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Diseases of indoor plants. How to treat white plaque on petunia leaves, and how to deal with it? Why does a white rim appear on the leaves?

Electricity supply
22.06.2023

Diseases indoor plants with sticky leaves immediately reveal their cause and pathogen.

Causes of sticky plaque

A sticky leaf on any plant means that organic secretions are deposited on its surface. big amount carbohydrates.

In a healthy plant, this is only possible if something that sticks to the outer integument of the leaf gets onto the leaf blade from the outside. This happens rarely. And if all the leaves of a plant suddenly become covered with something sticky, these are signs of pathology, which develops so quickly that soon not only several leaves and the entire plant, but also the immediate area around it are covered with a sticky mass. This indicates the presence of a constant process of violating the integrity of the leaf blade.

Possible consequences

This phenomenon has causes and consequences. The reasons are simple - microorganisms grow on the plant that damage the leaves. As a result, juice constantly flows from the leaf wound.

Having reached a certain number, the pest forms a sticky coating on the leaves. Because he drinks juice, his discharge is not only runny but also sticky. As a result, the leaf is covered with a continuous layer of a mixture of its own juice with secretions of the organisms that eat it.

Such a process may have the following consequences.

  1. 1. The plant loses water and nutrients.
  2. 2. Fungi, bacteria, and viruses can settle on permanent damage, which can cause a new disease.
  3. 3. The sticky cover clogs the stomata, making it difficult to breathe and evaporate water.
  4. 4. Since the plant is not provided with sufficient oxygen and carbon dioxide, the formation of organic matter during photosynthesis becomes unproductive. This leads to leaf loss and gradual wilting of the entire plant.
  5. 5. The stomata, closed with an adhesive substance, stop evaporating water. As a result, the movement of water from root hairs to leaves slows down. For this reason, admission minerals to the terrestrial organs of the plant also slows down. This is the cause of mineral deficiency. The intensity of bio and photosynthesis decreases. As a result, the plant stops blooming and bearing fruit, gradually dying.

Thus, a sticky coating on the leaves of a plant is a signal of trouble. Who is the culprit of these troubles?

Organisms that damage leaf blades

It is difficult to identify a pest that destroys a plant. These are mainly insects or mites, that is, multicellular organisms. However, they are so small that it is difficult to see them. In addition, only a specialist can determine the type.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to know the enemies of plants. Here is a sample list of them.

  1. 1. Spider mites are the most common pests of indoor plants. They belong to the arachnids. Their presence is usually detected by indirect signs. Sticky leaves are the first sign. Then barely noticeable cobwebs appear. If the plant blooms, the web is concentrated on the flowers. Chrysanthemums, citrus fruits, and roses suffer most from spider mites.
  2. 2. Scale insects, or false scale insects, are small insects from the hemiptera family. They got their name because they look as if they are covered on top with a dense protective shell, similar to a shield. Compared to the tick, they are quite large - they can be seen with the naked eye. They lead a sedentary lifestyle. If you try to remove them from the plant, you may feel resistance. It creates the feeling of scale insects sticking to the surface of the leaf. They are usually concentrated near the veins or on a young shoot.
  3. 3. Aphids for house plants are not as popular as the previous ones. The reason is simple - these insects are larger, so people notice them faster and take action. However, they are colored to match the color of their food source, which reduces the likelihood of early detection. Infestation by these insects occurs quickly. This is due to their ability to fly. If previous pests migrate through the soil, these ones can migrate to new plants.
  4. 4. Mealybugs are representatives of the same family as scale insects. These scale insects are not worms at all. In size and lifestyle they are more like aphids. A person who does not understand the biology of invertebrate animals usually does not see the difference between aphids and scale insects. However, there are some indirect signs. A cluster of these small white insects creates a white coating effect, as if the plant had been sprinkled with flour.
  5. 5. Whiteflies are small white butterflies. They are usually concentrated on the underside of the leaf, since the cover there is less hard.

These butterflies lay their eggs in the same places where they feed. Translucent larvae emerge from the eggs, bite into the leaves, move along their surface, leaving a layer of sticky sweet coating. If the concentration of larvae is high and the leaves are not treated, the coating turns from green to black. This is due to the fact that fungi begin to multiply in a sweet environment.

How to deal with adversity?

If you find white dots, brown shields, cobwebs, or a sticky coating on the plant, then you don’t have to look for the culprits, because the control measures are the same. They boil down to the following actions:

  • Detected pests can be removed. Wash the plant with a solution of laundry soap (72%). You can use special green soap.

The plant can remain in a soapy state for no longer than 24 hours. After this, the soap deposit must be washed off, since soap interferes with gas exchange between the plant and the atmosphere.

After 3 days, repeat the procedure.

