they are brown with yellow borders). Fungal spores are often seen on diseased leaves.

Arm yourself with a magnifying glass or glasses and carefully examine the leaves of Washingtonia for pests, analyze the moments of caring for a palm tree. Only after finding out the exact causes of spotting will it be necessary to take appropriate measures to treat the plant.
Now, in any case, it will be useful to carry out a cycle of spraying palm leaves with "Epin" or "Zircon" to maintain the immunity of a weakened plant.