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TIPS ON ILLNESSES | |
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Aphids These are small insects that absorb the sap and live in colonies on the internal sprouts, exuding a sticky substance that prevents photosynthesis and weakens the plant. They deform the leaves and sprouts, which roll up. They usually are accompanied by ants that care for the aphids. There are different colours of aphids: green, yellow, brown and black. The months in which they abound are from March to August or September, but it is easy to kill them with a good multipurpose insecticide. It is advisable to fumigate again 5 or 6 days after the first (in case there are any leaves that did not take it well or that we missed and still have insects) in order to get rid of all of them, so they do not spread again. The third spraying should be done a month after the second spray, for prevention, and we will repeat approximately every month during the season. Woodlice These are insects that are covered by a hard shell, they live on leaves, branches and stems. They cause deformity and later falling of leaves, white or brown shields and discoloured areas, they produce molasses, where “sooty mould” appears and weakens the plant. They appear mainly in April, May, June and October. To fumigate we use a multipurpose insecticide or spray for woodlice. It is a bit harder to kill them off than the aphids, but the treatment is similar, the first fumigations will be more frequent, from 5 to 7 days. Then a month or month and a half later and during these months, as prevention. Whitefly These are small insects found on the underside of leaves. They cause yellowing of leaves and exude a sticky substance on which black sooty mould settles. It is good to frequently spray against whitefly and aphids with a multipurpose insecticide. Heat makes the whitefly thrive, and they can be found mainly from April to September. Ants These are social insects that live in large families; some are red and others black. They move aphids because they like the sweet molasses. They gnaw roots and stems and dig up the seeds. They are frequently found from May to October. They can be fumigated with an ant spray or powder. Oidium This is white or greyish “hair” that appear on stems and leaves. The leaves yellow and may even fall off. The common name of Oidium is powdery mildew. To fight it we will use a multipurpose fungicide or special oidium fungicide. It usually appears in May, June, July, August and September. Rust fungus These are fungi that usually appear due to excess humidity, in the form of small protuberances on the leaves, that later transform into long or round scattered spots that give rise to reddish or yellowish powder. They usually appear in spring and autumn. They can be fought with a multipurpose fungicide. Mites These are tiny spiders, measuring about a millimetre and very hard to see. They can be yellow or red. They feed on the sap, live on the underside of the leaves and cause browning and drying of the leaves. They are active only in high temperatures, in July, August and September. It is good to spray the plant with water from time to time, as this bothers them very much. They can be eliminated with a mite spray. If the plant is infected it is recommended to spray it every 15 days during these months. Black spots These are black and grey spots, clearly differentiated and silhouetted, sunken in or depressed regarding the rest of the healthy plant. Pink or cream coloured sores appear in March, April, May, June and July, mainly. A multipurpose fungicide is used to fight them. Thrips These are tiny insects that bite the flowers, leaves and stems, discolouring and weakening them. In warm and dry surroundings they reproduce abundantly and easily. Their favourite months are June, July and August. They can be fought with a multipurpose fungicide. Caterpillars In this case we will find the leaves eaten irregularly, either on the ends or from the centre, caved in or rolled. They are easily killed with an insecticide. Ground worm There are different colours and species of worms. They can be white, grey or brown, and they gnaw at the roots. The most common worms are the white ones, and the best treatment against them is a ground insecticide. Weed killers It is advisable to avoid a continued use of weed killers, because they entail certain danger to the plant roots. However, there are some very efficient ones for the perennial weeds that are difficult to eradicate. To apply on the ground: There are two types of weed killers: These are not used in flower pots or boxes, rather for fruit and olive trees. They are used to keep the foot of the tree free of weeds. They are applied on the ground and create a toxic film, but if it falls on the weeds that already exist, nothing happens, it does not kill them. It only has effect on the ones that are germinating. These are used mainly in early autumn and early spring. They do not evaporate with heat and the effect on the ground lasts weeks and up to months. To apply on the leaves: The weed killers used for the existing weeds are applied on the leaves and can be: Contact: , these destroy the green leaves and stems that they touch, not reaching the roots. We will see the weeds die in a few hours. Systematic: These are also applied on the leaves, which absorb it and then take it to the roots through the sap. The plant also dies, even perennial plants. We will se the effect in 4 or 5 days after fumigating, as it does not affect the stem and leaves, only the roots. Once the roots are affected, the plant dries out completely. Both of these at the same time can be total weed killers (that kill all type of plants) or selective (that kill a specific type of plant). Although a total weed killer can sometimes become selective by reducing the dosage. Or a selective weed killer can become a total one by increasing the dosage. There are weed killers for grass, which kill the wide-leaf weeds that grow, leaving the grass intact. How to fertilize When a plant needs fertilizer it changes its green colour to a more yellow shade, and in some cases it might die. However, it is much more common for a plant to die due to excess fertilizer, therefore we must not overdo it. If we overdose it we will see that it turns a dark green and grows too fast, and the tips of the leaves will dry out. If this is the case of any of your plants, to avoid it dying you must give it water for a while, to rinse the soil, and let it drain out the bottom. It is always preferable to underdose than to overdose, as it can be fertilized a bit more later on. Be careful, because it is always much more difficult to fertilize a flower pot than a plant in the ground, as you can easily go from a lack of fertilizer to an excess. It is advisable to change fertilizers and not always use the same one; a different fertilizer can provide new vitamins as it may have a different composition. For example: it is not good to always eat beef, at times we need to change to fish, vegetables, etc. The use of iron chelate is the best way to correct iron chlorosis, thus it is recommended to provide it at least once a year for all plants, to prevent yellowing. Yellowing of the leaves may also be caused by very calcareous soil that causes a lack of minerals such as iron, magnesium, etc. In these cases we must use a fertilizer containing micro-elements. If the soil is averagely good it is not necessary to overly fertilize. For acid loving plants such as camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, gardenias, heather, etc. we must use a special fertilizer and substrate that have a low PH (acid) instead of a high PH (alkaline). Citric acid is an inexpensive product, easy to use, which lowers the PH. The excess of nitrate leads to tall and weak plants, which do not have as many branches as they should and are prone to fungi and parasite attacks. Excess nitrogen also increases contamination of underground water sources. |
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