Growing indoor flowers is an exciting experience. Thanks to them, you can turn your apartment into an oasis. If you regularly take care of green pets, they reciprocate: they grow well, bloom profusely and cheer up.
But it so happens that troubles happen to them, for example, white spots on indoor plants leaves and on the ground.
Reasons for the appearance of white spots on indoor plant leaves
Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not uncommon, and it can occur for various reasons. This is usually caused by parasites, pests, diseases, or improper conditions of detention.
On leaves of flowers
Most often, powdery mildew becomes the culprit of white bloom on the leaves. It is caused by microscopic mycelium fungi, which are brought into the house by people (on clothes, shoes), pets (on wool). Also, mycelium can get on plants along with the soil or an already infected ornamental crop purchased in a store.
The mycelium spreads quickly, parasitizing the plant and feeding on its juices. First, characteristic white spots are formed – traces of spore invasion. Then they grow, and the plant becomes covered with small whitish spots – hence the name of the disease.
Further, the white spots acquire the color of rust, the leaves dry and fall off along with the buds.
The most vulnerable in this regard are the following cultures:
- Kalanchoe;
- chrysanthemum;
- begonia;
- ficus.
If you do not stop the growth of the mycelium in time and do not destroy it, the plant will inevitably die in a fairly short time.
IMPORTANT! Powdery mildew is actively developing in rooms with high humidity. Another attractive medium for fungi is water droplets that fall on the leaves during spraying. Make sure that they do not stay there for a long time.
Another common cause of plaque can be the appearance of a mealybug. It is an aphid-like parasitic insect. It is easy to notice its appearance: the plant is as if sprinkled with flour, after which its leaves become sticky.
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It is curious that some indoor cultures do not suffer from it at all, and the monk loves someone especially, for example, Kalanchoe.
On different crops, the appearance of a pest may look different:
- dracaena leaves immediately become sticky. Later they start to fall off;
- orchid buds and young shoots are deformed;
- on the money tree, the worm is noticeable in the form of lumps in the axils of the leaves;
- in violets, it initially attacks the root system.
The parasite has a vulnerable spot – it is afraid of moisture. Where regular watering is carried out, dry leaves and buds are removed, regular spraying is done, this parasite does not appear.
White aphids can also cause a white bloom. On a healthy leaf, it is not noticeable for long, since the affected part of the culture quickly withers, dries, and falls off.
The parasitism of aphids is manifested in the fact that it sucks out the juices of the plant, and thus deprives it of its ability to live. If you do not take countermeasures, your green pet will die from exhaustion.
Why is potted soil covered with white coating?
Often the soil in pots is also covered with a white coating. This is either a special type of fungal mold, characteristic of room maintenance or efflorescence salt deposits. Both are destructive for plants, especially young ones. Mold and excess salt can lead to the death of the entire root system.
There are several reasons for this phenomenon:
- any mold forms due to excess moisture. Frequent watering is the most common cause of white bloom;
- dry indoor air will not provoke the appearance of mold, but it will lead to salting of the soil. As a result, the salt comes to the surface;
- if the pot for the plant is too large, its roots do not reach the lower layers of the soil and do not absorb moisture from there. The accumulated water becomes a breeding ground for fungi and mold;
- improper selection of fertilizers or their excessive use can also cause salt deposits;
- despite the fact that the presence of drainage in the pot is necessary, not everyone uses it, so moisture stagnates in the ground, and mold is activated.
Sometimes white spots indicate infection of the soil by the larvae of mushroom mosquitoes – sciarid. If there are a lot of them, it is advisable not to use the land at all, but to process and transplant the plant.
IMPORTANT! It happens that white spots on the ground indicate that the plant is watered with hard water with an excess of mineral salts. Such water is harmful not only to humans (it forms kidney stones), but also to plants.
Therefore, it will be better for both your pets and yourself if you purchase water softeners. Now they are sold almost everywhere and are inexpensive.
Treatment of different types of white spots on indoor plant leaves
In most cases, white bloom on the leaves and the ground is a signal that the plant is not being properly maintained. Therefore, it is necessary to change these conditions to the correct ones, and if necessary, proceed to immediate treatment of the flower.
white mold
An algorithm for certain actions is needed here:
- if the mold appeared only on the top layer of the soil, then it can be simply removed by collecting it with a spoon;
- in the event that there is a need for a transplant, the roots of the extracted plant should be washed, dried and only then transplanted into a new soil;
- after carrying out these operations, it is recommended to sprinkle the soil with soda or cinnamon;
- if mold appears on the leaves, wipe them with damp paper towels.
The procedure is best done outdoors in bright sunlight, if the air temperature permits. In the same place, after processing, the flower must be sprayed with fungicides.
IMPORTANT! Mold can be active and inactive. If, after wiping the leaves, its stubborn stains remain, you are dealing with an active fungus.
Such affected leaves are best cut and discarded. It is very difficult to remove active mold that has penetrated the inside of the sheet.
