How to save dracaena from a mealybug. Fighting diseases and pests of dracaena Getting rid of aphids

Dracaena - common indoor plant, which today is found both in apartments and in office space. However, sometimes a flower is affected by diseases and pests, and in order to get rid of them, it is necessary to take appropriate measures. Sticky droplets or brown spots - all this indicates the presence of the disease. In this article we will tell you what pests and diseases of dracaena are, as well as how to cure them.

Dracaena diseases are very dangerous and can lead to the death of a flower. There can be many reasons why the dracaena got sick, but in most cases this is due to the wrong one. Consider the main diseases of dracaena and methods of their treatment.

Alternariosis

If you see brown spots on the trunk and leaves of the dracaena, it is most likely Alternariosis. Dots may also appear in the middle of these spots. white color, which eventually change color to dark gray. Soon, the affected leaves and sections of the trunk die off.

What to do to save the plant? An infusion based on wood ash or a solution of colloidal sulfur will help here. You can also use Topaz. The procedure will have to be repeated three times with an interval of 10 days, after which the plant will return to normal.

Heterosporosis

First, small beige spots appear on the leaves, surrounded by a reddish border. Over time, green plaque begins to form in these places.

The drug "Topaz" will also help here, as well as "Oksihom" or "Kuprozan". It is necessary to carry out processing, according to the instructions.

Phyllostictosis

Characteristic brown spots appear on the leaves of a diseased dracaena. irregular shape. In the middle of each such spot, dark grains will soon appear. Gradually, the affected areas begin to die.

How to get rid of adversity? Firstly, it is necessary to remove all infected areas, there is nothing you can do to help them. Cut them with a sharp knife and sprinkle the cuts with cinnamon. Choose one of the preparations ("Topaz", "HOM", "Skor") and treat the plant according to the instructions.

bacteriosis

With this disease, the tips of the leaves turn brown, and small sores form on the trunk. With bacteriosis, the boundary between infected tissues and healthy parts of the plant is clearly visible.

Unfortunately, it is useless to treat bacteriosis. Therefore, if you have diagnosed this disease in your flower, it is better to purchase a new one, and destroy the diseased plant.

Spotted wilt

This is a very dangerous disease in which stripes and spots of various shapes appear on the leaves of dracaena. As a rule, they Brown, but sometimes have a reddish tint. In a diseased plant, an almost complete cessation of growth is observed, and the new leaves that appear are too small and deformed.

As in the previous case, no cure for this disease has been found. Therefore, get rid of the infected flower and thoroughly disinfect the pot.

Fusarium

If yellow spots appear on the leaves, it is most likely Fusarium. Also syndromes of the disease are withering of the top of the plant and a gradual change in the color of the plant itself. Sometimes the flower can be completely covered with yellowish spots.

How to deal with the disease? To remove yellow spots, you must first thoroughly rinse the plant, and then remove all affected areas. Sprinkle the cuts with cinnamon or crushed activated charcoal. After that, it is necessary to treat it with one of the drugs of your choice ("Fundazol" or "Vectra"), according to the instructions. If you still have not got rid of the infection with these drugs, you can try something more radical - Kvardis or Bravo.

root rot

The soil is profusely covered with mold and smells unpleasant. In this case, the roots of the plant and the base of the trunk become brown. The barrel may even begin to wrinkle.

The first step is to remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. Remove any damaged roots immediately, also cutting off a little bit of healthy tissue to prevent the disease from spreading further. The root system should be placed for half an hour in a solution of Bordeaux liquid, and after extraction, process wood ash and into a new sterile pot.

bacterial rot

If the trunk is wrinkled, and dark watery spots appear on the leaves, most likely you are faced with wet rot.

We act in the same way as with root rot: we remove the plant from the pot, cut off the affected roots and transplant into a new container.

Gray rot

Numerous brown spots appear on the leaves, which gradually become covered with a grayish coating with numerous patches of dark color.

The first thing to do is to get rid of the affected areas and disinfect the cut sites. Next, you need to rinse the plant, and treat it with Topaz. After that, you should water your flower for a month with a very weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Brown rot or rhizoctoniosis

The first symptom of the disease is the cessation of flower growth. First, the leaves acquire yellow but gradually fade. At the last stage of the disease, they are abundantly covered with dark spots.

First, stop watering the plant. After 5 days, remove the dracaena from the pot, clean the roots from the soil and soak in the Baktofit solution for 10 hours. After they dry out, transplant the plant into a new pot.

brown spotting

Many small brown spots appear on the leaves, surrounded by a bright green border.

You can save the plant only if the disease has not gone too far. All affected areas of the flower should be removed, the cut points should be treated, and then the dracaena should be provided. optimal conditions content, carefully performing all necessary requirements plant care.

powdery mildew

If white spots appear on the leaves, similar to flour, and over time a white coating appears - this is powdery mildew one of the most common diseases. At the first stage, the spots may look like dust, but over time, if the disease worsens, getting rid of them is much more difficult.

Get rid of plaque by wiping the leaves with a solution of potassium permanganate, and then powder with activated charcoal. Also treat the flower twice with a solution of any fungicide.

Attacking pests

In addition to diseases, there are also a variety of dracaena pests. Bugs (mites, aphids or scale insects) can be a real scourge. For example, a mealybug on a dracaena, like its small white larvae, gives a lot of trouble to the owners of the flower garden. Also, a lot of problems arise with aphids on dracaena (although aphids are quite easily removed with a soapy solution). Sticky transparent drops on the leaves are a very unpleasant phenomenon. In addition to these insects, there are several other pests that can kill your flower.

spider mite

Spider mites are called small small spiders that braid the leaves and petioles of plants with their cobwebs. Another signal indicating the appearance of these pests is the presence of brown dots on the leaves of dracaena. Over time, the leaves become more and more dark in color, and, in the end, fade.

An alcohol or soap solution will help here, which you need to wipe the leaves of the plant. Also, maximize the humidity level by spraying the dracaena, and then cover the plant with a plastic bag for several days, airing the plant from time to time. IN last resort you can use acaricides (Apollo, Sunmite), but they are very toxic, and you will need several treatments to get rid of the problem.

Shchitovka

On inside brown “plaques” appear on the leaf, which grow over time, and the areas around them acquire a reddish tint. In advanced cases, even the soil may begin to turn black.

Treat the dracaena with an alcohol solution and manually collect all insects from the surface of the flower. You can also use soapy water. After that, use Aktara to consolidate your success.

thrips

The leaves gradually lose color and brighten, but on their inner side you can easily notice small black dots.

Get rid of thrips with a soapy solution. After processing, it is necessary to cover the plant with a plastic bag and leave it for a couple of days, not forgetting to ventilate sometimes. If this does not help, use "Fitoverm" or "Aktellik", and process the dracaena according to the instructions.

Video "If pests are wound up in the dracaena"

Mealybugs are furry insects that look like little fleas. They suck the juice from the plant, so the flower grows slowly, gets sick and may die. At the first symptoms of a mealybug on dracaena, measures must be taken to combat it. In the article we will tell you how to get rid of the mealybug on the dracaena, consider ways to fight and preventive measures.

By what signs to understand that pests are wound up on the dracaena

You can detect insects with the naked eye. They look like small balls of cotton wool or fluff. Symptoms of the habitat of worms on dracaena are:

• the leaves are sticky because insects leave a sticky secretion behind them;
• plant growth slows down, decorative effect decreases;
• the stem is bent, it is deformed and dries out;
• leaves decrease in size, turn yellow, dry out and fall off;
• eaten areas may remain on the leaves, which turn brown over time;
• a white coating appears, similar to cotton wool, on the surface of the soil or on the inner walls of the pot.

The most dangerous root mealybug that attacks the roots. It is determined by the white bloom on the roots of dracaena. If a houseplant suddenly began to get sick and stopped growing for no apparent reason, the root system should be examined for the presence of pests.

Description of the mealybug on dracaena

This type of pest is most often found on indoor plants. Insects reach 12 mm in length, they are mobile, and males have wings. Because of such features, the fight against worms is difficult. Insects easily move from one plant to another. Description of mealybugs in the table.

Characteristic	Description
Appearance	White hairy bugs, the body of females is grayish, orange or pink.
Length	From 0.5 mm to 12 mm, the average size is 3.5 mm
body shape	The body is soft elongated, oval-round
Insect maturation period	An insect will grow from a larva in 1.5 months
The presence of wings	Females do not have wings, while males of some species have wings but no mouthparts.
reproduction	Females lay eggs, 2-4 generations are distributed per year, depending on the species.

The wax coating that covers the body of the mealybug protects it from chemicals and makes it immune to insecticides.

1. Bristly. A large insect that hides under the leaves.
2. Seaside. This is the most common type of pest. Females grow up to 4 mm long and 2 mm wide. They are grey-pink. They lay their eggs in the axils of the leaves, where they cannot be reached.
3. Root. It is the largest of all species. The female is pinkish in color, up to 10 mm long. Lives on roots and root neck.

