Healthy Dieffenbachia attracts attention with its beautiful and rich foliage color. However, this exotic plant suffers from various fungal and viral diseases. From our article you will learn which Dieffenbachia diseases are most common.
Dieffenbachia, which belongs to tropical ornamental crops, is often subject to fungal diseases. The main reasons are high humidity and high indoor air temperature, as well as excessive watering. If you notice that Dieffenbachia has stopped growing and developing, has begun to wither, turn yellow, bend to the ground or dry out, reconsider the growing conditions and care features indoor flower.
Anthracnose
Spores of the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides lead to the development of anthracnose. First, small spots appear on the leaves, which gradually grow and cover the entire surface of the leaf plate. The leaves begin to curl inward or, conversely, unwind outward. The cuttings die, causing the leaves to fall off.
When answering the question of what to do if the leaves of Dieffenbachia turn yellow, it is recommended first of all to reconsider the conditions in which the ornamental crop grows.
Leaves may curl or open incorrectly as a result of inappropriate humidity and high air temperatures. Systemic preparations with fungicidal action will help effectively cope with anthracnose, in particular we are talking about “Vitaros” and “Fundazol”.
and fade. In this case, the damaged areas are covered with pinkish mycelium of the fungus. In order to prevent fusarium, you can use Glyokladin and Trichodermin, but if there is an abundance
Leaf spot
The disease develops rapidly, the spots increase in size and cover an increasingly larger area of the leaf plate. To cope with leaf spot, you need to maintain optimal indoor conditions. temperature regime and appropriate air humidity. At the first symptoms, it is recommended to treat indoor flowers with Fundazol or Vitaros.
Root rot
Pathogens of root rot are Pythium and Phytophthora fungi. Identify the disease initial stage almost impossible, since fungal infection pathogens infect the root and root collar of Dieffenbachia. Brown spots covered with pale gray mycelium form in the lower part of the trunk. As a result of rotting, the trunk gradually breaks and the flower begins to fall off.
The main causes of root rot include: contaminated soil, lack of a drainage system, excess moisture in the soil, high air temperature, poor room ventilation, lack of lighting, improper application of fertilizers, etc. Many novice gardeners are interested in how to effectively deal with root rot. In addition to following the Dieffenbachia growing technique, it is recommended to partially replace the substrate and feed the flower potash fertilizers and treat with a systemic fungicide. IN in this case“Profit Gold”, “Previkur” or “Ridomil Gold” are suitable.
Bacteriosis
Sometimes Dieffenbachia suffers from bacteriosis, which manifests itself in the form of watery spots with clear boundaries of a gray or brown tint. In this case, not only the aboveground, but also the underground part of the plant trunk suffers. Over time, gray-brown watery spots begin to appear on the leaves.
The causative agents of bacteriosis are stored in fragments of previously infected plants, and are also transmitted through mechanical damage to indoor flowers.
Unfortunately, bacteriosis is a bacterial disease that is almost impossible to cope with. If a houseplant is infected by the causative agents of this disease, it is necessary to treat the flower with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture, after first removing the damaged leaves and branches. Follow agricultural practices and always work with clean tools.
Video “Dieffenbachia and pests”
In this video you will hear useful tips Dieffenbachia care.
Viral diseases
To answer the question of why Dieffenbachia leaves turn yellow, one should not exclude the possibility of a viral disease. Even with properly organized care, tropical ornamental crops often suffer from bronzing of leaves and viral mosaic.
Bronzing of leaves
On the leaves of Dieffenbachia affected by the pathogens of this infection, small ring-shaped spots, yellow arcs and concentric circles appear, which begin to rapidly grow in size. The leaf blade gradually withers, signs of unilateral necrosis are observed on the stems, and growth processes slow down. If emergency rescue measures are not taken home flower, then the plant will soon die. Bronzing of leaves is carried by harmful insects, especially thrips.
