Pests and diseases of petunias

One of the finest relatives of potatoes and tomatoes is petunia. This wonderful plant, unfortunately, is not grown at home, but it pleases us with its flowering in flowerbeds and in balcony pots. With proper care, this small bush blooms profusely. There are times when all the efforts of the gardener are not enough, and the plant begins to hurt. We will tell you exactly what diseases of petunia are most often found, as well as how to deal with them. Let's talk about pests that interfere with the healthy growth of these wonderful flowers.

Petunia diseases at the seedling growing stage

Yes, at such a young age, a plant can already get basal rot or the so-called "black night". This happens due to a fairly dense sowing of petunia seeds, excessive watering and improperly selected soil. The causative agent of this disease is a special fungus. Fight the first manifestations of the ailment immediately. For this:

1. Remove the diseased plant along with part of the land adjacent to it.
2. Treat all healthy bushes with special anti-root rot products.
3. Set up watering. Provide the plant with the proper amount of moisture and avoid stagnation of water.

Also, with sudden temperature jumps and humidity drops, powdery mildew can hit the petunia . It is very simple to identify this disease: leaves and flowers are covered with a white coating. In case of detection of diseased plants, they must be removed immediately. Process all other bushes with sulfur.

What to do to avoid the fungal disease of petunia?

Of course, to prevent damage to plants by the fungus is much easier than to cure. If you follow the following rules, your seedlings will avoid these ailments:

1. Choose light ground for seedlings.
2. Prepared soil must be steamed.
3. In no case do not sow seeds densely.
4. Observe temperature conditions.
5. Ensure optimum moisture saturation.
6. Avoid too much fertilizer containing nitrogen.

"Adult" diseases and pests of petunia

If you managed to avoid illnesses when growing seedlings, control of the plant should not be loosened. This is fraught with the appearance of yellow shoots or pests. Yellowed leaves are a sure sign of the presence of petunia disease. There are many reasons for this trouble. For instance:

• Violation of temperature conditions.
• Pest damage.
• Violation of the irrigation regime.
• Lack of iron.

Almost all the reasons are quite simple to eliminate. It is necessary to stabilize the temperature, water and fertilize. Harder with pests.

If you find it difficult to determine the ailment of your plants, you can always refer to the directories. There you will find petunia diseases, photos for each specific case.