Housewives are very fond of Spathiphyllums, since these flowers are not picky at all, can grow in a shaded place and at the same time will still please with lush greens and attractive flowers. But all this will continue until a pathogen plaque or other symptom of the disease appears on the leaves of the spathiphyllum, which should be treated immediately.
Rot from the base of the stem, and how to fight it
The peculiarity of this disease is that when a plant is damaged, the first symptoms of rot appear only at the base. For this reason, few people notice them. But over time, the rot begins to spread upwards, striking individual leaves, because of which they begin to turn yellow and eventually dry out. Another feature of the disease - the defeat can take possession of only one side of the plant, while the second will continue to turn green. If you do not pay attention to it in time, the plant can dry out completely, since the rot from the base of the stalks will gradually come to the roots.
Unfortunately, getting rid of rot is almost impossible, you can only prevent its occurrence. This requires choosing only healthy plants for planting, and during reproduction try not to damage them, since rot can be formed on damaged areas. It is equally important to observe "hygiene" during the circumcision and treatment of spathiphyllum: All tools and pots must be disinfected before planting. Thanks to such simple actions you don’t have to think about why the spathiphyllum is rotting.
Did you know? Spathiphyllum has another name - "female happiness." It is believed that if a girl plants this flower at home, she will soon find her betrothed and be able to marry for love.
Root rot: what to do in this case
But if the leaves of Spathiphyllum initially lose their brightness, and eventually turn yellow at all and wither, then the flower most likely underwent a disease such as root rot. Over time, the roots of the flower become more and more soft, their upper part begins to peel off.
The spread of root rot often results in planting a flower in a soil with low acidity, as well as too intense watering, in which the soil does not even have time to dry.
Unfortunately, but these diseases of spathiphyllum and their treatment are not possible, the flower almost always has to be thrown away. But for the prevention of rot It is important to use the following recommendations:
- When transplanting a plant, be sure to treat its root system with the help of the biopreparation "Glyocladin".
- For the cultivation of spathiphyllum, buy a special soil, since only coarse-grained substrates are suitable for it.
- Water the flower abundantly, but as rarely as possible. Before watering, check the soil moisture each time - if it is still wet, set aside watering for a few more days.
- For prophylaxis, use drugs such as Fitosporin-M and Alirin-B, which can be diluted in water according to the instructions and add a flower.
Late blight and its treatment
Among the diseases of Spathiphyllum, late blight is also present, which is manifested in the same way as rot from the base of the stems. Late blight forms on the root neck of a flower and, over time, is able to spread completely to the entire plant, slowly killing it. The causative agent of late blight is a fungus that can multiply quickly enough in a wet environment with its spores. For this reason an infected plant with any force of destruction has to be destroyed (It is best to burn it to stop the growth of the fungus).
If among your houseplants at least one appeared late blight, then all the rest will have to be treated with drugs that will increase the resistance of the plants. For this purpose, you can use the "Ridomil Gold" or "Alet". Pots with spathiphyllum in this case will have to hold on land, trying to water them as little as possible.
As a preventive measure for Spathiphyllum, you can also use the drugs "Fitosporin-M", "Alirin-B", "Gamain-B" and "Planriz", the main thing is not to overdo it with their use.
How to get rid of spider mites
If you cannot understand why there are spots on the leaves of the spathiphyllum, then, most likely, a spider mite has started on it. Initially, this pest will leave only small yellowish specks on the spathiphyllum leaves, which will eventually completely discolour and dry. It is clear that the activity of spider mites will make the plant quite unattractive, so you need to deal with it urgently.
Spider mites have very small sizes - about 0.2-0.5 mm, and you can only see them on the lower part of the leaves, where they spin webs. They appear on the spatifillum from too high a temperature in the room, which also leads to air desiccation.
If only small yellow dots appear on the flower, it should be treated with a solution of soap or mineral oil. At later stages of infection, it is necessary to resort to drugs - Fitoverma, Akarina or Vertimek.
Important! Spathiphyllum should be grown in shaded places that are not penetrated by direct rays of light.
Methods of dealing with aphids
Just like the spider mite, the aphid settles mainly on the lower part of the spathiphyllum. It brings harm no less, because it feeds exclusively on the sap of the plant, which leads to dehydration of its leaves and their complete drying and twisting. There are a lot of varieties of aphids that can settle on a flower, and all of them are able to multiply very quickly and move to other plants, which is why you need to start the fight against this pest as quickly as possible.
Aphid is very well affected by the nicotine sulfate solution, 1 g of which must be added to 1 liter of water. For the same purpose, you can use a soap solution, but when it is applied, the soil in the pot will need to be covered with polyethylene so that soap does not fall to the roots of the plant. The number of treatments can reach even five to seven, since a one-time spraying almost never gives one hundred percent result.
Did you know? The stems of spathiphyllum are its leaves, which grow from the root itself.
How to destroy the shield on the leaves
Shchitovka spatiphyllum appears infrequently, but manifests itself quite intensively and multiplies very quickly. As long as the shield is still young, it is even difficult to see it on the plant. Only dark spots that promptly begin to appear on the leaves of the spathiphyllum and on its stems will be able to suggest its presence.
The folk remedy, which is a solution of soap and tobacco, will help to get rid of shitovki. To enhance the effect in the fight with the shield you can add to this solution for spraying and a little kerosene. If individuals of scale insects have reached a mature age, and they can be examined with the naked eye, then you can even remove them from the plant with a wet tampon, after which you will still need to sprinkle with soapy water.
Important! Spathiphyllum transplantation should be carried out every spring. If the plant has grown heavily - be sure to increase the diameter of the pot. At the bottom of the pot also need to lay a layer of drainage, which will provide the plant protection from rot.
Mealybug: How not to let the plant get sick
Among all the diseases and pests of the spathiphyllum, the most insidious is the mealybug. It affects the plant very rarely, but often it happens because of excessive satiety of the flower. If spathiphyllum overfeed, between its leaves can get worms, which over time can completely destroy the flower.
With a large accumulation of worms, they are simply removed with a cloth moistened with alcohol. Also against them, you can use the tincture of skins from citrus fruits. The most effective remedy against this pest are insecticidal preparations, the concentration of which can be significantly increased until the complete disappearance of mealybugs. The plant will also need to be treated with actellic.
Prevention: how to protect the plant from diseases and pests
Pests and diseases of the spathiphyllum appear only when poor-quality seedlings are used, as well as with improper care of the plant. To prevent their occurrence, in the care of spathiphyllum, you must adhere to the following rules:
- At each transplant of a plant and its reproduction, use fresh soil, preferably purchased, so that it is not infected. Pots and equipment should also be disinfected.
- Spraying is very useful for spathiphyllum, but for this you need to use a sprayer with very small holes. That is, during spraying a flower should form a cloud of microdroplets, and not water on its leaves. Note that if water gets between the stems and leaves, it can lead to the development of rot.
- If you notice rotted roots on the plant during transplantation, they must be removed, and cinnamon powder should be removed.
- For prophylaxis regularly use the drug "Fitoverma", with a solution of which you can both pour spathiphyllum and spray it.
In the immediate vicinity of the pot in which the spathiphyllum grows, hold a container of water. Due to this, the humidity of the air will be maintained even in winter, with the heaters operating. Also, do not put a plant pot in places where there is a draft. It will be useful to place a piece of foam under the pot so that the roots of the spathiphyllum are not overcooled from the cold window sill.
But The most important rule for the prevention of diseases of spathiphyllum is a regular inspection of the plant for diseases and the appearance of pests. If you see at least mild signs of the disease - immediately begin treatment and do not let it spread to other indoor flowers.
