Houseplant diseases can be a real buzzkill for any plant lover. You spend hours caring for your indoor plants, only to watch it wilt away due to various diseases. However, with the proper knowledge and tools, you can quickly identify, treat and prevent the most common houseplant diseases. This article will dive deep into houseplant diseases and show you how to nurse your plants back to health. We will cover everything from root rot to fungal infections and provide you with actionable tips to ensure your plants stay healthy and vibrant. So, if you want to keep your green friends happy and thriving, read on to discover our expert tips and tricks for treating houseplant diseases.
All those who take care of indoor plants at home have probably witnessed houseplant diseases and problems; these problems can be caused by insects, nutrients deficiency , or improper keeping conditions.
Recognizing these symptoms is a big challenge even for experts, requiring high accuracy, because using incorrect treatment methods and elements will cause other houseplant problems without solving the intended one.
A damaged plant is just like a disease that can even lead to death with improper administration. In this article, we tried to comprehensively describe all the pests and diseases of plants and their symptoms, along with the solution and how to deal with each. After reading this resource, you can save your plant from the danger of destruction by following the mentioned points, discovering the existing defect, and solving it.
The first step is to prevent the disease of houseplants
To avoid problems caused by common causal agent, the best and least expensive method is to follow the points that should be taken into account when buying, after bringing the plant home, and while keeping.
Minimize the risk of encountering a diseased plant to a very high percentage by following the instructions below.
Tips before and while buying plants
- Choose spring and autumn to buy and plant new plants.
- Before buying, determine where you want to put the plant.
- Find out about the amount of light in the desired place, the level of humidity and the condition of its air circulation.
- Consider what size of a plant is suitable for the space you have; also, consider that your plant will grow over time and demand more space.
- Don’t buy suddenly; it happens to most of us that we get excited by seeing a plant and buy it without knowing its keeping conditions; sudden purchase without research increases the possibility of the plant’s subsequent destruction; Therefore, it is recommended to know the name of the plant you want before buying and to research and read about it.
- Ask about the plant keeping method and the native and biological conditions of the plant, and avoid buying it if you are unable to provide for the plant’s needs.
- Some plants grow in certain cities; for example, some plants require high humidity. Avoid buying these plants in dry cities as much as possible unless you can meet the plant’s needs with moisture supply methods.
- Avoid buying a; unhealthy plant; if you don’t know the signs of an unhealthy plant, make your purchase from a trusted store.
Symptoms of plants with problems:
- house plant leaves turning yellow
- The presence of pests or diseases (the presence of brown spots, sunburn, the presence of insects, etc., on the plant)
- The leaves are withered, and the stems are not strong
- When buying small plants, because they are young, they are more adaptable to the new environment, and on the other hand, since they have new leaves and new branches, the possibility of yellowing and getting pests is less in them.
- When buying flowering plants, choose a pot with mostly buds; avoid buying a pot with all the buds open.
Tips after moving a new plant home
In the following, we will mention some things you may see after transferring the plant from the greenhouse and store to your home.
What is plant shock?
The biggest challenge anyone faces when moving a plant, storing it at home or repotting is plant shock. The sudden change in plant’s environment to which it is adapted, shocks the plant.
The shock is a natural phenomenon that cannot be prevented entirely, but by following some tips, the amount of damage caused by it can be significantly reduced. This shock will cause the disease of houseplants.
The signs of plant shock are as follows:
- Severe growth reduction or growth cessation
- Shrinking the size of the leaves
- Create distance between nodes
- Slimming and thinning of the plant
- tubes and wrapping leaves
- Yellowing of leaves
- Withering of leaves
- severe leaf fall
Solutions to prevent the plant from being shocked
Avoid repotting for two weeks to one month. If you have to Repot Your Plant, be careful not to damage the roots, so avoid removing the soil attached to the roots.
Before repotting, water the plant so that the soil and roots are moist; this will reduce the possibility of root damage and eventually decrease the plant shock. For two weeks, place the plant in an environment of the house where the conditions are closer to its former environment and then slowly move it to the desired location.