Prevention of mealybug on dracaena

To prevent damage to dracaena, it is worth remembering that the pest starts when the soil is waterlogged, so you should not fill the flower. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot so that water does not stagnate at the roots. Dracaena is regularly inspected. The likelihood of infection increases if the flower is taken out to fresh air in the summer or transplanted into new land.

The preventive measures are as follows:

1. Keep the dracaena clean by washing the leaves regularly.
2. Do not flood the flower and do not place the pot in a draft.
3. Adhere to the temperature conditions of the flower content.
4. Remove dry and diseased leaves.
5. When planting or transplanting, use only purchased soils, if you take garden soil, then it must be disinfected.

Tip #1 Isolate the diseased plant from the rest, otherwise the worm will move to healthy indoor flowers.

How to get a mealybug out of a dracaena?

A population of more than two mealybugs requires the use of chemicals. Insects are removed from the flower with a toothpick, and the dracaena is sprayed with chemicals. Effective drugs are given in the table.

Name of the drug	Action	How to apply?
"Aktellik"	One of the most powerful pest control chemicals on houseplants, but very toxic. After one treatment, the pests die.	Dissolve 2 ml of the product in 2 liters of water.
"Aktara"	Systemic insecticide. When foliar spraying protects up to 28 days, when applied soil provides protection from 40 to 60 days.	Processed twice with an interval of 10 days. For 10 liters of water, 4 g of the product is used. If the drug did not help in this proportion, then the concentration is increased to 4 g per 5 liters.
Karbofos	Broad-spectrum insecticide. It is valid up to 20 days. Has no smell. The disadvantages include that it acts only on those parts where the solution has got.	60 g per 8 liters of water.
"Intavir"	Insecticide of intestinal-contact action against pests of indoor flowers. Valid up to 20 days.	1 g per 1 liter of water (1 g is an eighth of a tablet of the product).

It is advisable to spray the dracaena every 10-14 days. To combat the mealybug, an integrated approach is needed. In addition to the drugs in the table, Tsvetofos, Mospilan, Intavir, Fosbetsis and others are used. These funds are used not only for spraying, but also for spilling the soil. In the latter case, the effectiveness of the chemical increases, since being absorbed by the roots of the flower, it spreads through all the tissues of the plant. The worms suck the juice from the dracaena and die.

Tip #2 For mealybug control, use only strong drugs, more sparing, such as "Fitoverm", "Aktofit" or "Akarin" will not help. But they can be used for treatments in conjunction with systemic insecticides, they enhance the effect.

Broad-spectrum preparations for mealybugs

Spraying with chemicals alone cannot save the flower; be sure to additionally shed the soil with broad-spectrum preparations. Let's look at them in a table.

Among the biological insecticides of a wide spectrum of action, Gaupin is distinguished. It fights pests and protects dracaena from diseases. The drug is not toxic to humans. For processing, 200 g of the product is diluted in 10 liters of water. The soil is shed with a solution and the flower is sprayed.

Measures to combat root bugs

If the worm is wound up in the soil and damages the root system of the flower, it is necessary to act immediately. Plants in this case will not live long. Dracaena is removed from the pot and a pot is prepared with new disinfected soil.

It is advisable to take a pot new or disinfect the old one

Folk methods of dealing with mealybugs

Folk remedies for insects on dracaena should be used only with a slight lesion. Once a week the leaves are rubbed soapy water. Every week it is sprayed with an infusion of garlic, onion, tobacco, tangerine or orange peel.

Alcoholic tincture of calendula is used to wipe the leaves.

Learn more about each tool:

1. An infusion of citrus peel helps only with a mild form. The peel is insisted for 2 days.
2. An alcohol solution of soap helps to cope even with a large population of insects. For 1 liter of water take 1 tbsp. l alcohol and 1 tsp. soap. Close the ground before spraying. The next day, the leaves are wiped with plain water. Spraying is repeated every 4 days.
3. Calendula tincture is used for mild lesions. The agent treats the area where the pest lives.
4. Tincture of garlic wipe the leaves of a diseased flower. To prepare 4 cloves, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Insist 4 hours. The action of the infusion is similar to the action of onion or horsetail infusion.

There are positive reviews from using an alcohol-based skin care lotion. Dracaena leaves are wiped with the agent, as a result of which the worm dies. Most often, it is alcohol and soap that have a detrimental effect on insects.

Answers to common questions

Question #1. Why do mealybugs start on dracaena?

Pests can get in with garden soil, greenhouse seedlings, flower bouquets, or store-bought houseplants. favorable conditions for worms - high air humidity and low air temperature, less than 21˚С.

Question #2. Why are mealybugs dangerous for dracaena? Are insects dangerous to humans?

The worms are a threat only to indoor and garden flowers, they are not dangerous for people. Insects suck out the juices from the dracaena, so the flower stops developing. Its immunity decreases, the plant is often exposed to fungal diseases, especially due to the fact that after themselves the worms leave sticky secretions to which fungi adhere. Often a diseased plant rots and dies.

Question #3. How to disinfect the soil for planting dracaena?

Question #4. Is it possible to use "Fitoverm" from a worm on a dracaena?

It is possible, but with a large population of insects, it will not be effective. Of course, this drug is not toxic to humans, but you need to spray the flower every week for a whole month.

Gardeners' mistakes in the fight against mealybug on dracaena

Take precautions when using chemicals

Serious errors are as follows:

1. Gardeners begin to fight the pest only after the appearance of adults, and this is not right. Larvae become the same threat to dracaena as adult insects.
2. Folk remedies do not give a 100% result. If there are a lot of pests, then it is better to resort to chemicals. The worms adapt to any means, so it will not be effective to use the same methods of struggle.
3. If there are a lot of insects on the dracaena, then it is useless to collect them. Larvae will remain in the leaves, from which young individuals will soon appear.
4. When using the drug "Aktellik" for dracaena, the flower must be sprayed on the balcony or on the street. The fungicide has a strong pungent odor; if precautions are not followed, you can get poisoned. When processing flowers indoors, Actellik remains on the surface of furniture and other items for up to 15 weeks.

This is a mealybug. rare infection. There are drugs for him, but they did not help me. I also tried to process it with laundry soap, after a while it reappeared. I had to cut the branches and leave the stumps, then he started new branches without the mealybug.

Thank you. and what "Aktelik" will not help bring out this worm? If it doesn’t help, then should I cut off all the greens from two trunks to stumps? And how long will it take to grow?

I have not tried Aktelik, maybe it will help. If you suddenly cut off, then cut off the branches, you can put them in water, they will give roots, but if they are infected, it is better to throw them away, of course. But it is better to cut so that there would be one trunk without branches. Will start up branches in a month. Take care of the hemp as a full-fledged plant.

Tatyana, this is not exactly a mealybug, but its close relative, just as malicious. Take a cotton swab, soak it in the emulsion (a few drops of dishwashing detergent, 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil in a glass of water, stir vigorously and try to remove everyone you can. Then treat with actara, spray and spill the soil, so at least once a week 4 treatments, details here

Houseplant pests and how to deal with them

And keep shooting manually. Pruning may not help, the pest may remain on the plant. In no case do not use Aktellik at home, it is very harmful for you, it does not help well against such pests, it is poorly tolerated by plants. If there is no actara, then Apaches, Mospilan, etc. are possible. SYSTEMIC and water-dispersible preparations (they are in granules that are diluted in water).

Circumcision helped, my dracaena released two branches after pruning and has been growing without a worm for a year now. And before that, all treatments forced him to hide in the axils of the leaves. After a while, he again hit the whole plant.

Hello, dracaena leaves become translucent in some places, after a while the leaf turns yellow, dries and falls off.
day 2-3 sometimes 3-4 sheets immediately flies around ...
On the underside of the leaf, close to the trunk, rather large transparent drops of some kind of viscous and sticky liquid appear. I examined it for the presence of pests, it seems there is none (maybe I looked in the wrong place?), there are definitely no scale insects (somehow there was already a problem).
On another dracaena (fragrant), there are the same drops, and on orchids. But dracaena are far from orchids ...
I don’t know what to do, soon the dracaena will remain completely naked ... please help ... I sprayed it with an insecticide, the only one that is in the city (some kind of Polish), washed every leaf warm water, did a bath (in a package for 2 days). Nothing helped…

Olya, these are not pests. Sometimes honeydew is released on plants, usually after sudden changes in temperature, sudden changes in conditions. Perhaps you often water the dracaena. Reduce watering, only after drying almost the entire clod of soil. Do not water at night when the ambient temperature drops. Now the days are getting shorter and cooler. this requires a corresponding reduction in watering. On orchids, honeydew is also possible, but it can also be nectar.

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Problems with dracaena

The main problems with dracaena, like most cultures whose homeland is the tropics, are associated with acclimatization. In an ordinary city apartment the plant often lacks heat and humidity. Both that and the other dracaena need to be given additionally, and to do it correctly, without going to extremes.