Viral mosaic
The Dasheen mosaic virus is the cause of the disease called viral mosaic in exotic Dieffenbachia. The main symptoms of this disease include the suspension of growth processes and the presence of mosaic spots on the surface of the leaves. The pathogen of the disease is transmitted by cuttings or insect pests (in particular, aphids), and also persists in previously infected indoor plants.
And now we’ll find out how to deal with viral infections, due to which Dieffenbachia can turn yellow, wither, shed leaves and rot. In the fight against viruses that quickly infect the stems and leaves of indoor plants, you need to act urgently. Modern insecticidal preparations will come to the rescue, among which Aktara and Fitoverm are very popular among gardeners.
Prevention
Many novice gardeners are often interested in why the lower leaves of Dieffenbachia turn yellow, curl and fall off. As experts note, proper care helps prevent diseases of indoor plants and effectively protects against attacks by insect pests.
The main conditions for growing Dieffenbachia include:
- maintaining optimal temperature conditions depending on the time of year and humidity level (+15…+20 °C);
- regular watering and daily spraying of the above-ground parts of the plant with settled water;
- During the period of active growth, feeding is required mineral fertilizers in liquid form (1 time every 10 days).
If you follow simple rules for caring for indoor flowers, you can grow a luxurious and healthy plant.
Dieffenbachia - popular indoor plant With large leaves, which not only looks very beautiful in the interior, but also has the ability to purify the air well. In addition, the flower is quite unpretentious, grows quickly and does not require complex care, which is why many flora lovers prefer to breed it. But sometimes you can notice that the leaves of Dieffenbachia turn yellow. To understand why this happens, you need to find out the cause of the problem and then try to eliminate it.
Description of Dieffenbachia and care for it
The plant belongs to the herbaceous perennials of the Araceae family and is an evergreen subshrub with large and bright foliage. IN wildlife the flower prefers to grow in tropical climates, since its homeland is South and North America. Today this planting can often be seen in the houses and apartments of many residents of our country.
Appearance and varieties
It should be borne in mind that changes in the appearance of a tropical bush due to illiterate care will not be immediately noticeable. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly inspect the flower to ensure its good health. Otherwise, the negative influence of unfavorable conditions may weaken it, as a result of which the plant may become diseased or become a source of food for harmful insects.
There is another cause of Dieffenbachia that should not cause concern - the end of their life. The process usually begins in the second year after planting and continues every season, with the onset of autumn. It differs from pathological manifestations in that at a certain time a small part of the foliage turns yellow and falls off, and in its place new leaves appear in the near future.
Healthy Dieffenbachia is characterized by vigorous growth and bright leaves of appropriate size and color for the variety. If a plant loses its attractiveness and begins to get sick, this is most often due to errors in care, violations of temperature or water conditions. Let's take a closer look at why Dieffenbachia gets sick and what measures need to be taken to prevent damage to the flower by pests and diseases.
Pests of Dieffenbachia
Despite the fact that the plants are poisonous, they are often attacked by pests.
The most common:
Spider mite, a sign of damage to which is the presence of cobwebs in the internodes of the trunks, sluggish and falling leaves.
Thrips, small (1-2 mm) bugs that suck the juices from the plant, which leads to stunted growth, curling and drying of the leaves.
Aphids, numerous colonies of which not only weaken plants by sucking out intercellular fluid, but are also carriers of various diseases.
Appearance spider mites, thrips and aphids on Dieffenbachia are especially favored by dry indoor air (relative humidity below 60%).
Scale insects and false scale insects, which suck the juice from leaves and stems, leaving a characteristic discharge, brown plaques that are difficult to remove. The leaves become discolored, dry out and fall off.
Mealybugs, insects 3-6 mm in size, attack leaves, stems and flowers, which are covered with a white mealy coating. The leaves become deformed and dry out, which can lead to the death of the entire plant.
Measures to combat all of the listed Dieffenbachia pests are similar; they consist of their mechanical removal using a sponge and soap solution, followed by rinsing under running warm water, and treatment, if necessary, with insecticidal preparations, actellik or karbofos, at a concentration of 15 drops per liter of water.