After repotting , water houseplant thoroughly; if it is significant and old, prune it. After moving the plant home, keep it away from other plants for a while; this action reduces the risk of infecting other plants to zero if the new plant is sick. Avoid fertilizing the new plant for two weeks after bringing it home.
Choose a pot of the right size
Choosing a pot for your plant should be precise; that means you should choose the right size for the plant you want, a pot that is too big or too small will both damage the plant. In plants like snake plant , it is better to have a smaller pot than the required size; this will make the plant grow and grow more. It stimulates; if the pot is too big, the plant’s energy will be spent on rooting until it is complete, and its outer growth will decrease.
A tiny pot also does not meet the plant’s needs and severely reduces its growth.
Improper watering causes diseases in houseplants
Consider a criterion for your watering and avoid excessive and indiscriminate watering; the best criterion to understand when it is time to water is when 1 inch of the soil surface dries up. The most significant loss of plants is caused by watering beyond the requirement.
overwatering causes the death of the plant by rotting the roots, and the symptoms of overwatering include wilting and yellowing of the plant’s leaves.
Keep the leaves of the plants clean
Plants carry out photosynthesis and the energy needed for their growth through their leaves.
The dirtiness of the leaves causes the tiny pores on the leaves to be blocked; the mechanism of these pores is such that they must be opened and closed during the day and night, so the blockage of these pores interferes with the growth process of the plant and causes problems in the long term. Will bring, especially the plants that are kept on the terrace need regular. read the this article about how to clean houseplant leaves.
Sometimes move the plant to a brighter place
If the above points are not observed, or sometimes despite observing them, problems may occur in the growth process of plants or their appearance; these problems and diseases are mainly caused by improper keeping, lack of primary care, or pest and insect attacks. We will introduce each of these diseases and their treatment solutions.
Remember to feed the plants
Change the soil of the plants every one to two years. When repotting soil, mix solid fertilizers with the soil. Depending on the case, these fertilizers make the plant unnecessary for 5 to 8 months if the soil is kept the same every month from Using liquid fertilizers. Amino acid for houseplants is also a perfect choice.
Introduction of indoor plant pests and how to deal with them
In the continuation of examining the disease of houseplants, it is better to examine some of the most common pests of houseplants that you may have been involved with one of them once, along with how to treat them.
Mealybugs are a constant pest
One of the most dangerous pests is the mealybug. These insects attack the plant in different ways, and by feeding on the plant’s sap, they cause the death of the plant.
The symptoms of the attack of this pest on the plant are the yellowing of the leaves, the formation of brown spots on the plant and the sinking of the attacked parts.
Mealybug target plants
The main target of these insects is fleshy plants such as cacti and succulents, as well as plants such as Ferns, African violets, Gardenia, Nandina, Schefflera, Benjamin, etc.
If you keep these plants, check them regularly so that they are not infected with mealybugs.
But note that Solenostemonis one of the most susceptible houseplants to be attacked by the plum mealybug.
How to treat and treat mealybugs
first stage; Remove the plant from the rest of the plants and check that the pest has not spread to the neighboring plants.
Second stage; Remove the damaged and infected parts of the plant and throw them away.
Third level; Dissolve a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid in one and a half liters of warm water and clean the infected parts of the plant with soft tissue.
The fourth stage; If the pest is too much to clean with a tissue, bathe the plant and wash all the pests from the plant’s surface.
In the fifth stage, Mix 2 liters of liquid soap with half a glass of alcohol and spray on the aphids; wash the plant with water after 15 minutes. In steps four and five, use a cover to prevent the solution from being mixed with soil and leave a gap of 5 days between each cleaning.
The sixth stage is; Use the mealy bug repellants available in the market. The method and amount of using these poisons are different; each is listed on the bottle.
Aphids from pests of houseplants
Aphids are widespread pests that are abundantly seen on plants in early spring. These insects suck, and by feeding on the sap of the plant, if not handled and controlled, they will lead it to the point of death and destruction.
The place where the aphids gather is wrapped on the leaf to create a good place for the aphid to multiply and grow its larvae. Aphids are seen in different colors, such as white, black, red and brown.