  • In some cases, soap procedures do not help. Then you have to turn to special drugs. Fitoverm is one of these products. According to the instructions, it is used to treat indoor plants if they are affected by aphids, mites and thrips.

Using Fitoferm is easy. You need to dissolve the contents of the ampoule in water. Attention should be paid to the toxicity of the drug for humans, so treatment must be carried out with all precautions and outside the living space, since there will be an unpleasant odor.

7 days after the first treatment, the entire procedure must be repeated. This is due to the fact that most pests live in the soil, and this drug does not damage them, so the next generation appears.

In about 30 days you will understand whether Fitoverm helped or not. If not, then it's time to resort to more radical actions.

  • The drug "Doctor" (thiamethoxam) in the form of briquettes. Distinctive feature This remedy is to destroy pests in the soil. To do this, briquettes are introduced into the soil. There they gradually dissolve, killing larvae and adults - aphids, scale insects, thrips, whiteflies.
  • The entire series of drugs "Commander" has universal properties. They can be used to spray crops growing in open ground, in pots on the windowsill. These are water-soluble crystals that are effective against aphids, whiteflies, and thrips. The concentration of the solution must be selected for specific conditions in accordance with the instructions.
  • Some people place the pot containing the affected flower in plastic bag and spray the inside with dichlorvos, then the bag is tightly closed for several hours.

This method can produce results, but dichlorvos is dangerous for people and can burn the plant; it acts for a short time, killing only active insects and mites. The larvae remaining in the soil do not die.

There are many means and methods for controlling plant pests. The main thing is prevention. Be careful when choosing soil.

While admiring and caring for house flowers, we sometimes notice that the leaves of our indoor plants suddenly become sticky for no apparent reason. The alarm bell of concern forces us to look for a solution to this riddle.

Sources of the problem

A healthy flower always looks natural and luxurious. Any deterioration in appearance should always be cause for concern. Why do the leaves of indoor plants sometimes become sticky? Why have our gentle beauties lost their attractiveness? Is this just an external drawback or is this phenomenon really dangerous for our green friends?
Unfortunately, this symptom indicates that our pets have become a refuge for small, sometimes unnoticeable insects. Sticky plaque on the leaves of indoor plants is nothing more than an accumulation of waste products of pests. Who could have left him?

We will not be able to cope with other pests without special chemical means of protection. Most of the means used for protection are suitable to combat them. garden plants. But, taking into account the specifics, you should choose only those that are approved for use indoors or in a greenhouse. It is advisable to give preference to drugs that have a systemic effect.

Advantages of systemic drugs:

  • they are quickly absorbed into the plant tissue;
  • do not wash off when spraying or wiping the leaves of a flower;
  • spreading through the veins of the plant (through its “system”), the substances reach even those areas that were not sprayed;
  • some of these preparations can be used not by spraying, but by watering at the root, which makes their use simpler and safer;
  • most of these substances have a long period of exposure (up to a month), therefore reducing the need for repeated treatments;
  • only such products can act on pests covered with a dense cuticle, for example, scale insects.

Very often, a single treatment of a plant may not be enough. The fact is that while acting on adult pests or their larvae, the drugs do not have a noticeable effect on already laid eggs. After a couple of weeks, new larvae may emerge from them, so it is advisable to repeat the treatment after about 2-4 weeks.

Prevention is the best answer!

When purchasing a new pet, carefully inspect it so that there is not the slightest sign of pests. After a new flower appears in the house, you should not immediately place it next to other plants. Just in case, let him undergo “quarantine” while being away from them. If everything went well, you can place it closer to the “old-timers”, creating new interesting compositions.
After the diseased plant recovers, it must be replanted. When replanting plants, use new flowerpots for them. If you want to transplant a flower into an old favorite pot, you must first boil it with a soap solution.

From time to time, carefully inspect your home flowers, wipe their leaves, and do not allow pests to settle on them. For some plants, it is allowed to have a warm shower from time to time.

The more attentive you are to flowers, the more magnificent the living decoration of your home will grow!

Many gardeners complain that petunia leaves become covered with a white coating. Why is this happening. Let's try to figure it out in this article.

Petunia leaves become covered with a white coating for several reasons. In this article we will look at the main causes of this unpleasant phenomenon.

White plaque is not a very good symptom. It indicates petunia disease.

If the petunia leaves are covered with a white coating, then most likely it is powdery mildew. It could also be downy mildew.

How to distinguish powdery mildew from downy mildew?

Powdery mildew is one of the most common diseases of plants, including petunias. This disease is fungal. It manifests itself in a white coating on leaves, stems and flowers. If no measures are taken, the plant will dry out and die. Towards the emergence powdery mildew factors such as:

  • High air humidity.
  • Large temperature changes.
  • Lack of nutrients.

