Ficus can be classified as undemanding houseplants. It grows well in housing conditions and basic requirements for the care of them does not differ radically from the requirements for the content of other plant species.
But despite the simplicity to the environment, ficus, as well as other indoor plants, is subject to various diseases. And mostly ficus diseases associated with such obvious reasons as a lack of prevention, contamination of other plants, neighbors and non-compliance with conditions.
How to prevent disease ficus
At sufficiently competent care rubber plants will feel comfortable and will delight you with their good health. But, unfortunately, or pick up an infection can become infected with pests from other plants when transplanting into the new soil, or when outdoors. So the first thing you must always observe preventive measures:
For the "rookie" certainly contents in the week quarantine. Ideal - isolated from other plants room. If at the end of the quarantine, you will not find any signs of diseases, Ficus can be placed among the other colors.
Daily inspection of ficus for signs of disease and pests.
Monthly wiping the leaves with soap solution. This procedure is required to carry out after a long stay at the ficus balcony or in the garden.
Regular cleaning trays and pots; disinfection of the soil with the help of a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Compliance with the required distance between plants: Do not put pots of flowers are very close to each other. The excessive narrowness easily transmitted communicable diseases and pests.
The main task of the florist for the favorable development of ficus is to create optimal conditions. Illiterate content colors contributes to frequent attack by pests, fungal and viral infections.
Causes of Disease
Diseases of the ficus can be associated with adverse conditions of his detention:
Improper lighting and temperature of the room, which contains a ficus;
Lack of humidity;
Inadequate watering plants: a lack or overabundance of moisture;
Weak mineralization of overfeeding or fertilizers;
Unbalanced soil composition.
It should be noted that the most common complaint associated with fading, yellowing or leaf fall, and prudent first thing to change the existing conditions: to increase or, conversely, reduce watering, to change the location of the ficus with a shade on the sunny side or, alternatively, remove away from sunlight, to transplant the plant into a new stage, and the like.
Leaf Diseases
Let's find out what diseases are the leaves of this plant.
Yellow leaves
A common cause of yellowing leaves from the fig is the dry air in the room. Especially often it happens in the winter plants near heating batteries. The hot air dries the leaves, they gradually turn yellow, wither and fall off. With the loss of a large number of ficus leaves may die. What to do? The best way to solve the problem - move the flower to another, more suitable place for him, and install a humidifier. If this is not possible, cover the battery with a thick blanket and spray the plants often.
Another cause of yellowing leaves may be the stress associated with frequent movement of ficus from place to place. Try to immediately determine the favorable location of your flower, taking into account your convenience and to further not bother him all sorts of permutations.
Grinding or leaf fall
Use this as a crushing new leaves yellowing and falling off the old, indicates a lack of nutrients. What to do? Transplant into a new balanced soil. Transplanting flower in the new pot, you need to prepare the correct substrate. Its members must include in equal parts of peat, sand and ground sheet. After the transplant, the soil should be moderately Ficus watered.
The appearance of yellow spots and yellowing edges of the leaves, their lifeless appearance and falling off is likely to be associated with excess moisture in the soil. The main rule of watering the ficus -day ground to dry before the next humidification. The overabundance of moisture will lead to rotting of the root system and the further destruction of the plants. If, however, the ground was flooded, it is necessary to wait for the complete drying of the soil. And in the case of a sharp leaf fall transplant flower in dry soil, removing rotting roots.
Unfortunately, the meager watering plants can have negative consequences - dry and shriveled leaves. In this case, not only the leaves, but the roots of ficus Sears that, accordingly, can also cause the death of the flower.
The appearance on the tips and edges of leaves brown spots due to the high temperature of the contents of the room, the lack of humidity or frequent fertilizing fertilizers.
Leaf fall at the bottom of the barrel
In most cases, the ficus tree form abscission of lower leaves is natural character associated with aging. However, the barrel thus should not denude. This feature shows the need ficus transplant, or perhaps that the change was made in an unbalanced substrate, or require additional fertilization.
Leaf death
Severe disease is associated with more serious problems: infection and damage by pests. In such a situation can not do without insecticides. For proper diagnosis of the disease is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of the leaves and stem.
Pests Ficus
Scale insects
Symptom: the appearance of brown spots convex, mostly on the inner side of the sheet along the veins, but it is possible and the appearance on the stem and the leaf surface. Quadraspidiotus perniciosus suck juices from the plant, leaving a sticky coating, which in turn leads to the appearance of black fungus.
