Diseases and pests of begonia

Begonia is a shrub and semi-shrub, famous for its lush flowering and bright color. The leaves of the plant are also noticeable, interesting in shape. The culture is popular among indoor plants not only due to its decorative effect, but also due to its simplicity in care. Nevertheless, certain problems with the flower can arise if the care is forgotten or the plant is placed in conditions that contradict the optimal microclimate.

About 900 plant species are today associated with the name "begonia". Once upon a time in the Antilles, the flower was seen by the famous scientist Charles Plumier. The flower owes its name to the Governor of Haiti Begon, a philanthropist and organizer of large-scale expeditions. The most popular varieties include royal begonia, red-leaved, Non-Stop, spotted, ever-flowering, etc. The care of it also depends on the type of culture.

1. All varieties known today are quite sensitive to lack of light. Even if the lighting conditions have simply changed dramatically, this can become stress for the plant, lead to its illness.
2. A good place for begonias would be a window sill with diffused lighting (northwest or southeast windows are optimal).
3. Drafts and significant temperature changes are strongly disliked by room culture. If such unfavorable conditions occurred during periods of active growth and flowering, this is a direct threat to the plant.
4. The normal temperature for the culture will be 15-18 plus degrees in winter, and in summer the figure rises to 22-26. At the same time, in warm weather, monitor the humidity level. Therefore, you can put a cup of water right next to the container with a flower. Today, you can find decorative fountains on sale, which will come in handy next to a flower pot - both aesthetically and practically.
5. In the summer, home begonia requires "walking" in the fresh air. But look at the condition of the leaves: if sunlight hits them, there is a risk of burns.
6. Water the flower sparingly. If the variety is tuberous, it is watered exclusively into the pan. Excess water is certainly drained away.
7. Before flowering, it makes sense to spray the leaves with water several times a week. Alternatively, you can wipe them with a wet cloth. But water should not get on the flower itself (they can rot).
8. Watering is carried out using thawed, settled or filtered water (it should be at room temperature).
9. In summer, watering depends on the climate, the characteristics of the weather conditions. In winter, watering is enough once a week.
10. During the period of active growth and development, be sure to feed the culture. It can be universal fertilizers, nutrient mixtures for decorative flowering plants are also suitable. The fertilization procedure is carried out twice a month.

There are several common causes of begonia death. If you leave the plant in a room where it is too cold for it, then you will face the fact that the culture will freeze. Almost always, it is not possible to reanimate the flower.

There are other possible causes of death.

• Waterlogging of the soil. From excessive watering, the roots of the plant begin to rot. It cannot receive and transport food, therefore it dies.
• Damage by nematodes. If bloating is seen on the roots, it is definitely a nematode. It's almost impossible to save culture.
• Defeat by weevils. These pests also attack the roots, they just eat them, leaving the plant no chance.

If the flower dies, it is difficult to save it: the moment was probably missed when help could make the problem reversible. If it just hurts, you have the time and opportunity to restore the flower. The plant withers, its leaves become unattractive - pay attention to this. Most likely, the flower is dying because you are placing it in the wrong place, in the kitchen area. Gas stove work, steam, excessive humidity - all this contributes to the wilting of begonia.

Powdery mildew also threatens the flower - these are whitish specks on the leaves with a characteristic dusting. In order to stop the spread of the disease, treat the culture with fungicides, otherwise the plant will die before your eyes. Black root rot is also a provocateur that begonia dies. In this situation, the growth of the begonia stops, the culture withers. The flower should be transplanted urgently.

Rotting of the flower stem is often associated with waterlogging. As already mentioned, it is not necessary for the water to fall on the flowers - spraying, rubbing is enough. Often, water is simply poured into a sump. If the flower is radically flooded, you should not be surprised that the stem is rotting.

Waterlogging of an earthen coma is also the cause of stem rot. It is not necessary to fill it with water until signs of damage appear. Diligent watering of the flower is not needed, especially in winter. It often happens that the grower watering begonia abundantly "for the company" with other plants that are more unpretentious to water.

It is not uncommon for a plant to be affected by a root-knot nematode. It can be fixed by incomprehensible protrusions and growths. These are pests, microscopic worms. Despite their size, they can quickly cause the root of the plant to rot. All parts of the flower are affected by nematodes: root, leaves, stem. They inhibit the growth of culture, provoke complete decay. It is very difficult to eliminate this attack, it is much easier to prevent it.

This is the most vulnerable (from the point of view of ailments and pests) part of the flower. And different reasons can cause their defeat.

