Perhaps, you will not find any other houseplant, about which there are so many legends and beliefs, like about ficus. And the energy atmosphere in the house he cleans, and the relationship in the family helps to improve, and even contributes to increase the fertility of his mistress, if she can not get pregnant. Legends are legendary, but still ficus is sick, if you take care of it after the sleeves, forget to water it and feed it in time, and simply pay little attention to it. But what are the diseases of ficus, let's talk in today's article.
What are the diseases of ficus?
If we consider the ficus disease in general, then all of them can be divided into three large groups:
Illness from improper care. No matter how unpretentious the ficus, and yet it requires certain conditions of existence and rules of care for it. First, this plant very much does not like sharp changes in temperature and humidity. If these values are constantly changing, even only 5-7 ° C, the leaves of the ficus turn black and fall off. Well, if there is a lack or excess of sunlight, the color of the plant changes, it wilts, the leaves of the ficus become yellow and sluggish. By the way, it is the wrong care and it becomes most often the answer to the question, why the ficus is withering and drying.
Infection with pests. But like you do everything right, but the ficus for some reason dries, the leaves turn black and fall, what's the matter? Look closely at the plant, maybe it was attacked by parasites? The most frequent uninvited guests on the ficus are mealybugs and scutes. The first are like white cotton balls lying at the base of the leaves and in the branches. They can also be seen on the soil after irrigation. The shields, like the yellow and brown tubercles, cover sheet plates. Aphids are another representative of the creeping fauna, which does not mind staying on the ficus, climbing closer to the peduncles. And when overflow and unprofessional earth in the pot with your pet can also live a spider mite or nimble centipedes.
Fungal lesions. Most often there is a cercosporosis and anthracnose. The first disease manifests itself in the form of tiny black dots that appear on the underside of the leaf. As a result, the plant can generally remain without leaves and die. In the second case on the leaves and trunk of the ficus appear rust-like spots that are similar to rust, which can also lead to loss of the crown and death of the tree.
How to treat the ficus?
Now, after considering the pests and diseases of the ficus, let's see how to get rid of them. First, if the plant suffers from improper care, temperature changes and humidity, then all diseases of your ficus will quickly disappear when the normal environment of its habitat is restored. Provide the plant a stable temperature and humidity, water only after complete drying of the soil and feed once a month. You'll see, soon everything will be fine.
Secondly, if pests have appeared, they should be disposed of as quickly as possible. This is what should be done when a mealybug, scab, aphid, or spider mite is found. If the disease is just beginning, then it will be enough to remove the parasites from the plant with a soft brush, cut off the affected areas and rinse the whole plant under warm running water.
For greater effect, you can prepare a home remedy - garlic infusion. Take a liter of boiling water and add to it 70-80 grams of grated garlic. Cap the container and wrap it, insist an hour, and then strain and sprinkle the diseased plant. Repeat the procedure several times at regular intervals, for example, a day.
Another good home-made recipe is a soap-alcohol solution. For 1 liter of hot water, take 1 tsp. economic, better tar, soap and 1 tbsp. l. alcohol. Cover the ground in a pot and sprinkle the plant, and after 12 hours rinse it with warm water. The procedure is repeated 3 more times every 4 days.
Well, you can get rid of millipedes only by changing the ground, washing the root and the whole plant and disinfecting the pot. In particularly difficult cases, pesticides use insecticides or completely get rid of a diseased plant in order to protect the healthy.
Here, perhaps, and all about why the ficus is sick and drying, use this knowledge, and let your green pet make you happy for many years.