Downy mildew manifests itself practically. In order to distinguish downy mildew from real powdery mildew, you should pay attention to plaque spots. Also, true powdery mildew seems to suffocate the entire plant, and downy mildew affects the green parts of the plant. Downy mildew has a very characteristic “fluffy” white coating.

You can also distinguish by conditions. Powdery mildew appears in conditions high humidity, and false appears in conditions of lack of moisture.

Fighting powdery mildew on petunia: what to do?


If you determine that your flowers are covered with a white coating due to powdery mildew, then the following remedies are perfect for the fight:

  • Fundazol;
  • Topaz;
  • Acrobat MC;
  • Previkur;
  • Speed;
  • Vitaros;
  • Amistarextra.
  • Fitosporin.

These drugs help quite well with powdery mildew. Follow the instructions on the package.

Control of downy mildew on petunia.


If the petunia leaves are covered with a white coating due to downy mildew, then the following remedies can be used:

  • Solution of iodine and milk. (Drop 10 drops of iodine into 1 liter of milk and mix in 10 liters of water. Spray petunia with this solution). This product helps very well.
  • Polycarbacin.
  • Copper oxychloride.

All these products can be easily purchased at a gardening store. They help a lot and the white coating will disappear very quickly.

Since petunia is a very beautiful and undemanding flower to care for, it has gained great popularity among flower growers and housewives of our country. This plant decorates ground flower beds, balconies, terraces, flower beds, and others. But even if you take good care of these flowers, sometimes they can get sick; some experience the appearance of a white coating on the petunia leaves. This article will address the questions: what is this white plaque, what is the reason for its appearance, and how to get rid of it?

What is powdery mildew?

It is a fungal disease that infects the leaves of various plants. White plaque This dew looks like white dust. When the disease just begins to develop, it looks like a whitish coating that affects the lower leaves; over time, all petunia leaves and other parts of the flower become infected. The leaves begin to turn yellow and wither, and new leaves grow unhealthy and curled. If treatment of the flower is delayed or nothing is done at all, the petunia will eventually die.

Causes of the disease

Why does petunia get powdery mildew? Usually the spores of this fungus are found in the ground; they may not manifest themselves for a very long time. With proper, regular care of flowers, as well as in good weather, the fungus does not attack the plant.

The causes of petunia infection with powdery mildew are the following:

  • It is cool outside and there is high air humidity, this affects the plant if the petunia is in a flowerbed or on a balcony. The flower grown in the room is not affected by weather conditions;
  • there is a lot of nitrogen fertilizers in the soil;
  • flowers are rarely thinned out;
  • improper soil moisture regime. The leaves of the petunia are covered with a white coating - this can happen due to too frequent watering, or vice versa due to drying out of the soil. In such extreme conditions, the plant’s immunity suffers, and the petunia begins to get sick.

Powdery mildew can also appear after flowers have been watered with water from fungi, or they have been touched with hands that had previously touched infected flowers. In addition, the appearance of powdery mildew on petunias can be caused by wind, which transfers fungal spores from infected bushes to healthy ones.

Differences between powdery mildew and downy mildew

False disease has slightly different plaque spots. The real disease quickly covers the entire bush, and downy mildew infects only some parts of the flower, mostly only the green ones. The false disease has a fluffy white coating.

In addition, downy and true powdery mildew appear in different conditions. A real disease affects flowers only when it is cool outside and with high air humidity, while a false disease occurs when there is a lack of soil moisture.

Spraying against powdery mildew

Before spraying, be sure to do the following:

  • remove all infected, yellowed and lost elasticity leaves and affected buds;
  • remove the top layer of soil and add treated, disinfected soil;
  • spray the bushes with a store-bought preparation, for example, topaz or foundationol;
  • when spraying with the solution, all bushes must be completely treated;
  • To be on the safe side, you can dip the petunia bushes into a container with the medication for treatment.

Treatment of petunia by spraying is usually used if you need to get rid of a false disease. The following preparations are used for spraying:

  • polycarbacin;
  • a mixture of milk and iodine - you need to dissolve 10 drops of iodine in one liter of milk, after which this mixture is mixed with 10 liters of water. The resulting liquid must be sprayed onto the flowers several times. Many gardeners say that this remedy helps quite quickly;
  • copper oxychloride.

These drugs can be freely purchased in stores. By spraying with them you can get rid of white plaque.