If you find that the dracaena has a soft trunk and leaves are falling, the bark has become wrinkled, then you overdid it with watering.

If the leaves begin to curl or turn into a tube (this may mean that the plant has died) - therefore, you could not provide the green pet with a comfortable temperature, did not save it from sudden transitions from one microclimate to another.

Diseases and pests also create problems for the flower, which must be learned to recognize in a timely manner.

Leaves are falling

Of all varieties, the threat of “baldness” most often occurs in Marginata, in other varieties this problem is less pronounced. The main reasons why dracaena leaves fall may be the following:

• natural aging (the leaves of this culture live from 2 to 3 years);
• water scarcity;
• cold air, drafts.

To help the plant, it is important to figure out which of the reasons is ruining your flower.

If it's about aging, then this process is objective and unregulated. Fortunately, nature provided that at the same time all the leaves of the dracaena will not leave - those of them whose deadline has come will begin to turn yellow, then curl, blacken and fall off. After some time, new, healthy leaves will appear in the vacated places.

In the event of a lack of water, mass leaf fall also does not occur.

The difference is that the aged leaves dry out completely, and those that have fallen due to the scarcity of watering still partially retain their vitality.

If the florist overdid it with watering, the plant begins lose green leaves- this is due to the fact that the roots rotted in the waterlogged soil and the plant dies.

Temperature discomfort (especially cold, draft) is expressed in the loss of green foliage by the plant.

Leaves turn yellow

If yellowness appears on the leaves, like gray hair in a person, for natural reasons, it may not capture the whole leaf, but its tips. In this case, experts recommend pruning, removing only the yellowed part and leaving a healthy. This will preserve the decorative culture.

Often the problem occurs due to the fact that the plant does not have enough sun. Most varieties have enough soft, diffused light, and even a short winter day does not adversely affect them. However, in some cases, dracaena cannot do without illumination and informs the owner of this by the yellowness of its leaves.

A similar reaction occurs due to excessive watering. And if the dracaena leaves have drooped and turned yellow, this may be due to a lack of nutrients in the soil. It is especially dangerous to keep a flower on a starvation diet during its active growth from April to the end of August.

Tips dry

This trouble can happen even with young foliage if the flower grows in the same pot, without changing the soil, for 3-4 years.

Salts accumulate in it, due to which the plant is not able to fully absorb nutrients, even if the owner regularly feeds his pet.

From salinity, the suction roots die - the main conductor of nutrients into the flower's body.

Due to malnutrition, the tips of old leaves also dry out. In addition, the problem may lie in the structure of the soil - if it is clayey, heavy, poorly permeable to water.

Yellow, brown, black spots on dracaena

Never reassure yourself with the phrase that "there are spots on the sun": spots on dracaena leaves pose a threat to flower health and most often appear due to insufficient care for the plant, and their color helps to determine the essence of the problem. Here's what they're talking about:

Correction of mistakes in care

If the trunk of the dracaena wrinkled, the leaves began to fall off, there is a high probability of mistakes that the owner made, most likely due to inexperience. The main thing is to have time to correct them in time.

Among the most common mistakes:

• incorrect, too generous watering (in fact, the soil in the pot should dry out between waterings, control its condition by sticking a thin wooden stick into the ground);
• high dryness of the air (remove the flower away from heaters);
• insufficient illumination (the plant must be provided with additional illumination);
• exposure to cold air (frozen leaves will be helped by “washing” with warm water);
• nutrient deficiencies (purchase in flower shop fertilizer in the form of a stick and stick it into the soil - your pet will regularly receive top dressing in the amount it needs).

Dracaena diseases, symptoms, treatment

Experts (in order to prevent various diseases) recommend add potassium and phosphorus to fertilizers. Unfortunately, this is not enough to avoid diseases completely.

Pests that infect dracaena can be in the soil or get on it from neighboring, already infected, plants. Signs of ill health are cobwebs, specks, sticky plaque. Among the pests:

This video talks about another dracaena pest and how to deal with it:

How to reanimate the dracaena if the trunk is fragile, the bark wrinkles, and the leaves begin to rot? Required "surgical intervention" in the form of cuttings: cut off the top of the dracaena and either immediately root it in the ground, or put it in a container of water so that the roots appear. This usually takes 2 months.

If the poor condition of the dracaena is associated with dry air, bring the pet back to life a warm shower will help. So that at the same time the water does not flood the roots, the pot should be placed in plastic bag and pull its edges around the trunk.

If the cutting (and subsequently a full-fledged plant) stands in water for too long, its trunk may turn yellow. This is because the aquatic environment contributes to the activation of bacteria, and the changed color of the trunk is evidence that the plant may die. You can avoid such a development of events by urgently transplanting the dracaena into a pot of earth.

A plant affected by cold air will be saved by a few sprays of warm water. and placing the pot in a draft-free place. In cases where the temperature dropped below 15 degrees Celsius, there is a great danger that the roots have suffered. If the check shows that this is how it happened and the roots began to rot, they are removed and the dracaena is transplanted into a new pot. In cases where there are practically no healthy roots left, the top of the flower is cut off and rooted.
What to do with a broken dracaena

The broken lignified part of the stem is quite easy to root. To do this, the break point must be cut with a sharp knife (the cut must be horizontal), hold it in the air for a while so that it dries up, and lower it into a container of water, where an activated carbon tablet is added (it will protect the future plant from decay).

The remaining part of the stem in the pot can also be saved. The fracture site is carefully trimmed and filled with wax. After a short time, shoots will appear on the sides of the stem.

If not lignified is broken, but green escape, it is recommended to root in moss or sand. In order for the roots to form faster, the tip of the shoot is treated in the Kornevin preparation, and then artificial heating is organized ( best temperature- 25 degrees).

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Growing problems

Mistakes in growing dracaena cause certain troubles, which are manifested by diseases of the plant:

1. 1. The leaves are turning yellow.

The reasons why the ends of the leaves begin to dry: natural wilting or improper watering.

Natural decay is natural process caused by plant growth. Each leaf of dracaena lives for about two years and one day it is time to die. Therefore, the lower leaves of the plant may turn yellow.

First, the top turns yellow, and then the entire leaf dries out. This wilting occurs slowly, so the dried part can be removed gradually, thus preserving decorative look plants.

Yellowing of young leaves occurs when watering is disturbed. For dracaena, both dry soil and too wet soil are harmful. Moderate humidity with dry top layer- This perfect option glaze.

1. 1. The leaves have faded and drooped.

Cause: hypothermia.

Dracaena does not tolerate temperatures below 14 degrees Celsius, as well as drafts and cold air currents. If you place the plant in heat and spray it with warm water, then perhaps it will come to life.

Hypothermia is fraught with rotting of the roots. In this case, the plant must be transplanted, removing rotten roots.

1. 1. Dry tips of leaves.

Causes dry leaves: dry air, lack or excess of top dressing.

When dry tips appear on the plant or spots along the edge of the leaf, care must be taken to create more comfortable conditions. To preserve the decorative appearance, the shrunken tips are cut off.

1. 1. Leaves fall and young shoots of dracaena dry up.

Causes the fact that the plant sheds leaves: hypothermia of the earth, excess moisture in the soil.

If the leaves fall into in large numbers, then the plant is recommended to be cut.

1. 1. Brown spots on leaves.

Cause: burn caused by direct sunbeams.

With a burn, wet spots first appear, which then dry out.

To avoid this, the dracaena should receive gentle sunlight.

1. 1. The leaves are rotting.

Causes: waterlogging, lack of light and heat, or an infectious disease.

If a yellow border forms around the spot, then this is a bacteriosis.

If the border is absent, then the reason lies in insufficient care.

To avoid decay, you need to reconsider the conditions of the plant.

1. 1. Blackening of young leaves.

Causes: no transplanting for a long period or over-fertilization.

Dracaena needs to be repotted every 2-3 years. If the dracaena is not transplanted in time, then salts accumulate in the soil, which leads to damage to young leaves.

And here is a video about why the leaves of the dracaena dry.

Diseases

Like all plants, dracaena is susceptible to certain diseases.

This disease manifests itself in different parts plants rounded brown and black spots. In these spots, rings of dark and light color are clearly drawn. With the further development of the disease, the leaves turn black and are affected by spores of the fungus.

Heterosporosis

The disease is characterized formation of yellow spots, which soon become light brown with a dark line around.

Over time, the spots increase and appear on them. dark patina with fungal spores. If the plant is not treated, the leaves will begin to dry.

With this disease, dracaena appear large yellow-brown spots with a greenish border. The spots may be round or indefinite in shape, later covered with spores of the fungus.

Phyllosticosis affects adult and old dracaena in violation of the soil and air moisture regime.

This disease causes softening of leaf tips which eventually leads to their decay.

Another manifestation of bacteriosis is dark decaying areas on the leaf, surrounded by yellow oily stripes. It is also possible to form small round cankers on the stem.

Bacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by a number of reasons: high humidity of air and soil, lack of fertilizers, high ambient temperature.

Spotted wilt

This viral disease is rare. appear on the leaves brown spots and longitudinal lines. Young develop slowly and deform.

Treatment of diseases

Treatment of diseases such as alternariosis, heterosporosis, phyllosticosis is carried out using fungicidal preparations . You can use oxychom, topaz and other medicines containing copper.

When affected by bacteriosis saving dracaena is not possible, since this insidious disease develops rapidly and instantly leads to death. The plant is destroyed.

Pests and how to deal with them

Dracaena is sometimes affected by pests. These include scale insects, thrips, mealybugs and spider mites. It is useful for the gardener to know the signs of defeat by these dangerous guests and how to fight.

Shchitovka

A scale insect is called an insect 2-5 millimeters in size, covered with a yellowish shield. They suck the juice from the plant. The leaves turn pale and fall off.

The shield is insidious in that it difficult to detect due to mobility. Therefore, the plant must be regularly inspected.

The affected dracaena is treated with soapy water using a soft sponge, and then insecticidal preparations (intra-vir, decis, fitoverm) are applied.

Shchitovka on dracaena: photo of pests.

spider mite

Spider mite - small insects of milk, green or orange color up to 1 mm in size. He settles on reverse side sheet and covers it with white spots. On the affected parts, you can see a small cobweb.

The plant slows down growth and becomes an easy target for various ailments. Spider mites carry some diseases.

For treatment, dracaena is washed with high-temperature soapy water (47-50 degrees Celsius) and sprayed with acaricide.

thrips

Thrips - insects up to 1-2 mm in size. They settle in colonies on the lower part of the leaf plate. top sheet dotted and dyed brown.

Thrips appear in dry air and elevated room temperatures.

Insecticides are used for treatment.

The mealybug is an insect covered with a powdery white coating. It sucks the juice out of the dracaena, causing inhibition of its development.

When affected by a mealybug spots, dots and white bloom appear on the leaves, and wax secretions accumulate in the sockets, outwardly resembling cotton wool. On the trunk and leaf plates, the insect lays larvae.

White plaque (sticks) on dracaena - how to get rid of dots, spots on leaves and on the trunk? Treatment begins by removing the larvae with soapy water or a cotton pad soaked in alcohol, and continues by treating the plant with insecticides. After the first treatment, the second one is carried out with a gap of one week.

Subject to important rules care dracaena remains healthy. Damage by diseases and pests is possible only when circumstances are unfavorable for the plant.

selo.guru

How to cure dracaena from alternariosis

– This disease is caused by fungi belonging to the genus Alternaria.

The disease is easy to recognize, as pale brown spots appear on the leaves of the dracaena, which resemble an ellipse in shape and blacken over time. After some time, part of the leaves dies within the spots, their surface is covered with an olive-colored coating, which contains spores of the Alternariosis fungus.

Mushrooms appear in the spring, after which they develop inside the stems all summer.

You can cure a plant using chemical or folk methods.

If the first spots appear on your plant, you need to transfer it to a separate free window sill. If this is not available, we advise you to separate the pot with dracaena from other plants.

Treatment of heterosporiosis

When you choose a place for a dracaena, you need to consider everything - from a place for a pot to air humidity.

But if you notice that light brown elongated spots have begun to appear on the leaves of the plant, know that the dracaena grows in a dry room and needs more watering. It also means that the plant has appeared heterosporiosis.

The disease manifests itself as quickly as alternariosis. A disease such as heterosporiosis can be cured, spraying dracaena with fungicides that contain copper or zinc.

Is it possible to cure bacteriosis

If the dracaena began to rot the tips of the leaves means your home plant got sick bacteriosis.

This disease is caused by:

1. High air humidity.
2. Too much watering
3. Nutrient deficiencies.

Never spray the affected plant. Many novice florists ask questions on forums about how a plant can be cured, but, unfortunately, it is impossible to reanimate dracaena with fungicides at home.

How to cure dracaena from phyllosticosis

Phyllosticosis affects beautiful and useful plants. About 3 thousand species, varieties, subspecies and forms of fungi that cause this disease have already been enrolled in the genus Phyllosticta.

In our case, dracaena is affected by a fungus called Phyllosticta dracaenae.

If dracaena has brown spots on the leaves- That's for sure phyllostictosis.Sometimes they may have green borders.

If you notice these symptoms of the disease, you should take the following measures to combat phyllostictosis, namely:

1. Spray the plant with 1% Bordeaux liquid and repeat the procedure after 10 days.
2. Use high-quality foreign-made fungicides, namely Delan, Strobi, Tersel, Horus, Topsin-M.
3. After the end of the growing season, dig and disinfect trunk circles plants so that the fungus does not stay there for the winter.
4. Reduce the amount of watering, and even better, spray water on the leaves.
5. Be sure to destroy weeds, affected areas of the plant and plant debris.

Shield on dracaena - what to do

The scale insects belong to the Homoptera family. They are easily recognizable by their rounded body, and in female scale insects, the back is covered with a wax shield.

An adult female covers the eggs while sitting on the plant, and the males "guard" the family. The scale insect larvae are mobile, but after attaching to the dracaena, they do not move at all and are covered with a wax shield.

Scale insects are dangerous in that adults and larvae suck the juice from the plant. Yellow or brown spots appear at the sites of damage. The leaves gradually turn yellow, and the stems develop incorrectly. The growth of dracaena stops, the plant dries out and dies.

If scale insects appeared on your dracaena and you notice it in time, then the plant can be saved.

It is necessary to adhere to certain rules in the fight against scale insects:

1. It is necessary to inspect the plant and brush off as many pests as possible that have settled on the leaves of the dracaena. Before scraping, we advise you to treat the plant with kerosene or alcohol.
2. Parts of the plant damaged by the scab should be destroyed, as they will not develop normally.
3. Before treatment with kerosene or alcohol, it is best to check the reaction of the plant to the substance. If it responded normally, you can carry out the procedure. It is best to do this in cloudy weather, as sunburn may appear on the leaves.
4. If you didn't have any special means struggle, then for preventive purposes, you can use a soap or tobacco solution.

First. Dracaena is processed with a sponge moistened with methyl alcohol. Then, with the help of a toothbrush, it is necessary to remove the weakened pests. The brush must be moistened in the Aktara or Inta-Ts-M solution. The damaged parts of the dracaena are cut off. After and during treatment, it is advisable to take the plant to fresh air.

Second way. You can spray the dracaena with the Fufanon solution and, placing the pot with the plant in a transparent bag, tie it up. Leave the flower in this position for several days so that the solution is absorbed. Dracaena needs such a one-time treatment.

Third. "Actellik" is considered to be of low toxicity to humans, but when used on flowers, it shows the most effective result. To do this, mix 2 ml of the drug with 1 liter of water, then spray and water the soil of the plant.

Fourth. You can use garlic, onion or pepper infusions. Especially proven infusion on pepper. For this, fresh hot pepper is used, which is boiled in the amount of 50 g in 500 ml of water. It is used on dracaena as follows: 5 g of pepper infusion is taken per 1 liter of water. The solution can be stored in the refrigerator and used as needed.

How to remove a white mealybug from a plant

Insects are covered with a powdery coating of white color and are very mobile.

Finding out that your dracaena is affected by a mealybug is very simple. Insects leave a white cotton-like wax coating on shoots and leaves. This coating can be confused with powdery mildew, but if you notice such a coating on a dracaena, the plant should be treated immediately.

With a severe injury spray drugs"Aktara", "Calypso", "Tanrek" or "Fitoverm" with an interval of 7-14 days.

For spraying to be effective, you can use several drugs at the same time.

Also, in the fight against mealybugs on dracaena, alternative treatment can be used.

How to protect dracaena from thrips

Thrips appear for several reasons:

A sticky trap helps to reduce the number of thrips. They are attracted pink color. In case of severe injury, use chemicals, such as Fitoverm, Vertimek and Iskra.

You can also use folk remedies, but they should be used for mild thrips damage.

Well established garlic.Can be crushed 85 g garlic, 50 ml vegetable oil, 10 ml liquid soap and 950 ml of water. A mixture of oil and garlic should be infused for one day. Then water is mixed with soap and a mixture of garlic and oil is added. Before use, dilute one part of the mixture with 19 parts of water.

Getting rid of aphids

Aphids are easy to recognize:

If aphids have settled on your dracaena, you need to know how to properly get rid of them.

Aphids can be removed by hand or washed off with a strong jet of water.

In folk remedies for combating aphids, they use liquid soap and vegetable oil. Two glasses of water are used for 2 tsp. liquid soap and 1 tbsp. vegetable oil. All this is diluted in a spray bottle and then the whole plant is sprayed

You can also take garlic tincture. Garlic cloves are squeezed into half a liter of water. Then 2 tsp are added. vegetable oil and one tablespoon of liquid soap. Squeezed garlic is infused in water for a day, then soap and water are added. After that, you can use the drug by spraying.

agronomy.com

Optimal home conditions for growing dracaena

Dracaena - beautiful tropical plant, native to Africa, Asia and South America. Outwardly, the plant looks like a palm tree, but in fact it is not, but belongs to the asparagus family.

