Each house has its own unique atmosphere, which is created using different decorative techniques. An important detail of comfort are indoor plants. One of the most common and beloved colors are violets. Proper care of them will ensure their long flowering and excellent growth.
Unfortunately, various diseases can significantly damage the plant or lead to its death. Therefore, it is important to study the possible damage, their prevention and treatment.
Consider the most common diseases of violets with photos and their treatment in various ways.
Powdery mildew
This is a fungal lesion of the leaves, manifested in the form of a white coating, similar to flour. The cause of this disease can be heavy watering and a significant decrease in air temperature in the room. Also, spores of the fungus often fall into the flower through the renewed soil during transplantation. The most vulnerable to this disease are young and mature plants.
Leaf bronze
This disease is viral. When it occurs, the leaves of violets are affected. A photograph of the disease is presented below. Bronze is characterized by a violation of color, the appearance of brown-yellow spots, a change in the shape of the leaf. The virus not only spoils the appearance of the flower, but also destroys the plant tissue, its development as a whole.
Fusarium
One of the most dangerous diseases of violets is infectious fusariosis. Infection occurs in the absence of top dressing, low air temperature, cold watering, weakness of the plant after the flowering period ends. The infection develops very quickly and is able to quickly destroy the violet. It manifests itself in the form of decay of the roots, and then the leaves, which turn black and die. A plant infected with fusarium can become a source of infection for other flowers.
Late blight
Another fungal disease common among many plants. It is expressed in the appearance of brown spots on the leaves, developing until completely dry and dying. In this case, the roots are dark in color and are easily detached from the rest of the plant. Spores of this fungus may be in the soil. They are activated with insufficient consecration and high humidity.
Putrefactive lesions
The disease can affect the leaves, stems and roots of the plant. Signs are brown or gray mold. Infection occurs through the soil, into which the remains of an infected plant or spores of putrefactive fungus can enter. Also, the disease can develop in case of excessive watering, stagnation of water in the pot, which contribute to the development of the fungus. With putrefactive infection, the roots of the violets become soft, the leaves lose their color and elasticity.
Pests
Violets can be attacked by various insects, which not only damage the flower, but also transmit many diseases.
One of the most dangerous pests is ticks. There are many species of this insect, each of which causes damage to violets. The most common are cyclamen and red arachnoid species.
Often the presence of the tick and their egg laying can be seen with the naked eye. The main indicators of violet disease are also the presence of small dark injections in places of pest bites, stopping flower growth, changing the color and shape of leaves, increasing the number of villi, increased fragility of the stem, dropping buds and stopping flowering.
Another dangerous pest for violets is aphid. Insects live in buds and on the inside of the leaf. Pest infection is common in the warm season. They can also be brought into the house when airing, on outerwear or with a new flower. Aphids reproduce very quickly and pass from one flower to another. She eats the juice of the plant, which can lead to death. Photos of violets and their diseases are presented in our article. In the image below - aphids and her eggs.
Among other common pests of violets, scyarides cause great damage. These small black flies infect the plant in large numbers. Like aphids, they feed on leaf juice. Scyarides spoil the roots of the flower, laying larvae in the soil.
Disease treatment
To protect the flower from damage and prevent its death, it is important to know how to treat diseases of violets.
For any damage to the plant, immediately isolate the diseased flower from others in order to avoid the spread of infection. It is also necessary to remove all affected areas of leaves, stems and roots, reduce watering to a minimum.
While maintaining the root system, it is better to transplant the plant into disinfected soil. If the roots are badly damaged, a healthy leaf of violet should be separated for further breeding.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to save the affected violets, because viral and fungal infections spread very quickly. Nevertheless, a large number of drugs have been developed that defeat the infection in the initial stages of the disease.
Fungal infections, such as powdery mildew, late blight, fusarium, rot, are exposed to antibiotic therapy. The most famous antifungal preparations for plants are Fitosporin, Bayleton and others. They are not only able to rid the violet of diseases, but also prevent their appearance. Such funds can be used for preventive purposes.
To combat insects that settled on plants, it is also necessary to get rid of the affected areas, transplant the violet. Such drugs as Inta-Vir, Agravertin will help. To treat the leaves, you can use a soap or soda solution.
There are many popular ways in the fight against flower diseases, which are used as an additional treatment. One of the most common is watering violets with a solution of manganese. This method saves the plant from pests, prevents the development of infections and is an excellent top dressing.
In the fight against powdery mildew and rot, you can sprinkle the plant with sulfur, water it with infusion of onion husks.
Violet diseases are often caused by improper care and negative external influences. To avoid their appearance, do not forget about the rules for growing these flowers.
Disease prevention
To prevent possible diseases of violets, it is important to follow the recommendations for caring for them:
- The correct transplant. It is necessary to provide the flower with useful substances. Without a timely transplant, the soil stops passing air, which can cause disease. It should be slightly moistened, contain an admixture of sand and peat. A transplant should be done at least once a year, preferably during a period of lack of flowering. The most suitable time of the year is spring. However, if the soil is infected or pests appear, the transplantation must be carried out immediately. To prevent disease, you must first freeze the earth for several days. The pot must be sanitized before transplanting. If there was previously a plant affected by the disease in it, it is better not to use it.
- Timely watering. The frequency of this procedure depends on the conditions of the room in which the flower is located. Do not allow the complete drying of the soil. Excess moisture is also not good. This can lead to diseases of violets, the treatment of which will take a long time. Water on the leaves can cause stains. Watering can be done by pouring water into the pan. With direct wetting, make sure that the external roots remain dry. To treat leaves from pests or dust, you can spray them with special nozzles that finely spray water. It is important to let the flower dry, not placing it in direct sunlight, to avoid burns.
- Lighting access. Direct sunlight is contraindicated in violets. Leaf diseases can develop due to severe burns in the form of brown spots. Leaves may turn yellow and fall completely. Lack of consecration will result in a lack of flowering.
- Plant nutrition. Minerals contained in fertilizers provide the violet with good growth, development and flowering. It should also be moderated so that the flower does not suffer from an overabundance of vitamins. For top dressing, you can use ready-made preparations and folk remedies: onion husks, sugar, black tea, manganese solution, which additionally eliminates violets from pests.
Proper maintenance will protect the violet from diseases, ensure rapid growth and abundant flowering.