Control measures first need to manually clean the leaves with soap solution. Then, three times for two to three weeks to process the plant composition aktellik.
Mealybugs
It looks like a piece of cotton wool inside which settles pest brown, sucking sap from the leaves, thus delaying the growth of plants. Easily and quickly transferred from one flower to the wind and drafts. Most often it settles in the leaf axils.
Control: mechanical cleaning leaves from mealybugs and "wool" three times spraying with soapy water or a solution of tobacco through each week. In severe cases, the processing plant konfidor in two stages with an interval of ten days.
Spider mite: yellow and red
Favorable conditions for the appearance of spider mite - dry and warm air. Mite damage the surface of the plant, biting into the tender leaves and sucking at the same juice. He leaves behind a gray-brown spots. Propagated by this pest quickly. Large colonies form a web on a flower, the leaves wither and fall off.
Control measures include an increase in humidity, frequent spraying the leaves, periodic showers of flower and processing soap. For the treatment of the plants can also be covered with polyethylene plant for three or four days, and then sprinkle powdered sulfur or garlic extract. If necessary treatment should be quick to use any insecticide.
Thrips
Settled in small groups along the veins on the inside of the leaves. It leaves a dark brown spots. Actively contribute to the reproduction of thrips, a high temperature and high humidity. At the leaves appear uneven yellow-white color, and then they dry up and fall off. In addition, this insect pest to spread the virus.
Control measures ficus repeated spraying with a solution of pyrethrum or drugs Akhtar, Aktillik, Tanrek et al. Repeated procedures is extremely important, because insecticides are effective only at a certain stage of development of thrips.
Aphids
Aphids dangerous not only nuisances and activity in spring and summer, but also very rapid contamination of other plants by its ability to fly. Basically it is going in groups on the underside of leaves. The affected leaves turn yellow and curl.
Control measures: wash the leaves with soapy water or a diluted Pyrethrum.
Nematodes
A sure sign is the appearance of nematodes on the roots of beads, nodular growths with pea. Toxic release of filamentous microscopic worms through the root system penetrate the stem and leaves, discoloring them and ficus gradually wasting away. Dangerous disease that at the initial stage of infection is impossible to notice any changes in the development of ficus. Such a plant can not be used for vegetative propagation. If you only cut perfectly healthy and grow a new leaf ficus.
Fortunately, nearly all pests can somehow destroyed by insecticidal agents. It is much harder to heal from serious infectious plant and fungal diseases. In most cases, detect signs of disease at an early stage is not always possible, and in advanced cases, treatment is already useless. Yet there is always a chance to save their favorite flower.
Fungal infections
Gray mold
Outwardly manifested in the form of gray mold covering leaves and stem ficus. If the sheet is a little shake, it is easy to take off, forming a cloud of dust hovering. Affected leaves darken and die. The consequence of the appearance of this fungus is moist and warm air.
Control measures resolutely remove all the affected parts of ficus. Most ventilate the room, reduce the frequency and amount of watering. Be sure to give the soil to dry out during the day.
Sooty fungus
An enabling environment for the formation of sooty fungus - a sticky discharge pest: scale insects, aphids, etc. It looks like a blue-black film on the leaves.
Powdery mildew, on the contrary, has a distinctive white coloring and are easily erased.
Control: treatment plant with a sponge dampened with soapy water. If the affected area is large, it is necessary to remove all infected leaves, and carry out spraying the leaves and roots funkitsida solution.
Fungi on leaves
Cercospora - black spots of small dimensions. In severe cases, the leaves turn yellow and die.
Anthracnose - rust stains, burn areas on the edges of the leaves, turning into ulcer condition. The consequences are identical - leaf dies.
Botrytis - stains yellow-brown in color, grows in size. Characterized visible black-and-brown areola.
Methods of struggle: to remove all the affected parts of the plant and treat with fungicide.
Root rot
The consequence of the appearance of this fungus is a constant soil moisture. Ficus gradually fade, getting a grayish appearance. In the stems and roots manifested pockets of decay.
Control measures do not exist, the plant must be discarded along with the pot. This infection may be long in the standby state in the soil.
The causes of diseases of indoor ficus can be not only fungi and bacteria. Deep watering can, for example, such a popular cause trouble as hydrocephalus. Outwardly manifested as stoppers on the inner side of the sheet. To cure such a list can not be.
Control measures do not exist, to remove all infected leaves.
How diverse disease figs, so primitive as their causes. Compliance with the elementary rules of care, prevention and a regular love indoor plants - these are the main conditions for a successful and beneficial content of your ficus.