In nature, you can find multi-meter specimens with lignified trunks, long wide leaves. Green colour or with stripes different shades.

In total, there are about 150 plant species. The most popular are Dragon, Fragrant, Massangeana, Marginata (bordered), Deremskaya, Bent, Sandera (lucky bamboo), etc.

Varieties of dracaena - photo gallery

Knowing the characteristics of growing conditions, it is easy to avoid dracaena disease:

Dracaena diseases can be fungal, bacterial or viral.

We diagnose infectious diseases - table

Dracaena are most susceptible to fungal diseases. The most common of these are alternariosis and phyllosticosis. As a rule, the disease occurs with high humidity and excess moisture in the soil. Also, the cause of the disease are fungal spores, which could be in the soil or were introduced from outside. For example, unsterilized garden tools that have previously been in contact with an infected plant can become a carrier of an infectious disease.

If the dracaena is transplanted into heavy garden soil, it is often and abundantly watered with running unsettled water, with a high degree of probability this will lead to a bacterial disease. Of all the types of dracaena, dracaena Deremskaya is most susceptible to bacteriosis.. This beauty is especially popular with amateur gardeners for its variegated leaves and the difference in their colors. However, these leaves are also often chosen by bacteria and fungus.

Professional gardeners note that dracaena is quite resistant to viral diseases. But still, the flower rarely affects spotted wilt. This virus can infect a plant that has already weakened immunity. For example, immunity is reduced if a flower long time suffers from improper care or is damaged by pests. With a viral infection, dracaena stops growing and begins to wither.

Dracaena diseases - photo gallery

Insects on dracaena - table

Pests of indoor plants - photo gallery

Other causes of plant problems - care errors

At improper care dracaena loses its decorative appearance: the plant grows poorly, sheds leaves, the trunk becomes thin and bare, and bends. Therefore, first of all, check if your dracaena is not sick, but simply unkempt.

The main problems in care and their consequences:

• Dry indoor air and dust cause the plant to be attacked by pests. The leaves dry, curl, become stained, darken.
• Excessive watering leads to fungal diseases. As a result, the roots begin to rot, the trunk becomes soft, appear dark spots on the leaves. Also, worms, midges, or mold may appear in the soil.
• At a low temperature in the room, the leaf takes on a sluggish wrinkled appearance, the top freezes, the leaves may fall off.
• Due to lack of moisture, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, the top of the dracaena dries up.

In most cases, the flower is infected with microbes or attacked by insects precisely with a weakened immune system, which occurs due to improper care.

The onset of plant disease can be seen by the condition of the leaf. It should be borne in mind that the process of drying and dying off of the lower leaves of the dracaena is a natural sign of growth. These leaves should be trimmed, and the trunk will eventually become stiff in that place.

In other cases, the unhealthy color of the foliage signals care problems.

We solve problems

Dracaena health problems can be completely different. Let's try to figure out what needs to be done in each case. Let's start with the leaves.

If dark spots appear on the leaves, the plant may be suffering from excessive watering and stagnant water in the pan. It is necessary to check the condition of the roots of the plant.

1. Remove the plant from the pot, free from the old soil and rinse with running water.
2. Straighten the roots and cut off all rotten edges to healthy (dense) tissues.
3. For disinfection, hold the roots for 1 hour in a weak solution of manganese or Phytosporin (dilute according to the instructions)
4. Plant the plant in sterile soil in a smaller pot (choose 3 cm smaller than the previous one).

If the roots of the plant are completely rotted, the dracaena trunk becomes soft. This phenomenon can occur as a result of frequent and abundant watering of the soil. The plant is unlikely to be cured. The recommended temperature for healthy plant growth is 16 to 25 °C.

If the trunk is frozen and soft

Staying for a long time in drafts, on the street or in a room where the air temperature is below 18 degrees, the dracaena freezes.

At the same time, the trunk of the plant may still remain alive (dense and hard to the touch), and the leaves have gone limp and drooped. They cannot be saved. If the top of the dracaena has drooped, it is necessary to rejuvenate the trunk:

1. Cut off the top of the head with a clean knife down to the beginning of the living (dense) tissue. Throw away the top, and sprinkle the place of the cut on the trunk with crushed coal.
2. Place the pot with the plant in a sunny place in warm room(temperature 22–25 °C). Eliminate the possibility of drafts.
3. Water the flower with complex fertilizer, diluted half as much as indicated in the instructions.
4. Every week, spray the trunk and soil with a growth stimulator for plants.
5. Observe correct mode watering and wait for the dracaena to recover and give lateral buds.

If the top is broken

What to do if the crown of the dracaena is broken, and a healthy long trunk remains:

1. Root the upper part of the trunk with the crown. To do this, cut the stalk to the desired length.
2. Sprinkle the cut with crushed coal and leave for two hours.
3. Put the stalk in water with a pinch of Kornevin (the container should be transparent) in a sunny place.
4. Change the water periodically, and when roots appear (from 5 cm), plant the plant in the ground.
5. Check the stem remaining in the pot "for strength", making sure that the root is firmly held in the ground if the plant has fallen. Also cut off the upper part of the trunk at the desired height: lateral buds will go from the cut.
6. Treat the cut with crushed coal and then spray it every day with a growth stimulator (for example, Epin).
7. After 1–1.5 months, the lateral buds will awaken in the dracaena.

If the trunk has become too long or crooked

There are cases when the dracaena grows rapidly: the trunk grows in height quickly, but in itself is thin and not strong enough. This can happen if the dracaena is completely satisfied with the conditions of its maintenance, but it stands in a poorly lit place. For example, the trunk quickly becomes thin and long in the Bordered and Deremskaya dracaena.

There is no need to rush to say goodbye to your favorite plant, because in such situations you can make several out of one. Dracaena can be rejuvenated pruning and divide the trunk into several parts:

1. Cut cuttings 7–15 cm long with a sharp knife, powder with crushed coal and dry for 2 hours in air.
2. Place the cuttings horizontally in a moist, light substrate, deepen 2 cm in the ground and press lightly.
3. Place the pot on a well-lit window sill, cover with a plastic bag on top.
4. Every day, remove the bag for 2 hours to ventilate the soil, spray the substrate with a spray bottle and cover again with polyethylene.
5. After 1.5 months, the cuttings will begin to take root in the soil, and soon the buds on the trunk will wake up and the first leaves will appear.
6. This method of grafting is called horizontal and is suitable for dracaena with a thin trunk (Deremskaya dracaena, Bordered dracaena).

How to treat dracaena from lesions - details

To combat fungal diseases, the flower must be carefully treated with a fungicide. It is also advisable to transplant the plant and replace the infected soil with sterilized soil.

The use of fungicides for fungal diseases

For treatment, it is recommended to use a solution of Fundazol in proportions of 10 grams per 500 ml of water. Spray the infected tree every 2 weeks, repeat the procedure three times. An alternative to Fundazol can be the treatment of a diseased plant with Topaz or another drug that contains copper. All procedures are carried out strictly according to the instructions and in a well-ventilated area.

To prevent fungal diseases of dracaena, waterlogging of the soil, cool and dark rooms, and contact with untreated garden tools should be avoided.

Viral infections and bacterial diseases of dracaena are currently considered incurable. Unfortunately, the diseased plant must be destroyed so as not to infect other indoor flowers.

Transplanting into sterile soil

With fungal diseases or with the development of root rot from waterlogging or freezing of an earthen coma, the roots of the plant begin to rot, fungus spores multiply in the soil. To get rid of them, dracaena needs to be transplanted into sterile soil.

Procedure:

1. Pull the flower out of the pot, completely free the root system from the infected soil under running water.
2. With a clean knife, cut off the rotten roots (they will be soft to the touch) to healthy parts and treat with Fitosporin solution (dilute the paste according to the instructions).
3. Place the finished substrate for dracaena in a heated oven for 10 minutes, for sterilization temperature regime should be set to 200 degrees. Cool down.
4. To restore and build up the root system, choose a smaller pot for the flower (3 cm in diameter and less than the previous height). Add a layer of expanded clay, sterilized soil and plant dracaena in the usual way.

How to apply insecticides

Dracaena leaves are attacked by scale insects, spider mites and other pests, especially if the flower is in a cool room with dry air.

As a rule, treatment with folk remedies helps in the fight against spider mites, mealybugs and aphids, and scale insects and thrips are destroyed after treatment with insecticides.

As a preventive measure, you should:

• regularly (once a week) inspect the leaves of the dracaena and wipe the dust from them;
• once a month, spray the plant with soapy water (use laundry soap or purchase "green soap" in the flower shop, designed for the prevention and control of insect pests).