Aphids, like mealybugs, attack the plant in groups, and by sinking their beak into the plant and sucking its sap, they cause irreparable damage.
The visible symptoms of a plant infected with aphids include twisting of the leaves, green drying of the plant, reduced growth and development, and finally, a reduction in the amount of flowering and yield and the plant’s life span.
How to fight and eliminate aphids
first stage; Clean the aphids from the damaged environment with the help of a damp cloth; if the amount of aphids is high, bathe the plant. Use cold water in the shower and repeat this every few days.
Second stage; If the first stage does not appear, cut and separate that part of the plant with pruning shears, then check that the rest of the plant is not infected; if it is infected, do the cleaning as in the first stage.
Third level; Spray the following mixture on the plant once a week – 2 liters of warm water + half a glass of olive oil + 5 drops of dishwashing liquid + red pepper powder + one tablespoon of ginger powder
the fourth stage; To destroy aphids. On agricultural plants and garden plants, you can put bees or ladybugs on them; these insects feed on aphids and cause the destruction of aphids, be careful that if you use the solution mentioned in the third step for the above plants, in Do not clean on a rainy day or under the sun.
The fifth stage is; Use of aphid killers available in the market; when using aphid killers, be careful of spreading it with the pot’s soil; for this purpose, it is better to cover the soil surface with nylon.
The mite is the most common disease of houseplants
Mites are tiny creatures you can see with only the naked eye. To see the mite, you need to use a magnifying glass. The back of the leaves is where the mites gather. Plant mites have organs that cause suction. They provide plant sap for themselves. The feeding place of the leaves is in the form of tiny white holes, which causes a lot of water to evaporate from that place, destroying the plant tissue and the severe fall of the leaves and fruits of the plant.
Methods of combating ticks and preventing their spread
first stage; Prevent weeds from growing around pots and gardens
the second stage; Wash and spray the plant regularly with cold water
third level; Use of mite repellants such as citrazone
Black pot mosquito or Fungus Gnat
Sometimes when you water the pot, shake it, or even move the soil, you may see small insects that start flying over the plant; these tiny insects are called pot flies, mushroom flies or soil flies. The habitat of these insects is wet soil. The larvae of this plant inside the soil attack the roots, and the adult insects transmit all kinds of fungi. The presence of adult insects is worrying because they can fly and land to Spread the fungus spores to all nearby plants.
Through the prevention and removal of the black mosquito
first stage, Do not water too much because this mosquito lives in moist soil, so that dry soil will repel it. Also, avoid wetting the soil surface when spraying dust and water.
Second stage; Use sticky traps to trap adult insects.
Third level; If you see larvae in the soil, change the soil. To solve this problem, you can also use soil disinfectants.
The fourth stage, Sprinkling 2 cm of sand on the soil surface, prevents mosquitoes from sitting on the soil surface and spawning.
In the fifth stage, Spray the mixture of soap and water at the rate of one tablespoon per two liters of water on the soil.
The sixth stage; Use of insecticides available in the market
Spotted spider mite
Although the spotted red spider is tiny, its signs can be found in the plant. Creating brown spots on the leaf, followed by the stop of growth and its wilting, can be a sign of the attack of this insect on the plant. You can carefully see the sign of this spider, which is a white blur, under the leaves of plants such as cacti and Schefflera.
Solutions to destroy the spotted red spider
first stage; Cleaning broad-leaved plants with soap and water and a towel and bathing small-leaved plants
second stage; Using poisons that repel this insect, such as bifocal
the disease of houseplants; Whiteflies
Failure to recognize and deal with the whitefly in time, which often attacks plants with colored leaves, such as Codiaeum and Solenostemonis, causes the death of the plant. By feeding on the plant’s sap, this insect causes wilting, yellowing, falling of the leaves and, ultimately, death. Follows the plant. To repel this insect, use poisons such as malathion according to the instructions on the bottle.
plant disease; Thrips:
By feeding on the sap of the plant, this insect weakens it and makes it viral. According to the instructions, I am using poisons such as Ethion and Ebron to get rid of it.