Dieffenbachia diseases
Most Dieffenbachia diseases belong to the fungal group, the most common of which are:
and fade. In this case, the damaged areas are covered with pinkish mycelium of the fungus. In order to prevent fusarium, you can use Glyokladin and Trichodermin, but if there is an abundance, causing the appearance along the edges of leaves, primarily the lower ones, of small brown spots with an orange border, gradually covering the surface of the entire leaf plate. The disease is transmitted through plant debris and water.
Anthracnose, in which fairly large spots appear on the edges of the leaf plates, gradually spreading over the entire surface and causing drying and death of the leaf. It is also transmitted through infected plant parts.
Both diseases are provoked by high temperature and humidity, waterlogged soil; as control measures, it is recommended to optimize the temperature regime and watering, as well as treat the affected specimens with a systemic fungicide, for example, foundationazol or vitaros.
Leaves may curl or open incorrectly as a result of inappropriate humidity and high air temperatures. Systemic preparations with fungicidal action will help effectively cope with anthracnose, in particular we are talking about “Vitaros” and “Fundazol”., affects the root collar and root of the flower, where dark depressed spots of an elongated shape are formed. Infected Dieffenbachia turns yellow and wilts. In damaged areas you can see light pink mycelium of the fungus. The causative agent of the disease persists in the soil for a long time and spreads when it touches diseased and healthy plant roots. The disease is promoted by overdrying and lack of potassium.
To prevent fusarium, it is recommended to use high-quality soil, healthy planting material, treated for disinfection with a biological fungicide (for example, hyocladine). When signs of disease appear, spray with a systemic fungicide.
Root rot, manifested in the form of dark depressed areas on the neck and roots, gradually capturing the entire tissue and causing decay, and subsequently lodging and death of the plant. The affected parts are covered with light gray mycelium. The disease is transmitted through the soil; it is facilitated by an excess of fertilizers and moisture in the soil, lack of ventilation, and high temperature. If there are signs of damage, limit watering, replace the substrate and treat with a systemic fungicide.
Among bacterial diseases, we note Dieffenbachia bacteriosis, in which watery areas with sharply defined boundaries appear on the trunks and leaves. Later they acquire a brown or brown color. The disease spreads through infected plant remains due to mechanical damage, for example, during cuttings. Flowers kept at elevated temperatures and humidity, with an increased amount of fertilizer in the soil, are more severely affected. Diseased specimens are destroyed.
Viral diseases include:
Bronzing of Dieffenbachia, manifested in the appearance of yellow circles, rings and arcs on the surfaces, the affected leaves wither and remain hanging on the trunks, often on one infected side.
Viral mosaic, which is characterized by mosaic leaf spotting.
Dieffenbachia affected by these diseases does not grow, stops developing, cannot be treated and must be destroyed to prevent the spread of the virus. The pathogen is carried by insects, thrips (bronzing) or aphids (mosaic). A preventive measure is treatment with insecticides.
Other problems encountered when growing Dieffenbachia
In addition to the pests and diseases listed above, Dieffenbachia may suffer from improper care and unsuitable living conditions. Let's look at some questions that often arise among amateur flower growers.
Why does Dieffenbachia turn yellow? Most often, the reason for this behavior is low air temperature in winter or drafts, as well as a lack of nutrients and watering with hard water. Yellowing of the lower leaves with intensive growth of the top usually signals that the flower needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. Dieffenbachia leaves also turn yellow when affected by root rot.
Why do Dieffenbachia leaves curl? This usually occurs when attacked by pests, also when watering cold water, drafts and low temperatures.
Why does the stem become soft and rot? The reason is waterlogging combined with low air temperatures. If the decay is small, you can try to remove it by covering the cut with activated or charcoal, if it is large, cut the flower and root the top.