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White spots like cotton wool
Cotton wool is a sign of the presence of a mealybug. To get rid of this parasite, you do not have to run to the store for chemicals. There are quite effective folk methods.
There are several of them:
- calendula powder (sold in a pharmacy) brew like tea, cool and process the plant with it (for 100 g of powder – 1 l of water);
- chop the garlic, pour boiling water and let it brew for 3-4 hours, apply to the leaves with a sponge;
- Dilute 1 tablespoon of olive oil in 0.5 liters of water, spray with a spray bottle.
If the above procedures do not help, then the lesion is deeply ingrained. Then you have to use chemicals.
The following drugs help well against the worm:
- Decis;
- Bi-58;
- Fitoverm;
- Tsvetofos.
You need to use them according to the instructions, observing the precautions. Pets must be removed from the room during processing.
IMPORTANT! Affected plants should be immediately quarantined, removed from other ornamental crops. Treatment alone is usually not enough. It needs to be done 3-4 times.
As a rule, all of the above measures help to cope with the worm. But the plant will have to be watched for some time and still keep it in quarantine conditions.
white dust on a flower
The accumulation of dust on a flower is not only not aesthetically pleasing, dust complicates photosynthesis, clogs the pores of the plant. As a result, the growth of young shoots slows down, and adults become lethargic.
In addition, dust and dirt on the flower becomes a favorable habitat for various kinds of pests and parasites. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically remove dust from plants using various methods:
- spray pets regularly. Only this should be done with warm water and in the early morning;
- some use a shower, but not all plantings tolerate the jets that hit them hard;
- it is recommended to wipe the leaves with a damp sponge or process with a hard brush or brush.
IMPORTANT! After each treatment of one plant with a brush or brush, the instrument should be rinsed. Otherwise, you risk infecting the next plant with some kind of disease, because not all parasites can be seen at the initial stage of the lesion.
Simultaneously with the cleaning procedure, dry leaves are trimmed. You should also take care of the cleanliness of the protruding surface of the flower pot.
treat white sticky
The leaf can become sticky after being damaged by a mealybug, whitefly and some aphids. A frequent culprit of this phenomenon is a spider mite, but with it a white bloom is not detected, at the last stage a characteristic white spider web is formed.
But you still need to fight such pests, since the stickiness of the leaf is a very alarming signal. Here’s how to proceed:
- using a cotton swab dipped in alcohol, collect visible insects (this applies to mealybugs);
- treat the plant with an insecticide. In the fight against the resulting stickiness and plaque, Aktara and Aktellik are best suited;
- with an insecticide solution, wipe the window sill and window frame next to the place where the flower pot of the sick pet stood – the mealybug can live there too.
One-time treatment is a poor helper. You will have to repeat it several times.
IMPORTANT! Undiluted alcohol is used to treat the plant. It does not burn the leaves, because it quickly evaporates. But the diluted alcohol-containing liquid will remain on the sheet longer and will certainly harm it.
If the leaves are severely affected, they will have to be removed. But by cutting, without cutting, so as not to wound the stem.
How to water soil?
It has already been said that white spots on the ground are also a pathology. To fight it, you need to find out the cause of the defeat, and then act:
- if the matter is in an oversupply of fertilizers, reconsider their quantity and composition;
- hard water must be softened;
- in case of detection of mosquito fungus larvae, you need to water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or soda;
- for other pests, you can use an apple cider vinegar solution.
An ideal option in case of infection is to transplant a plant. And the listed measures are effective only at the initial stages.
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Preventive measures for white spots on indoor plant
Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. The same applies to indoor flowers. Preventive measures should not be taken daily, but regularly.
Periodic soil replacement
It is carried out like this:
- The plant should be replanted about once every three years to improve growth. During transplantation, the soil and roots are examined. If fungus and mold are found, it is better to replace the soil completely;
- it is recommended to change the topsoil once every 3 months;
- the procedure can be carried out at any time of the year, except for winter.
It is believed that large houseplants need soil replacement more often. Their root system develops faster, which, growing, becomes more vulnerable to diseases and pests.
Proper watering
Watering is the main food of green pets. But you need to make sure that this procedure remains useful and not harmful:
- frequent abundant watering leads to the formation of mold and fungi – you need to water the plants only as the soil dries;
- drying is not a dry surface, but the absence of moisture at a depth of 2-2.5 cm;
- sometimes it is better to replace watering with loosening. It enriches the soil with oxygen.
You can replace watering with spraying. This is especially true in hot weather. But you need to make sure that the drops do not stay on the leaves for a long time.
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Special means
It is recommended to regularly carry out preventive treatment with special means:
- florists most often use Fitoverm and Aktara;
- Actellic is not very suitable for prevention. It refers to drugs of “heavy” action;
- some have successfully used pet flea shampoos and even dishwashing detergents.
Before all sorts of parasites seeking to settle on indoor flowers, it is quite possible to put a barrier. But if the disease still knocked your pet down, you should not be afraid. It is always possible to cure a green friend if you approach the issue correctly.