• The leaves curl up, become lethargic and dry. This suggests that the microclimate for begonias is too dry. The plant reverently reacts to air humidity, and if its percentage is low, the leaves suffer first.
• The leaves turn yellow. Yellowing is a signal of increased watering. It is very likely that the plant is also cold. Flowering with this content also disappears and appears. For some time, the culture will have to be deprived of watering, in addition, it will be necessary to transfer it to warmth. But, of course, it is not necessary to overdry the plant - this is already the other extreme.
• The leaves are rotted away. If the flowers and buds also rot at the same time, it is most likely a matter of over-spraying.
• Leaves wither at the edges. Perhaps the problem is a sharp change in conditions: if the flower was moved to another window sill, or if it underwent a radical move. It happens that after this begonia massively sheds its leaves.
• The leaves become shiny. Glossy shine can appear due to excessive dryness of the earthy coma. At the same time, the leaves turn pale, lose their inherent elasticity. Partially the situation can be normalized by watering. New leaves will grow healthy, and the injured will also come to their senses.
• Begonia has thrown off all the leaves. There may be several reasons: the plant got water, the air in the room is unsuitable dry, or the flower is simply forgotten to water. It happens that a crop loses its leaves due to the fact that it grows in the affected soil.

The flower and pests are not sparing. They can be dealt with if they are recognized correctly.

• Greenhouse whitefly. High humidity contributes to its appearance. The pest settles on begonia leaves, it feeds on plant sap. If you notice that the leaves have faded, began to dry out, it is likely that the whitefly has already managed to profit from them. The old proven method will help to cope with it - a soap solution: 35 grams of liquid soap per 1 liter of water. Spray little by little, soapy water should not get under the roots profusely.

• The false shield is soft. The most dangerous parasite. It actually settles inside the shoot, blocks its growth, and leads to the drying of the flower. To get rid of the pest, manual cleaning of the plants is required, a soft brush helps. Garlic infusion can also be effective.

• Red spider mite. Its invasion is indicated by a thin cobweb on the stem of the flower. If the culture is already affected, the leaves acquire a marbled color, cobwebs cover them, they begin to turn yellow and slowly fall off (sometimes in large quantities). The drug "Decis" will be effective in this case. Most of all, the parasite colonizes the opposite part of the lower leaves, therefore, the inspection of the plant should not be superficial.

• Greenhouse aphid. With a mass prevalence, the pest can kill the plant in a short time. If the leaves of a flower turn yellow, twist, buds fall off, this is aphid. She can fly through the window, which was left open. Do well with it "Actellik" or "Fufanon". Remember to fight aphids without delay.

• Leaf nematode. It differs from the root knot nematode described above. Fading green spots appear on the leaves, and soon they will begin to turn brown. The solution of "Heterophos" will help eliminate the pest.

• Greenhouse thrips. This is a large insect. It discolors the leaves of the flower, makes the plant inconspicuous, and blocks growth. Insects reproduce well in high-humidity climates, as well as in the case of localization of the plant near the heater. Soap solution, infusion of tobacco and celandine remove the pest.

If you do not want to treat a flower with "chemistry", keep in mind that in floriculture there are so-called folk recipes. They are safe, environmentally friendly and have already been tested.

There are some easy ways to bring begonias to life.

• Fungus. To do this, you can prepare marigolds in advance. Dry and crushed raw materials are insisted for two days and filtered. Begonia needs to be watered as usual, but with the inclusion of vegetable infusion.

• Aphids, thrips, spider mites. You can save begonia from them with the help of potato tops. It should be kept dry or fresh in water for about 3 hours.A little crushed laundry soap should be added to this composition. Spraying with this solution occurs in the evening.

• Whiteflies, pseudothyroids. Use dandelion to revive the flower. The roots of the medicinal plant are poured with water and infused for 2 hours, then filtered. It is necessary to spray begonia with dandelion infusion immediately after the detection of the parasite.

• Gray rot. If this disease has attacked the plant, you need to mulch the soil with chopped pine needles.

If you are growing a flowering begonia, then she likes bright light more. Leafy crop species prefer diffused light. Do not forget to regularly ventilate the room (but this should be competent ventilation, without drafts).

About transplanting begonia:

• if you managed to keep the flower in a pot in the winter without loss, then in March the plant will survive the transplant well;
• remove begonia from the pot, free its roots from old soil;
• for a short time, it makes sense to place begonia roots in a weak solution of potassium permanganate - this will save the plant from fungal infections (and begonia is prone to them);
• if sick roots are noticed during the transplant, they should be cut off;
• place the flower in a new pot with a clean ready-made substrate - do not pour it all the way to the top of the pot;
• if the roots grow, you can fill up the soil (the flowerpot will allow).

The soil for the flower should be light, loose, enriched with organic inclusions. You can "conjure" yourself over the ground, you can buy it ready-made in the store. Ideal soil for begonias is a greenhouse soil for indoor crops, high peat, fertilizer.

In winter, begonia is in a state of sleep. Remember that this is the time of weakened watering, the cessation of fertilizing the soil. You cannot assign a transplant for the winter! It is very important for the flower to accumulate strength over the winter, to get ready for the spring-summer flowering.

There are little tricks to help the flower not die from excessive dryness. The plant should be placed on an inverted pallet; this structure should be placed in a large pallet. Expanded clay should be spread around the circumference, it is systematically moistened. The water begins to evaporate, which maintains the desired humidity regime.

Begonia gratefully responds to care, the flower can become the main interior decoration, natural, flawless and able to "make friends" with a variety of design trends.

For information on how to save Begonia in case of illness, see the next video.