Why does Dieffenbachia dry out? If old leaves dry out, then this is a natural process; if the decorative effect is lost and the stem is exposed, the Dieffenbachia is rejuvenated by cutting off and rooting the top. If young leaves dry out, the cause may be dry soil, cold air, or drafts.
Why do the edges of leaves turn brown? This is most likely caused by drying out soil or low temperatures in winter.
Why do the leaves become discolored? The reason is too bright lighting or direct sunlight on the plant.
Why does Dieffenbachia cry? This occurs from excessive watering; the flower protects itself from excess moisture in the soil. The same behavior is typical of Dieffenbachia before rain. As a resident of tropical forests, the plant prepares in advance for excess water and opens channels to get rid of it.
This plant is unpretentious in care. The main thing is to recreate conditions close to natural ones - bright lighting, humidity and warmth. Air humidity is at least 60%, temperature is 20-25 degrees, in winter - not lower than 17. The lighting is bright and diffused.
Why does Dieffenbachia turn yellow?
Let's consider the main reasons for the change in color of Dieffenbachia leaves.
Excessive watering. This often causes rotting of the root system. Consequently, the plant’s nutrition is disrupted, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Bright sunlight. Direct sunlight causes burns to tender leaves. Be sure to take care of shading.
Dry air. Low indoor humidity (especially in winter) causes the plant to turn yellow.
Drafts. The plant needs fresh air, but it does not tolerate drafts and cold winds.
Low air temperature. Dieffenbachia does not tolerate cold; the leaves begin to turn yellow at low temperatures, and then completely fall off.
High water hardness. The bush should be watered with boiled or soft purified water.
Lack of space. Sometimes root system It grows so much that there is no dough in the pot, because of this the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow. There is only one way out - urgently replant the plant in a larger container.
So, if you notice that the leaves of Dieffenbachia have begun to turn yellow, then pay attention to the conditions under which the plant is kept and adjust its care.
If the leaves of a houseplant Dieffenbachia turn yellow, this is a reason to wonder whether you are caring for the plant correctly. Dieffenbachia is one of the most common and at the same time easy-to-care indoor flowers. In nature, it is a subshrub growing in tropical forests, capable of taking root from a stem creeping along the ground. Therefore, the stem of Dieffenbachia may become bare over time, the lower leaves and stems will wither and fall.
But not all reasons for yellowing of plant leaves can be attributed to natural processes. Let's figure out what exactly could be causing this behavior in your green pet.
The main reasons for both yellowing of leaves and other problems with the plant may be the following:
- 1 Insufficient lighting. Problems with leaves often indicate insufficient lighting in the room. If you live in an apartment whose windows face the northern side of the world, or constantly keep the curtains or blinds closed, then the Dieffenbachia may not have enough sunlight.
- 2 Insufficient and infrequent watering. Even seemingly moist soil may not indicate sufficient watering of the plant, which leads to its deterioration. appearance. At the same time, excessive watering is harmful to plants, as it leads to rotting of their root systems.
- 3 Dry air. A rare indoor plant loves dry air, and therefore it should be periodically sprayed or used with a humidifier.
- 4 Low temperature. Dieffenbachia is a tropical plant, and therefore loves warmth and light. If the temperature drops below comfortable, its leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out at the tips, and it may even begin to shed them.
- 5 Excess fertilizer. Everything is good that is good in moderation, and if there is a lot of water for this heat-loving and moisture-loving tropical plant- well, then excessive feeding may already be the reason why the leaves of Dieffenbachia turn yellow.
- 6 Unsuitable soil. The plant may simply not like a certain soil mixture. It is worth trying another, more universal, or, conversely, mixture more suitable for decorative foliage plants.
- 7 Mistakes during transplantation. You can often find advice from gardeners such as soaking the roots in a solution of potassium permanganate. They do this in order to disinfect the roots from possible pests and move the plant to another place, guaranteed to be healthy. But you can overdo it a little with the solution; as a result, the roots will get burned. As a result, the foliage on the plant also turns yellow and withers. There is nothing that can be done here; you need to wait until Dieffenbachia recovers on its own.
