Phlox lower leaves turn yellow: what to do
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Phlox are unpretentious plants. Most summer residents grow them in their garden plots. Beautiful flowers allow you to admire yourself all season: spring, summer, thanks to the variety of varieties.
It happens that it never comes to admiration. This is due to diseases that accelerate the wilting of flowers.
Phlox's lower leaves turn yellow, what to do
It may happen that the time of flowering does not come at all. In addition, phlox diseases can spread to other garden plants. Hence, it is so important to determine in time when phloxes are infected in order to neutralize the threat. It is important to know why phlox leaves turn yellow, what to do in this case
Yellowing of the lower leaves of phlox becomes a sign of the disease. You can notice this with the naked eye and then determine the necessary measures.
Sick phlox
What diseases can be the cause
Why do phlox leaves turn yellow, what to do if trouble befell these beautiful flowering bushes - it is written below. Consideration should be given to information on diseases and other factors that contribute to yellowing.
Phlox diseases that cause yellow leaves are divided into several types. The causes of wilting are:
- viral diseases. Phloxes can pick up tobacco mosaics and neurotic stains. These viruses are similar in symptoms. In addition to yellowing of the leaves underneath, viruses are recognized by rings or asymmetrical spots. Following the yellowness, dryness of plants begins, sometimes their appearance resembles burnt paper. In young plants, growth is limited, in old bushes, it stops completely. Phlox leaves weaken, curl up into a tube, deform;
- fungal diseases. Phloxes can get hurt by catching fungal infections. A weighty basis for the emergence of a fungus is improper flower care, ignored agricultural standards (too dense planting, waterlogging, high temperature). Diseases are brought by pests, dirty garden tools;
- microplasma diseases. They arise due to the influence of pathogenic organisms. They can be defined as a cross between a bacterium and a virus.
Yellowing
Of the common microplasma plant diseases, gardeners have to deal with dwarfism and jaundice. They are recognized by the following symptoms:
- leaves change their shape;
- the plant loses its decorative properties;
- green leaves turn yellow, begin to dry out.
Pests
The group of the most dangerous pathogens that provoke yellowness on the leaves includes various pests. On phlox, you can find pests that feed on the roots, suck out the juice of the leaves of the plant, and eat the green mass of the bush.
One of these pests is the mite spider. Large spiders cannot do as much damage to flowers as a small spider mite does. If this pest has chosen someone's garden, one should seriously fear for the fate of all flowers, including phlox.
You can find a tick by the peculiar marks that it leaves.Faintly noticeable light stripes appear on the leaves, then the leaves dry out and turn yellow. All these are traces of the presence of a tick spider. It follows from one bush to another, systematically destroying all garden plants.
Phlox can be saved by using insecticidal oils and soaps as processing agents. The composition is sprayed on the places of accumulation of parasites. It is necessary that the solution gets on the pest itself. However, for preventive purposes, spraying can be carried out on healthy plants. Spraying with a weak solution on flowers is carried out 1-2 times a month. According to many gardeners who have experience in how to deal with a tick, in addition to the above solution, carbaryl sprays help well.
Pests
Abundant humidity
In addition to pests, improper watering is a negative factor that damages flowers. Waterlogging becomes a common culprit for the appearance of a yellow tint on phlox leaves. Despite the fact that water is the main resource for ensuring the growth and development of plants, it happens that it is this very source of life support for flowers that becomes their enemy. As a result, the main question arises as to why the lower leaves of phlox turn yellow.
Phloxes need moderately moist soil to grow productively and bloom profusely. Too much water creates an obstacle to the plant's access to sufficient nutrients. The root system is in a swampy state, deprived of oxygen access. As a result, root decay occurs, and yellowing of the leaves precedes this, followed by falling off.
Following the rules of watering, phloxes are not watered if the topsoil is already saturated with moisture by 2-3 cm. If the water is in the ground, despite all the measures taken to correct the moisture content, it is worth improving the drainage. Small amounts of compost and pebbles are placed in the top layer of the earth. Over time, the compost decomposes and the soil weakens, facilitating drainage. Small stones prevent the soil from caking and compacting.
What to do to help the plant
You should act differently in different situations. For diseased plants, there are certain methods that are chosen according to a specific disease. For example, the tobacco mosaic virus is soil-borne. It can be brought in using dirty implements when cultivating the land after it has already been treated with infected plants.
Helping the plant
Many experts, in order to prevent this from happening, advise doing a five-minute soaking of garden tools with 20% bleaching solution. This also applies to tools used to trim plants.
In addition to the mites mentioned above, thrips, small insects, can be pests. Prevention of protecting phlox from pests considers the previously given method of periodically spraying phlox and other flowers with garden oils.
Microplasma diseases are forced to use solutions containing antibiotics as a treatment for phlox. Such measures are effective for the early stages of the disease. A higher degree of disease means the death of the bush and the danger of contamination of nearby plants.
When phlox leaves turn yellow, what to do
Novice gardeners will find it helpful to read the advice of those who have significant experience in growing garden flowers. They can tell why phlox leaves turn yellow. Specialists in particular point to the following.
- diseases affecting perennial phlox are latent. It is difficult to identify them in the initial stages, since they are secretive. A seemingly healthy plant may be infected with a dangerous infection, but it will be possible to find out much later.In order not to spoil the collection of phlox, purchased flowers must be planted for 2 years in a dedicated quarantine area away from old bushes;
- it is necessary to carry out a visual inspection of the plantings. Enough once every 2 weeks. If you are concerned, the number of checks can be increased. Having discovered alarming symptoms of diseases (a change in the tone of the petals, leaves covered with spots, deformation of the bush), the plant begins to heal or destroy if the signs of the disease show a too strongly developed form;
- garden tools require disinfection before working in the garden. The tools must be clean. Do not use them directly after the work carried out on pruning or loosening the soil;
- having established that phloxes are sick and, having determined the main cause of the disease, the gardener needs to decide on measures that will help restore the flower bush. This can be done only if the disease is not dangerous and the plant can be saved.
Pruning
If the infection was of a viral origin, it is useless to save the plant. The main task that arises in this case is to get rid of the infected bush as soon as possible before it infects the rest of the garden plantings. A diseased bush is dug up along with the rhizome and burned. The place where he previously grew up is disinfected.
Phloxes that have contracted fungal diseases can be saved if they are properly cared for. It is important to accurately determine the watering, properly feed with useful elements. It is also necessary to trim the leaves that have begun to dry.
Bloom
All problems, if not taken to extremes, are easily solvable. If you follow the garden, know how to act in various situations related to plant diseases, the appearance of pests, you can admire the lush bloom of phlox and other varieties of garden flowers every year.