The lack of plant nutrients causes the disease of houseplants
Plants, like animals and humans, need mineral elements to grow as well as possible and maintain their apparent health. These elements are more or less naturally supplied to garden and agricultural plants. Still, in the continuous cultivation of agricultural land or growing plants, the pot should meet the plant’s needs through chemical or natural fertilizers.
The lack of any of these elements affects the appearance of the plant and will cause problems in the process of growth and development and the plant’s health and appearance. In the following, we introduce each of these elements.
Nitrogen (N) deficiency and disease of houseplants
Nitrogen stimulates growth and development. Nitrogen plays an essential role in the process of plant growth by affecting the process of plant photosynthesis and providing the necessary energy for various plant activities. Be sensitive to its nitrogen supply if you want a plant with fast growth and reproduction and green and full foliage. Symptoms of nitrogen deficiency first appear in older leaves and gradually appear in young leaves. As a result of Nitrogen Deficiency in plants, the size of the stem and leaves are reduced, and the color of the leaves also tends to yellow, and finally, it turns purple, purple and red.
Phosphorus (p) deficiency and its effect on indoor plants
The role of phosphorus in plants is like blood in the human body; phosphorus converts light into food and transfers the energy and materials the plant needs to its different parts. Phosphorus also increases cell division and has a direct effect on plant growth. Most plants are deficient in phosphorus.
The main symptom of phosphorus deficiency is the cessation of growth or the reduction of plant growth. In flowering and fruit-bearing plants, the smallness of fruits and flowers is a sign of phosphorus deficiency, and the leaves of plants faced with phosphorus deficiency also turn purple. And the apparent size of the plant remains small.
Potassium K deficiency and diseases of houseplants
By strengthening the plant, potassium makes it resistant to diseases and pests and reduces the possibility of its destruction due to frost.
The roots of plants suffering from potassium deficiency become soft and rotten; the leaves fall apart from the stem, and irregularly, yellowness is observed at the edges of the leaves. This yellowness turns brown after some time.
MG magnesium and its effect on plants
The lack of magnesium in the plant shows itself with various symptoms, which leads to the destruction of the plant if not treated; small green spots appear on the leaves of plants that are suffering from magnesium deficiency, these spots increase over time and in The surface of the leaf moves towards the veins of the leaves, and eventually, the whole leaf turns yellow and causes its destruction. Magnesium deficiency also results in plant growth stopping.
The effect of sulfur (S) on the disease of houseplants
Identifying the lack of sulfur in plants is a bit difficult, except in cases where it is severe, the reduction of plant growth if it is accompanied by the pale color of the leaves of all parts of the plant is the cause of sulfur deficiency.
The reason for the pale color, which is often questioned by the owners of indoor plants, and the formation of red and purple pigments on the plant are also symptoms of the lack of this element.
Does calcium (Ca) have an effect on the disease of houseplants?
Calcium deficiency shows itself mostly in the roots, if your plant has a problem in the root part, check its calcium level, also you can see the signs of calcium deficiency in the stem and young leaves that are growing fast. Older ones show less signs of deficiency of this element, the bending of the leaves upwards or downwards, thin and elongated leaves and reduction of side branches are signs of the deficiency of the said element.
If this element is not enriched, the fruits become tasteless, the blossoms start to turn black and fall from the end, and the yield of the plant, both flowers and fruits, decreases in terms of quantity and quality.
Summary of pests and diseases of houseplants
A little study in the world of plants can inform you about the many needs of plants and their keeping conditions and let you know the consequences of plant nutritional deficiency in mineral elements.
You can also recognize the symptoms of the disease and, in case of early symptoms, take action to deal with them and reduce the risks of its spread and development. In this article, we introduced the common problems and pests that your plants face in a relatively complete and conversational way. We want to complete your information to some extent, although the science of herbal medicine is a vast world that cannot be described in its entirety in this category. And finally, remember that prevention is always better than cure to have healthy plants.
In this article, you got acquainted with houseplant pests and their treatment; what problem or disease of houseplants are you dealing with? Be sure to write your question or personal experience in the comment section.