How to get rid of chrysanthemum diseases, the main pests and their treatment
One of the beautiful flowers that came to our gardens from Japan, China is chrysanthemum. Lush ornamental shrubs amaze with a variety of varieties, bright flowering before winter. But plants are picky about care. Chrysanthemums often die due to diseases. But if you notice the symptoms of pathology in time and take action, then the decorative culture can be saved.
Why do plants get sick
The reasons for the appearance and infection of diseases can be:
- excessive watering;
- low air temperature;
- lack or surplus of mineral and organic fertilizers;
- planting seeds infected with the fungus;
- introduction of fresh manure into the ground.
Failure to comply with the agricultural technology of chrysanthemums leads to the fact that some of the plants die. But pathology is not transmitted from diseased plants to healthy ones.
Diseases caused by pathogenic fungi, their spores, lead to the death of all chrysanthemum specimens in the flower garden. The garden type of culture often suffers from infectious diseases under favorable weather conditions for their spread.
What are the diseases and methods of their treatment
During cultivation, flower growers are faced with chrysanthemum diseases that are caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Often these are fungi that remain active for a long time. Their spores overwinter in plant debris. They infect chrysanthemum seeds, shoots.
With improper care, when moderation is not observed in watering, feeding, plants also feel bad, do not bloom, wither.
Fungi and viruses must be fought with chemicals and fungicides. But also bringing the watering procedure back to normal, feeding will allow the flowers to recover.
Infectious
You can determine the onset of infection in plantings of chrysanthemums by:
- wilting foliage;
- spots on leaf plates, flower petals;
- rotting roots;
- growth retardation;
- lack of flowering.
In this case, the salvation of all ornamental chrysanthemum bushes depends on the timeliness of treatment.After all, the infection spreads very quickly, and then you will have to say goodbye to your favorite flowers.
White rust
The disease begins with round yellow spots on the leaves. Their diameter is only within 5 millimeters. Most often, spots affect young foliage, gradually spreading over all plates. Having examined the leaves of chrysanthemums, they notice their whitish blooms on the back. They contain spores, which are carried by wind, rain to neighboring plants.
Chrysanthemum petals are also attacked by a fungus, which leads to a loss of beauty in the flower. The fight against white rust consists of fungicide treatment. The most effective drugs are "Miklobutanil", "Difenoconazole". The fungus of the disease quickly develops immunity to chemicals, so it is necessary to use the most powerful new generation fungicides against it.
Gray rot
In damp, cool weather on the bushes of chrysanthemums, you can see areas covered with grayish mold. Watery spots form on the entire surface of the plant. With thickened plantings, lack of proper care, infection of chrysanthemums occurs rapidly.
You can cope with the disease by removing diseased specimens, treating the soil and healthy bushes with fungicides. They normalize the condition of the soil by drying it out, reducing the amount of nitrogen.
Septoriasis
Spotted, or septoria, is a disease in which all leaves are covered with yellowish-brown spots. Spores form inside the areas affected by the fungus. They spread the infection to nearby chrysanthemums. This is easily accomplished when flowers are planted close to each other.
For treatment, at first, drugs containing copper are needed. Sick bushes are sprayed with a solution prepared from 10 grams of copper sulfate in half a liter of water and 100 grams of potassium soap in 10 liters. All components are mixed and processed with chrysanthemums.
Powdery mildew
It is easy to identify the disease by a whitish bloom on leaves, stems, flowers. It seems that the bushes are dusted with flour. The fungus infects weakened plants that lack nitrogen and potassium. Plants should be treated as soon as the first symptoms of powdery mildew appear. The flower garden is treated with a soap solution of soda ash. For 10 liters of water, 40 grams of substances are enough.
A liquid containing 20 grams of copper sulfate, 200 grams of liquid green soap per bucket of water will help to heal chrysanthemums. It is necessary to carry out processing in sunny weather, without wind, at a temperature of 20 degrees above zero.
Fusarium
With fusarium wilting, leaf rolling begins. Over time, white spots appear on the plates, inside which there are fungal spores. The pathogens that cause the disease are resistant to temperature extremes and remain active after winter. They are preserved in plant residues.
To prevent infection, you need to process the cuttings of chrysanthemums before planting with a solution of "Fundazola".
Root bacterial cancer
One of the incurable diseases is rare. But when infected with cancer, growths are visible on the stalks of chrysanthemums. Noticing such symptoms, it is necessary to completely pull out the diseased bush, and treat the soil of the flower garden with a formalin solution. The medicine is prepared by dissolving 150-200 grams of the drug in a bucket of water. You can not plant anything on the site after processing for a month.
Viral
Virus strains rarely infect chrysanthemums. Microorganisms are carried by aphids or through the hands of a gardener from one plant to another. Moreover, the chrysanthemum:
- there is a lag in growth;
- leaves are affected by chlorosis, mosaics;
- the tongues of flowers are discolored.
Among viral diseases, white spot, dwarfism, mosaicism are common.
Non-infectious
Even the most unpretentious flowers can get sick if they are poorly looked after. Chrysanthemums begin to turn yellow, wither, when moisture stagnates in the soil.Roots lack air and nutrition, if the soil is not loose, but dense. The root system begins to rot, hence the delay in the growth of chrysanthemums, the lack of flowering.
If microcracks appear on the stems from excess moisture, then the flowers do not stay on the bushes, they break.
Chrysanthemums are damaged by spring frosts. This is noticeable by the red veins of the leaves. Cover plantings before night temperatures drop.
You can notice non-infectious plant diseases by the state of leaves, stems and flowers. Timely corrected flaws in care will allow the decorative culture to develop successfully.