Traditional methods of dealing with white plaque

Folk remedies are effective on early stage lesions, and these recipes are often used as preventive measures. How can you treat white plaque on petunia leaves? The most effective means are:

  1. Manganese solution. You need to dissolve about 2 or 3 grams of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water. The resulting solution must be treated with infected petunias three times, every 5 days.
  2. A mixture of soda ash and soap. You need to mix 25 grams of soda with 5 grams of liquid soap, pour this mixture into a container with 5 liters of heated water. This solution needs to be cooled, after which it is necessary to spray the infected bushes and root areas of the soil. Treatment of plants should be carried out twice with a break of 10 days.
  3. The serum is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10. The entire petunia bush must be treated with this solution. Thanks to this treatment, the stem and leaves are covered with a thin film, which prevents the flow of air to the fungus. In addition, thanks to this treatment, the bushes receive good nutrition. Plants should be treated with this mixture only when it is dry outside.
  4. It is necessary to mix soap and ash, for this you use one kilogram wood ash, which is mixed in 10 liters of heated water. This mixture should be infused for about a week, and it should be stirred every day. After a week, it needs to be drained, separated from the sediment. 10 grams of soap are added to the solution, then the resulting mixture must be sprayed on the affected bushes. You can process it every day, and you can pour water into the ash residue and feed the flowers with this solution.
  5. Copper solution is the most effective means. Why? Because it contains a natural fungicide - copper sulfate. It is necessary to dilute 5 grams of the drug in 300 grams of water. And in another container you need to dissolve 50 grams of soap in 5 liters of heated water. Then copper sulfate, which was previously diluted in water, is slowly poured into the soap solution. All diseased bushes need to be treated with this mixture three times, with a break of 7 days.

Chemicals

Fighting powdery mildew on petunia: what to do? To quickly eliminate this disease, especially if it has spread to a large area of ​​planted petunias, many gardeners use fungicidal chemicals. These agents destroy the structure of the fungus and prevent the development of powdery mildew in petunia cells. The most effective store-bought fungicidal agents in the fight against powdery mildew:

  • Amistar extra;
  • Fundazol;
  • Speed;
  • Topaz.

It is advisable to prevent the white bloom from spreading excessively and infecting many petunia bushes; it is better to fight the disease and treat the flowers at an early stage.

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

A ficus completely infected with rust is very difficult to cure.

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

  1. First, rust appears on the leaves and stems of domestic 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 intensively evaporate moisture, the pustules quickly dry out, crack and burst. They release a “rusty” powder, 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 leaves and stems and appear on the flowers. Plants change color, becoming brown or brown.
  4. Then indoor flowers begin to dry out and lose leaves; if treatment is not started, the plants will die.

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

Important to know: at temperatures not exceeding 10 degrees above zero, incubation period 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 appearance

Rust - fungal disease, and the fungus, as you know, loves to settle there, where it is humid, warm and dark. From this we can conclude that rust appears on plants 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 go into a dormant state until spring; they do not need frequent watering, nor do they need mineral fertilizing. If, in addition to this, the pot is located near the radiator, you should not be surprised at the appearance of such a plant disease.

Over-watering indoor plants can lead to rust infection.

Also, the development of fungus can be provoked by 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 apply too high a concentration of fertilizer.

If pots with plants are placed on an open terrace, veranda or balcony, then fungal spores can be carried by the wind or insects. Sometimes you come across seeds that are already infected with rust. Recognizing this is difficult, often completely impossible. This is one of the reasons why seeds should be treated with potassium permanganate before sowing. As well as the containers with soil in which they will be planted.

Which indoor plants suffer more often than others?

In principle, rust can appear on any type of indoor plant. But the fungus loves certain varieties more than others. In addition, there are house flowers that are more sensitive to fungal spores and are unable to fight it. The following ornamental crops should be protected from moisture and overheating with special care:

  • camellia;
  • fuchsia;
  • carnation;
  • cyclamen;
  • pelargonium;
  • rose;
  • geranium;
  • chrysanthemum.

A cameo leaf damaged by rust cannot be treated.

This fungus likes to settle on garden crops such as asparagus and citrus bushes, and often affects palm trees of various types.

We treat and prevent disease

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

What to do if a fungus has settled on the plant and its leaves begin to rust? First of all, it is important to prevent infection of neighboring plants, even if the diseased flower cannot be saved. Therefore, a sick flower must be immediately taken to a hotel room. Every single one of the affected leaves is torn off, even if there are only a few small spots of rust on them. Then they need to be burned away from the flower garden.

Bordeaux mixture is used to combat 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 the following 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 generally keep the window open all the time. Neither dry air nor high humidity should be allowed.

It is important to water the plant correctly. The liquid should be added to the pan or to the soil, but so that the water gets under the root and not on the leaves and flowers of the plant. If fertilizing 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.

Beginning 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 improperly applied products. Therefore, if you suspect that a plant has been damaged 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 examine the plants and make a diagnosis.

Rust can also manifest itself differently in different flowers and crops. On some flowers it develops faster, on others it grows very slowly, over weeks or months. In any case, the plant needs to be treated; the most important points in this process are to ensure a constant influx fresh air and removal of the affected parts of the flower. It is recommended to re-treat with a disinfectant solution 10-12 days after the first spraying.