Resuscitation of a dying dracaena

If the dracaena has been left unattended for a long time and already has a dying appearance, it is still worth trying to save it.

If the lower part of the plant is rotten

With frequent and abundant watering, the roots of the dracaena rot, and later the trunk and top rot. This situation can be called hopeless, the plant can only be thrown away. In rare cases, the leaves and part of the trunk may not have time to suffer, then you need to try to save the crown and root it like an apical cutting:

1. With a sterile sharp knife, cut off the apical shoot with a part of the trunk (healthy and strong). The top should have a healthy appearance: the leaves are dense, and the trunk is hard. Make a cut perpendicular to the trunk, sprinkle the cut with crushed coal.
2. Leave the resulting stalk in the air for two hours so that the cut point dries out a little.
3. Place the cutting in a clear glass of distilled water. room temperature and add a root formation stimulator, for example, Kornevin. Dilute half as much as indicated in the instructions.
4. Place the glass with the handle on a sunny windowsill.
5. As necessary (if it blooms), change the water in a glass, top up.
6. When the roots appear more than 5 cm, plant the dracaena in a small pot, deepening the stalk with roots by 2 cm into the sterilized soil.

If the top of the head is dry

If the dracaena has not been watered for a long time, for example, during a long vacation, the plant can shed all the leaves from a lack of moisture, and the growing point itself can dry out.

In this case, there is still a chance to save the plant. For this:

1. First of all, the dracaena needs to arrange “bath procedures”. In order to wet the earthen ball well and evenly and revive the root system, the flower pot should be placed in a basin with settled warm water for half an hour (the water should be at room temperature).
2. The dried top should be cut off with a sharp knife and discarded, treated with activated crushed charcoal and wait for the lateral (sleeping) kidneys to wake up.
   

   Consider at what height to cut the trunk so that the plant is aesthetic in the future.

3. Spray the flower once a week with a plant growth stimulator, for example, Epin.
4. Watering should be carried out moderately once a week, while making twice a month complex fertilizers for dracaena.
5. Place a pot with a plant 2 meters from a sunny window so that scattered rays of the sun fall on the plant.
6. A month later, the dracaena should have new leaves from the lateral buds.

When caring for a plant and its rehabilitation, observe the following rules:

• It is not necessary to remove the entire drying sheet, but you can carefully cut off the dried part, leaving only a healthy base.
• Do not allow excess moisture in the soil.
• The soil mixture is recommended to be changed every three years, then the dracaena will grow healthy and beautiful.
• Check if the place for the dracaena is chosen correctly. Perhaps a new place will help you recover faster. The best solution would be to place it 1–2 meters from the window (excluding northern directions), the temperature in the room is 20–25 degrees.
• Nitrogen-containing top dressings and complex fertilizers for palm trees will also help to recover faster. Fertilizers should be applied according to the instructions 2 times a month from April to August.

dacha.help

Signs of infection of dracaena with a mealybug

Appearance white plaque on the stem, dracaena leaves - characteristic symptom infection with a mealybug, which is clearly shown in the photo.

Mealybug is localized on all parts of the plant

However, there are other signs that will help determine the culprit of the infection:

On a note! The pest is characterized by good mobility, therefore, if you find a mealybug on a dracaena, you should inspect nearby plants.

Brief description of the pest

Characteristic signs of a mealybug

The sizes of adults vary in the range from 3 to 7 mm. Occasionally, larger specimens are also found, reaching a length of 9-10 mm.

The appearance of the mealybug is very peculiar:

Interesting! The mealybug prefers to populate leaf axils, forms numerous colonies on young shoots of dracaena, and in case of mass infection, the leaves of the plant. In addition to the leaf form of the pest, there is also a root form. Root bugs mainly spend their lives on the roots of plants, but in case of a lack of nutrients, they do not neglect the aerial parts.

Insects prefer moist, warm, draft-free places. By means of stylets, they stick to plants and feed on their juices. After mating, females, with the exception of viviparous species, lay their eggs in peculiar cotton masses. The female fecundity reaches 600 eggs. The egg-laying period lasts 1-2 weeks, after which the females die.

Very often, ovipositors are located in the axils of leaves, cracks in the bark, between shoots, along the veins, which greatly complicates their detection.

Mealybug visible to the naked eye

Reliably protected by a downy shell, eggs are not afraid of water and many chemicals which in turn contributes to the conservation of the population. After 10-20 days, young larvae hatch from eggs. Newborn individuals do not yet have any plaque and begin to actively settle in search of a source of food. By choosing appropriate place They immediately start eating. The intake of nutrients provokes the release of a sticky liquid and the larvae are gradually covered with a characteristic white bloom.

Causes of the pest

Optimal conditions for the development and reproduction of an insect: high humidity in the room and air temperature within 25 ° C. Spring and autumn are accompanied by the peak of mealybug activity, during these periods their numbers are especially high.

Improper watering is one of the causes of pests.

Transplanting into contaminated soil, taking the plant outside increases the chances of infecting the flower. But still, predominantly, the main factors affecting the development of the mealybug population on dracaena are care errors:

• excess or deficiency of moisture;
• wrong choice of plant location, inappropriate temperature conditions, high humidity in the room;
• lack of regular water procedures, inattentive examination of the flower to detect insects, untimely removal of dead fragments, diseased leaves;
• ignoring quarantine measures after acquiring a new plant.

On a note! Insufficient attention to soil disinfection is the cause of many pests on indoor plants. Before transplanting the dracaena into a new land, the soil is kept in the freezer or treated with boiling water, a 1% manganese solution. When using the old flower pot, the container also needs to be disinfected.

Mealybug control methods

If single individuals are found, they are removed with tweezers, and the leaves and the window sill on which the plants are located are treated with a soap and vodka solution. To prepare it, a teaspoon of crushed laundry or green soap is dissolved in hot water. Then bring to a volume of 1 liter and add a tablespoon of medical alcohol. Having previously covered the substrate in a flowerpot, spray the dracaena with a spray bottle. Within a month, a regular visual inspection is carried out to make sure that there are no offspring.

You can remove a small population of mealybugs from dracaena with a piece of cotton wool soaked in soapy water.

If the number of mealybugs exceeds 10, the dracaena needs treatment. All visible individuals are removed with a toothpick, cotton swab, tweezers, and the plant itself is treated with a chemical preparation. For the treatment of leaves, the stem is used the following means:

• "Aktellik" - destroys pests in one procedure. The drug is toxic, so do not neglect personal protective equipment.
• "Aktara" - used for soil application and foliar spraying. To completely get rid of insects, 2 treatments are required.
• "Intavir" is an enteric-contact drug.

Also used are "Tsvetofos", "Phosbetsis", "Decis", "Fitoverm", "Confidor". For tillage, Talstar, Bazudin, Arrivo are used.

Important! Before using the drug, a test for the susceptibility of the plant to the agent should be carried out. To do this, process one sheet and observe the reaction of dracaena within 1-2 days. Many insecticides are toxic to humans, so the treatment is carried out in a well-ventilated area, it is possible on the street, wearing rubber gloves.

Treatment of dracaena from a mealybug involves 2-3 treatments. The preparations do not have an ovicidal effect - they do not have a detrimental effect on pest eggs. Therefore, after 7-10 days, in order to destroy new offspring, the procedure is repeated.

Folk recipes

Most flower growers are skeptical about the use of folk remedies, considering them to be ineffective against the pest. However, in the early stages of infection, they can help in the fight against harmful insects.

Folk remedies can be effective only in the initial stages of infection.

How to get rid of a mealybug on a dracaena:

Important! When treating dracaena from mealybugs, it is isolated in a separate place. All nearby plants are regularly inspected with a magnifying glass and, if necessary, treated.

Dracaena is a showy evergreen plant. It can be found both in apartments and in offices. It is valued by amateur flower growers and designers for its attractiveness and unpretentiousness. However, despite its undemanding and non-capriciousness, dracaena suffers from unintentional care errors, attacks by pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses and harmful insects. This negatively affects its presentability. Therefore, you need to know what symptoms are characteristic of a particular disease or pest, and how to deal with them.

How to create a dracaena optimal microclimate

Dracaena is quite unpretentious, and there is nothing difficult in creating an optimal microclimate for it at home. But it is still worth listening to the requirements of the plant, trying to create an environment for it that is as close as possible to the one to which it is accustomed in nature.

