Causes of Benjamin ficus diseases and methods of their treatment
Ficus is very popular, especially a variety like Benjamin. It is unpretentious and easy to grow at home. All this plant needs is good watering and timely feeding. Despite the unpretentiousness of the flower, Benjamin's ficus diseases can still cause inconvenience to its owners. And besides ailments, it can also be attacked by various parasites.
Ficus Benjamin diseases
Most often, diseases and pests in a plant arise from improper care or infection from other flowers. Ficus, like a person, needs to be prevented from various kinds of ailments. Diseases and pests of Benjamin's ficus with a photo can be easily found on the Internet. So why do diseases occur in this plant?
Causes of ficus diseases
A plant of this species may be covered with pale spots or the leaf may turn yellow. Most often, this does not mean that Benjamin's ficus has picked up some kind of disease. To be convinced of this, first of all, you need to assess its location. Maybe he just lacks the sun. We must try to rearrange it to a more illuminated place.
Diseases can also occur due to insufficient watering. During this period, the leaves become dry and begin to fall off.
This flower needs to be watered often enough, otherwise it will simply die, but this does not mean at all that the plant needs to be poured. No flower can handle a lot of water.
Ficus Benjamin was bred in warm countries, so the temperature in the house should be somewhere around 23 ° C. If the air is cold or the flower gets used to standing in a draft, it will simply shed its leaves, and a very high temperature can cause the plant to turn dark brown.
If the plant does not receive enough nutrition, it will be attacked not only by diseases, but also by pests, therefore, not only regular watering should be carried out, but also mineral fertilizers should be applied. It is necessary to feed the flower at least once a month.
Optimal conditions for growth and avoidance of Benjamin ficus diseases
Often diseases appear in ficus due to the wrong location or air temperature, therefore, in order for the flower to be comfortable, it must be placed in a place where there is good lighting and there is no draft. Often it is the draft that causes the death of the plant. For ficus Benjamin, the optimum air temperature is 15 ° C.
Water the flower in moderation. In the summer, this should be done no more than 2 times a week. In cold weather, watering is carried out every 10 days. Only under such conditions of detention can the occurrence of various ailments be avoided.
Ficus Benjamin pests
Proper care allows you to avoid a variety of diseases, but it is almost impossible to prevent the appearance of pests. The reason for their appearance can be varied.Most often they arise due to high humidity and inappropriate air temperatures. If pests appear, but the leaves become sticky, spots and even cobwebs can form. One such parasite is the mealy worm, which is evidenced by the curling and wilting of the leaves.
Often, Benjamin's ficus infects a parasite such as a tick. Because of it, the level of photosynthesis decreases, and over time, the flower may die altogether. Another pest is aphids. Because of it, the leaves turn yellow and fall off over time. These parasites of ficus Benjamin from the photo can be easily found on the Internet.
A brown spot indicates that the flower is infecting the scale insect. This parasite sucks out all the juices from the plant and leaves a sticky coating, due to which a sooty fungus can appear. In order to cope with the scabbard, it is necessary to treat the leaves with insecticidal oil and a special varnish for the plant. At home, you can use a soapy solution.
Most of the pests arise due to the fact that improper care was taken for the ficus. But there are those that appear regardless of watering and feeding, so you should check the flower daily for parasites.
Ficus infectious diseases
The problems with the flower do not end with pests. Ficus Benjamin can easily contract infectious diseases. Their treatment is carried out using special solutions. During this period, the plant needs special care and more attention. Such ailments most often appear due to the secretion of parasites or dew.
In order to get rid of this kind of disease, it is necessary to prepare a fungicide solution. Before the ficus treatment is carried out, the affected leaves must be removed from the plant. If after the first spraying the disease does not go away, you need to repeat the treatment again.
Fungal diseases include mold and rot. If you do not carry out timely treatment, you can lose the flower, because these ailments affect not only the stem and leaves of the plant, but also the root.
Ficus bacterial diseases
In addition to fungal and infectious diseases, there are also bacterial ailments. They are no less dangerous for Benjamin's ficus. Agrobacterium tumafaciens and Xanthomonas are especially common.
Agrobacterium tumafaciens is an ailment in which the entire flower becomes covered with small bubbles. Over time, these blisters turn into scales and flake off. With this disease, any treatment is useless, so the flower must be destroyed.
Xanthomonas is a blistering disease. Over time, each bubble grows in size and turns brown. No treatment will help in this case, so the flower is simply thrown away.
Sources of diseases and pests of ficus
Most often, problems with ficus are associated with improper care or lack of it. It depends on him how the flower will develop, so if Benjamin's ficus appears in the house, we must try to provide him with quality care.
The main sources of diseases and pests:
- inappropriate lighting;
- very low or high air temperature;
- wrong humidity;
- improperly selected fertilizer;
- unsuitable soil.
The owners of such a flower often complain that it withers and the leaves turn yellow. In this case, you should pay attention to watering. It may be that there is too much of it or, conversely, not enough.
In order to avoid such problems with Benjamin's ficus, it is necessary to avoid such mistakes. It is also recommended to carry out preventive methods. What are they?
Prevention of ficus diseases
If you properly care for Benjamin's ficus, you can avoid many problems in the future, so it is necessary to take some preventive measures. The first and most important thing to do is to inspect the ficus every day for diseases or pests.At the slightest manifestation of the disease, it is necessary to immediately treat the flower.
The leaves of the plant must be wiped every day with a special solution. It is made on the basis of soap and ordinary water. This procedure must be carried out if the ficus was on the street during the summer. It is advisable to put young flowers separately from those that are older. Only after adaptation can the ficus be placed next to the rest of the plants.
Vases of all colors should be at a sufficient distance from each other. If you do not follow this rule, a disease can occur that will affect all plants. It is also necessary to regularly remove the grass in flowerpots so that it does not suck out all the beneficial properties from the soil, they should be given to the ficus.
The soil must be regularly treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will avoid the appearance of a pest such as a midge. If you provide the ficus with such conditions, then it will never get sick.
Conclusion
Ficus Benjamin is a plant that, on the one hand, is not very capricious, but on the other, it still requires attention. There are often situations when a flower cannot get used to a new place and dies. No one can explain why this is happening, therefore, if you decide to have such a plant, you need to devote as much time to it as you give to children. It must not only be watered, but also fed, sprayed, washed leaves.
Many housewives are very fond of ficuses and breed them in large quantities. Those who take good care of them receive beautiful and healthy flowers. And those who think that the ficus will grow by itself will simply lose it over time. Therefore, if you really want to have such a handsome man as ficus in your home, take care of him.