Pests
Chrysanthemum bushes look sick when harmful insects attack them. Most of the parasites are sucking species. They make the plants look messy. Leaves and inflorescences are especially affected by insect attacks.
Greenhouse aphid
A small sucking insect the size of a pinhead is green or pink in color. Usually, aphid colonies are located on the back of young leaves, which is why they warp and dry out. The female aphid lays eggs several times over the summer, which leads to a complete defeat of the plantings of chrysanthemums.
Spider mites
Small spiders with four pairs of legs attack plants in early spring and autumn. It is difficult to notice the insect, but as a result of damage to it, the foliage on the stems turns brown and dies. Fertilized female ticks overwinter in plant debris, under clumps of earth. To stop the invasion of the pest, it is necessary to clean up and burn garbage in time in autumn, dig up the soil.
Helps fight ticks by dusting the shoots of chrysanthemums with sulfur powder or spraying with a solution of colloidal sulfur (100 grams per bucket of water). When processing, especially carefully spray the underside of the leaves, where the mite nests. The procedure must be carried out three times with a break of 10 days.
Leaf nematode
Filamentous worms infect the entire aerial part of chrysanthemums, becoming more active during the rainy seasons. The consequences of nematode damage are:
- the appearance of brown spots on the leaves;
- twisting and withering them away;
- lack of flowering;
- growth retardation.
After wintering in fallen leaves, nematodes continue to harm chrysanthemum plantations in spring.
Bushes infected with nematodes should be destroyed, and the remaining plants should be treated with a Heterophos solution.
Meadow bug
Damage to leaves, buds and flowers is caused by bugs. They feed on plant tissues, which is why leaves curl and deform, and flowers fall off. It is necessary to process chrysanthemums with insecticidal preparations in order to destroy the pest.
Effective methods of aphid control
One of the dangerous pests looks pretty harmless. But if you do not fight with it, then you can lose valuable varieties of chrysanthemums. Sticky insect excrement attracts pathogenic fungi. Then the plant will be weakened by the disease and die.
Mechanical
There are several ways to get rid of aphids. First, when a small number of specimens are found on the back of the leaves, they are cleaned with a cloth and soapy water. The work is carried out with gloves, completely washing the ground part of the plant.
Chemicals
Sometimes, without chemistry, the fight against aphids is ineffective. But when working with insecticidal agents, the proportions in use must be observed.
A solution of "Karbofos", "Actellika", "Phosphamide", "Metaphos"
Each of the preparations effectively fights against aphids on chrysanthemums, and after processing, the black bloom on the leaf plates disappears. It is necessary to take 20 grams of the substance and dissolve in 10 liters of water at room temperature. The spray is carried out with a working fluid. The procedure is performed in the morning or evening in calm weather. It is necessary to protect the respiratory organs, mucous membranes of the eyes from the ingress of a chemical on them. Be sure to spray the soil in the flower garden.
Liquid for glasses containing ammonia
Ammonia has a depressing effect on pests. Therefore, the bushes are sprayed with liquid several times until the aphids completely disappear.
Flower aerosols
Flower aerosol treatment will eliminate sucking insects. Before processing, it is necessary to dilute the liquid with soapy water so that it sticks to the leaves better.
Ammonia diluted with water
The use of ammonia is justified by the effectiveness of the aphid control agent. It is necessary to dilute the concentrated solution with water in a ratio of 1:10. Spray bushes affected by aphids three times every 12 days.
"Kinmix"
The insecticidal drug acts on pests for a month. They are treated with a working solution, which is prepared according to the instructions, in the morning or in the evening. Since the preparation is washed off by rain, it is desirable that the weather is clear and calm.
Rules for the use of chemicals
When working with insecticidal solutions, you must:
- wear a special robe or tight clothing;
- use goggles, kerchief, mask;
- prepare solutions in utensils that are not intended for food;
- stir chemicals outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
After processing, you need to take a shower, and wash clothes with soap.
Folk remedies
You can also fight aphids with safe means. Everyone knows about them, so they should be used in the initial stages of aphid infestation.
Infusion of onion peel
20 grams of onion husks should be insisted in a liter of water. The infusion is used three times. The break between treatments is 10 days.
Garlic infusion
The cloves of garlic are peeled, chopped. It is necessary to fill the mass with water and insist for several hours. Chrysanthemums are sprayed with this solution.
Dried citrus peel infusion
The collected peel from oranges, tangerines is dried. After grinding, pour water and leave for 3 days. After filtering, the solution is poured into a spray bottle and all ground parts of the plants are treated.
A solution of laundry and tar soap
A small amount of aphids can be dealt with with soapy water. In a bucket of warm water, dissolve shavings of laundry or tar soap. It is necessary to spray the bushes so that the liquid gets on the areas with aphid colonies.
Tobacco
A decoction of tobacco dust or waste makhorka is prepared as follows: a kilogram of tobacco is dissolved in 5 liters of water, left for a day. Boil for an hour. After settling, filter and dilute half a liter of broth in a bucket of water. It is advisable to add 100 grams of soap for better adhesion.
Pelargonium
The smell of pelargonium repels aphids well. It is planted with chrysanthemums. This will prevent the appearance of aphids in the flower bed.
Prevention tips and tricks
To prevent diseases in chrysanthemums, you need:
- water them moderately with water at room temperature;
- make timely potash and phosphorus fertilizers;
- plant bushes at an optimal distance from each other;
- spray with a solution of Bordeaux liquid after planting chrysanthemums after 10 days;
- loosen the soil after watering and rains;
- weed the flower beds in time.
Growing chrysanthemums is successful only if the rules for caring for plants are followed.
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