Dracaena is a popular (not least because of its unpretentiousness) houseplant

Table: suitable conditions for growing dracaena

Factor	Recommendations
Location	Not far (1–2 m) from a window facing east or west. It is not recommended to put close to the south window in order to avoid sunburn. In the summer, if dimensions allow, you can take the container to fresh air. Dracaena loves him, but does not tolerate cold drafts.
Lighting	Diffused light or light partial shade. Species with variegated leaves are more demanding on lighting. All dracaena can exist in completely artificial light if the daylight hours last at least 12 hours.
Temperature	In spring and summer - moderately warm (20–25ºС). Dracaena does not tolerate heat well. In winter, it is slightly lowered - up to 17–19ºС. The lower limit is 15ºС. Exceptions are fragrant dracaena, Hooker, Dragon (tolerate a short-term decrease to 10ºС). All species react negatively to sudden changes in temperature. A difference of 10ºС or more can lead to the death of the plant.
Air humidity	It normally exists at a standard air humidity of 40–50% (dracaena Dragon and Godsphere are especially undemanding to it), but responds with gratitude to any measures to increase it. The only thing that should not be done is to pour water into the pan. In winter, running radiators dry the air a lot, so it is recommended to spray the surrounding air with warm water every 2-3 days. In the summer, in the heat, you can spray the plant itself, but so that the drops do not fall into the sockets, or arrange a shower by covering the soil with polyethylene. At least once a week, be sure to wipe the leaves with a wet cloth or sponge.

Pick up a dracaena place near the window; it is very difficult to put it on the windowsill because of its size

In addition to the optimal microclimate, timely fertilization and the correct watering regimen have a great influence on how the plant feels.

In summer, you need to let the soil in the pot dry out about 4–5 cm deep. This can be determined by sticking a wooden stick into the pot. One procedure every 2-3 days is enough. In winter, the intervals are increased to 5–7 days. In wet soil with a cool content, rot quickly develops. Broad-leaved dracaena need to be watered more often - they have more evaporation area. A clear signal is drooping leaves that have lost their tone. And do not forget to loosen the soil after each procedure.

The material on the conditions of keeping Sander's dracaena will also be useful:

As for dressings, there are special fertilizers for dracaena. The tree is watered with a nutrient solution every 20–30 days, moistening the soil well in about half an hour. If you use a universal remedy for indoor plants, pay attention to the composition. An excess of phosphorus and nitrogen can lead to deterioration appearance leaves. And dracaena categorically does not tolerate fluoride.

Video: maintenance and care of a flower at home

Diseases and pests typical for dracaena and their prevention

Dracaena, which is properly cared for, is quite resistant to damage by various pathogens, viruses and bacteria. Most often, these types of problems with the plant are the result of unintentional errors of the owner. An invasion of pests, even a massive one, is also unlikely to lead to its death, but it will cause a lot of trouble for the grower.

The most dangerous for her are all kinds of rot, as well as bacterial and viral diseases, which cannot be cured by modern means. In this case, the plant must be destroyed as soon as possible, no matter how sorry it is. Otherwise, you can lose the entire collection.

Most often, in order to avoid problems with dracaena, competent prevention is enough:

• quarantine for newly acquired plants for 25–30 days;
• regular inspections of the entire collection (ideally through a magnifying glass) and the immediate isolation of "suspicious" specimens;
• free, without crowding, placement of pots;
• frequent ventilation of the room and maintaining high humidity;
• placing indoor and cut flowers as far apart as possible, especially if they are roses or chrysanthemums;
• mandatory sterilization before using pots, substrate, any tools;
• processing of all "wounds" inflicted on the dracaena;
• implementation of recommendations for caring for the plant, especially those related to watering and fertilizing;
• maintaining cleanliness - regularly dusting the leaves and carrying out other permitted water procedures.

Problem Diagnosis

The plant gives the grower unambiguous signals. Deterioration of his appearance - clear sign health problems. It is important to correctly interpret these signs and know what to do in each case.

Table: symptoms and possible causes

External manifestations	Possible reasons
	Mistakes in care	Disease	Pest
Yellowing and wilting leaves.	Their life span is about two years. Otherwise - excessive watering
Pale, shrinking leaves, deformed, thinning trunks.	Light deficiency.
Falling green leaves.	Unsuitable room temperature (both high and too low), constant cold drafts.
Drying, curling and falling leaves.	Too little watering.
Dry brown leaf tips.	Low indoor humidity.
Dry tips and small areas of dead tissue on the leaves.	Excess fluoride in the soil - the use of unsuitable fertilizers or watering with hard, unsettled water.
Losing color saturation leaves and yellowish or almost discolored spots on them.	Burn from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. It is almost inevitable if the plant has been sprayed before. Drops of water focus rays no worse than lenses.
Yellowish-white spots on leaves, dry edges.	Low room temperature or its sudden changes.
Discolored "watery" border on the edge of the sheet.	Excess fertilizer in the soil (too frequent top dressing).
Reddening leaves.	Unsuitable too heavy soil with a predominance of peat.
Small white crystals on the underside of the sheet.	A natural phenomenon provoked by a single abundant watering in combination with high humidity.
Slow growth or its complete absence.	Unsuitable soil, lack of fertilizing for a long time or too cramped pot.
Flour-like coating on leaves.
Brownish soft to the touch trunk.
Brownish spots, gradually tightened with a gray "pile".
Dark "watery" spots, softening tissues.
Yellowing leaves covered with dark brown spots.
Reddish-yellow, gradually turning brown spots on the leaves.
Brown spots with a bright green border on the leaves.
Small beige spots with a white dot in the center.
Elongated beige spots with a pale red border.
Blurry brown spots with a yellow-green border.
Dark "watery" tips of the leaves, "sores" on the trunk.
Brownish spots and stripes, casting bronze.
Yellow spots on the leaves, petioles braided with cobwebs.
Silvery "scratches" and small black dots on the leaves.
Brown "plaques" on the leaves, reddish-yellow tissue around them.
Small lumps of a whitish substance in the axils of the leaves and in the ground.
Many small yellow-green or black-brown insects on the underside of the leaves and sticky drops on them.

What mistakes in care lead to: examples in the photo

Dracaena, in which the tips of the leaves dry, suffer from too low air humidity or sunburn. Dracaena can drop leaves for several reasons, including natural ones. This is how dracaena most often looks before shedding leaves. leave the plant in direct sunlight. Browning, drying dracaena leaves mean prolonged neglect of the plant's need for moisture. Yellowing of dracaena leaves reacts to overflow

Diseases and how to deal with them

Of the fungal diseases for dracaena, all types of rot are most dangerous, which develop very quickly with improper watering. If at the same time the temperature in the room is still below normal, this is almost inevitable.

Table: diseases typical for dracaena

Disease	Symptoms	Treatment and prevention
Small rounded pale brown spots on the trunk and leaves with a whitish dot in the middle, quickly changing color to black-gray. Gradually, the tissues in these places die off.	Wipe the leaves and trunk with an infusion of wood ash or colloidal sulfur. Treat the plant and soil with a solution of Topaz, Oksikhoma, Kuprozan. Repeat three times with an interval of 10 days. During this time, water not with ordinary water, but with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. For prevention, treat the flower and soil once a month with a 0.1% solution of Fundazol, Topsin-M.
Elongated beige spots with a reddish border on the leaves. Gradually they are covered with a layer of greenish-gray plaque.
Phyllosticosis (brown spot)	Blurry patches of irregular shape of beige-brown color with a lime border. Then small black “grains” form in the middle. At risk are adults and especially old dracaena.	Cut off all infected tissue. Remove severely affected leaves entirely. Sprinkle the sections with activated charcoal powder, chalk, cinnamon, treat with iodine or brilliant green. Spray the flower with a solution of Skor, Topaz, HOM. Repeat three times (treatment once a week). During this time, add any biostimulator (Zircon, Epin, potassium humate) to the water for irrigation (2-3 ml per liter).
Dark brown “watery” leaf tips, brown spots on them, small round “ulcers” on the stem and petioles. Healthy tissues are separated from infected ones by a wide yellow "oily" stripe.	There are no effective treatments. Provokes the development of bacteriosis constant dampness in a pot, heat in the room, alkaline soil unsuitable for dracaena.
Spotted wilt (bronze)	The leaves are almost completely covered with irregularly shaped stripes and spots. In artificial light they are brownish, in the sun they cast bronze. The growth of dracaena almost stops, new leaves are small and deformed.	With the help of modern means, it is impossible to get rid of the virus. Plants that do not feed are more likely to suffer from spotted wilt. For dracaena, a deficiency of potassium and phosphorus is harmful.
Yellowness spreading along the leaves from the bottom up. There is a "watery" border along the edge. The top of the trunk wilts. He himself becomes thinner, changes color to brick. In especially severe cases, the dracaena is covered with "weeping" brown spots.	Wash the flower under warm shower, remove affected leaves. Process the cuts. Spray the plant and spill the soil with a solution of Fundazol, Vectra, Benomyl. Repeat 2-3 times with an interval of 3-5 days. If there is no effect, use "heavy artillery" - Quadris, Bravo, Raek. For prevention, add Fitosporin-M to the water for irrigation. Add Humistar, Trikhovit to the soil when transplanting.
Root (black) rot	Brown roots and bases of the trunk, mold on the soil and an unpleasant putrefactive smell coming from it.	Remove the dracaena from the pot, thoroughly rinse the substrate from the roots. Trim anything dark and slimy to the touch, grabbing 3–5 cm of tissue that appears healthy. Soak the roots for 20-30 minutes in a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate or 0.5% Bordeaux mixture. Sprinkle the sections with sifted wood ash, colloidal sulfur. Transplant the plant into a sterilized pot using new soil. For 3–4 months, water with a 0.5% solution of Alirin-B, Baikal-EM, Previkur.
Bacterial (wet) rot	Dark "watery" spots on the leaves and trunk. The tissues in these places soften to a semi-liquid state.
Pale brown spots on the leaves, gradually covered with a layer of grayish "pile" with multiple small black blotches.	Cut off any infected leaves. Treat the wounds. Wipe them and pour the soil with a solution of Abiga-Peak, Kuprozan, Topaz. Water the dracaena with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (0.25 g / l) for a month.
Brown rot (rhizoctoniosis)	Dracaena stops growing. The leaves turn yellow, discolor, then become covered with black-brown spots.	Stop watering immediately. After 3–5 days, soak the roots for 10–12 hours in a solution of Bactofit, Agata-25K, Maxim. Let them dry well. If there is no effect, change the pot and soil.
Small brownish spots with a bright green border on the leaves.	Cut off any affected leaves. Provide the plant with optimal or close to them conditions. Follow the recommendations for caring for dracaena.
Leaves, as if powdered with flour. Gradually, this plaque thickens and turns brown.	Remove plaque from the leaves by washing them with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. Powder them with crushed activated carbon or colloidal sulfur. Water the dracaena twice with an interval of 10-12 days with a solution of any fungicide.