Problem solving and proper plant care
If there is not enough light for Dieffenbachia, then it is better not to keep the plant in the back of the room; move it closer to the window or take it to a room where there will be better lighting. Sometimes, due to the fact that light constantly falls on one side of the flower, while the other is always dark, the leaves may grow asymmetrically. In order to prevent this from happening, the pot needs to be rotated occasionally so that the leaves are on all sides. sufficient quantity Sveta.
If the room in which the plant is located is well lit, and the plant is too close to the window, its leaves may not be dried, but burnt. Such leaves cannot be restored; you must carefully get rid of them. If the plant is significantly damaged, you will have to undertake a procedure such as plant rejuvenation. If you have ever propagated a plant by cuttings, then the following manipulations will be familiar to you. Remove the old burnt leaves, cut the remaining trunk into cuttings of 20 cm each, then place them in water for rooting. It will take no more than 3 weeks, during which time the water will need to be periodically changed to fresh. After the cutting has taken root, it can be planted in a pot, and 2 or 3 cuttings can be planted in one pot at once. Dieffenbachia will grow quickly, and therefore you will not lose your favorite plant for a long time.
If everything is in order with the lighting, but the leaves still turn yellow, their tips dry out, and general form in Dieffenbachia can be regarded as painful, then you should literally dig deep into the problem, to the roots. It can be difficult for a novice gardener to understand when a flower needs water, and this leads to a common mistake - unregulated watering of the plant. Both insufficient and excessive watering can be the reason why Dieffenbachia leaves turn yellow. In both cases, you will get into trouble; it will be either a rotten root system from overwatering, or a dried out root system from underwatering. What to do in such a situation?
First aid is removing dead roots and rooting. If the leaves are alive but limp, they can be wiped with a cloth soaked in foliar fertilizer. If the leaves are completely dead, the flower should be rejuvenated using the method described just above. After the plant has been saved, the watering system should be adjusted to prevent a similar mistake from happening again. To monitor the condition of the soil, use a thin wooden stick. If a stick inserted deep into the pot and immediately removed is dirty and wet, it is too early to water. If the wet soil does not stick to it, then it is time to water the plant.
An incorrectly selected soil mixture can also cause problems. The flower will do best in a special soil mixture. All the necessary fertilizers have already been added to the special soil, and at first the plant will not need additional substances. Once the time comes to feed the plants, here, as in the situation with watering, it is important not to overdo it. Excess fertilizer will negatively affect the condition of the plant as a whole. Remember that Dieffenbachia does not need additional substances either in autumn or winter.
Natural processes
Dieffenbachia leaves can turn yellow and fall off on their own. This process is completely normal and should not be interfered with, nor is it necessary. Bareness of the trunk and falling of the lower leaves is common for Dieffenbachia.
Another question is how to return the plant to a presentable appearance. If the plant is too elongated, then you can simply cut off its trunk at a level of 10 cm above the ground. The cut off part can be rooted, and fresh young shoots will soon begin to grow from the part left in the pot.
The rooted tip will give you another copy of the green pet, and experienced gardeners believe that it is from such cuttings that healthy and beautiful specimens Dieffenbachia.
What can you do with naturally yellowed leaves and dried tips? The tips must be trimmed, and the leaves should not be touched. They will only need to be removed if they completely turn yellow and wither.
Fungal diseases and pests
The sickly appearance of a plant does not always indicate improper care for it. The reason may lie in diseases and pests. So, numerous spots on the leaves indicate a fungal disease. You can get rid of it using any fungicide for indoor flowers. But it is very advisable to carry out the treatment outside the home; if this is not possible, then use preparations of biological origin.
Thanks to its large and succulent decorative leaves, Dieffenbachia looks very beautiful in the house, especially if it grows in a large pot. But we should not forget that this plant is poisonous, and therefore work with it should be done with gloves. Dieffenbachia is easy to care for, grows quickly and is a wonderful decoration for any room.