Photo gallery: what a plant affected by pathogenic fungi and bacteria looks like

It seems that powdery mildew is a harmless plaque that is easy to wipe off, but this is by no means the case. Brown spotting is a rather rare disease. Dracaena, affected by brown rot, practically stops growing Gray rot easy to recognize, but not easy to cure Tissues affected by bacterial decay turn into a semi-liquid mass root rot it is very difficult to recognize in time, but the disease can be treated only in the early stages of development Plants in the garden often suffer from fusarium, but indoor plants are not protected from infection. The plant affected by spotted wilt can only be thrown away. The greenish-gray coating that appears as heterosporosis develops contains spores of the fungus. Tissues affected by alternariosis gradually die off, holes remain on the leaves.

Video: treatment of dracaena diseases

Pests attacking dracaena

Most pests, even having bred in abundance, will not kill the dracaena. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be fought. The plant did not "bring" any exotic insects from its historical homeland. You will have to deal with the most common insects and mites that feed on its juice.

Table: common pests

Pest	Symptoms	Control and prevention measures
Rounded "plaques" of different shades of brown on the wrong side of the sheet. Gradually they "swell", the tissues around them acquire an unnatural yellow-red color. In severe cases, the soil turns black.	For visible pests, lubricate the shells with engine oil, acetic acid, pure alcohol. After a few hours, the shields can be removed. Wipe the leaves with soapy foam, rinse with water. Treat the plant with Actara, Permethrin, Fufanon. If necessary, repeat 1-2 more times with an interval of 5-7 days.
Thin almost transparent threads braiding petioles. On the underside of the leaf there are brown dots and blurry pale or yellowish spots around them.	Wipe the leaves with alcohol, vodka or any alcohol tincture. After 15-20 minutes - with a damp sponge. Spray abundantly and water the dracaena, for 2-3 days, if possible, seal it tightly with polyethylene. To enhance the effect, place a container with chopped onion, garlic, turpentine in the same place. If there is no result, use acaricides - Neoron, Agravertin, Sunmite, Apollo. It will take at least 3-4 treatments with different drugs. The interval between them is 5–12 days. For prevention, spray the plant weekly with a decoction of cyclamen tubers. Or irradiate the leaves with a quartz lamp for 2-3 minutes on both sides.
Discolored leaves, small black dots and silver-beige thin “scratches” are visible on the inside.	Apply soap suds or whipped flea shampoo to the leaves, leave under plastic for 2-3 days. Or spray it oil emulsion(35–40 ml of any vegetable oil per liter of water). Repeat 2-3 times with an interval of 5-7 days. If there is no result, use Fitoverm, Spintor, Actellik (2-3 times at weekly intervals).
Lumps of a dirty cotton-like coating in the axils of the leaves and at the base of the trunk. Leaves quickly turn yellow and dry.	Spray the dracaena with a soap-alcohol solution. Wash the leaves after 2-3 hours clean water. Simultaneously wooden stick remove visible "lumps". Treat the flower and soil with an infusion of tobacco chips, dry mustard, red pepper. Or spot any Neem tree oil preparation on the leaves. If there is no effect, use Iskra-Bio, Calypso, Mospilan (2-3 times with an interval of 5-10 days).
Large colonies small insects sticking to the inside of the leaves (especially young ones) and the top of the trunk. Then a sticky transparent coating appears.	Wipe insects off with soapy water. Cut off any affected leaves. Arrange a dracaena of souls. Spray the plant 3-4 times a day with infusions of orange peels, onion peels, pine needles, and any sharp-smelling herbs. If there is no effect, treat the dracaena with Biotlin, Admiral, Confidor-Maxi. Repeat every 5-7 days until the aphids are completely gone.

Photo gallery: what pests that affect dracaena look like

Aphids are distinguished by their rare “omnivorousness”, dracaena is also included in its circle of interests. If you do not pay attention to the mealybug, very soon the plant will be covered with a continuous carpet of moving “fluff” Small black dots on the leaves are nothing but the thrips themselves Spider mite is not an insect , therefore, to combat it, not general insecticides are used, but special preparations - acaricides. reliable protection from most folk remedies

Video: common indoor plant pests and their control

Plant resuscitation

Most often, the fact that dracaena requires urgent resuscitation is to blame for its owner. Most painfully, she reacts to improper watering - “drought” or “swamp” in a pot.

In the first case, cut off all dry leaves to living tissues, without touching the growing point at the top of the dracaena. Spray every 2-3 days with a solution of any biostimulant. Rearrange as close to the southwest or southeast window as possible. Water according to instructions. If the roots are not affected, after 2-3 months the dracaena will give new leaves. When the growth point has also dried up, you will have to cut it off as well, and hope that the lateral buds will “wake up”. But there's not much chance of that.

In a waterlogged substrate, the development of rot is almost inevitable. Dracaena needs to be transplanted as soon as possible, regardless of the time of year. But this procedure does not guarantee success, it will be effective only on early stage the development of the disease. In the process, be sure to cut off all the roots affected by the fungus, do not forget to sterilize the new pot and soil. At first, be very careful with watering, but spray the dracaena daily. Choose a container according to the size of the root system (plus a maximum of 2–3 cm).

What to do with a broken dracaena palm

Dracaena is a fairly massive plant, so the aerial part can simply outweigh the pot. Also, often the “fractures” she received are the result of the violent activity of children and pets. In this case, do not be upset. If everything is done correctly, instead of one plant, you will get two.

A broken dracaena is not a reason to arrange a tragedy

The easiest way is when the barrel is broken, but not completely broken. They put “tires” on it, as if on an arm or leg, and fix the skin so that it covers the “wound” as much as possible. Top can be wrapped with strips of sphagnum moss or coconut fiber.

Don't forget to seal your cut.

Otherwise, in the remaining part of the plant in the pot:

1. Saw off the trunk straight just below the damage. It is advisable to do this along the "scars" left over from fallen leaves.
2. Disinfect the cut with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate or 1% Bordeaux mixture.
3. Fill with liquid wax, paraffin, cover with garden pitch. If nothing is available, apply 2-3 coats of oil paint.
4. Remove the plant in partial shade. Water moderately. When growth buds form, return to normal care.

Material on the methods of propagation of dracaena will also be useful:

The lateral buds on the dracaena “wake up” for quite some time, be patient

Broken top:

1. Cut at an angle of approximately 45º. Try to do this as smoothly as possible, without “fraying” and notching. Let dry for 2-3 hours.
2. Trim off disturbing leaves. Put in a container with a biostimulant prepared according to the instructions. Can be used succinic acid and activated charcoal (one tablet for every 200 ml). An alternative is rooting in wet perlite, vermiculite, sand. The cut will need to be sprinkled with any powdered root stimulator.
3. Change the water every 3-4 days, moisten the substrate regularly. Provide bottom heating, at least 12 hours of daylight and a temperature of approximately 25ºС.
4. Be patient. The rooting process can take 3-4 months or even six months. When the first new leaf appears, transplant the plant into soil suitable for adult dracaena.

Most often, the broken top of the dracaena is rooted in water.

Video: rooting dracaena cuttings

Dracaena, like any houseplant, is not immune from the attacks of diseases and pests. However, it is quite resistant to them, and a tree that is properly cared for rarely suffers. Nevertheless, individual care errors, pathogenic fungi and bacteria can provoke a deterioration in the appearance of dracaena. If nothing is done, the plant may even die. Therefore, it is important to be able to recognize what causes certain symptoms and know what to do to cope with the problem.