Growing Succulents in Summer: Deal with These Obstacles with Full Force

In summer, what troubles many flower lovers is not that succulents look ugly, but that they are tormented endlessly by various pests and diseases. Pests and diseases are a major "obstacle" blocking succulents from becoming beautiful, and if not dealt with in time, they can even endanger the succulents' lives. So when growing succulents in summer, flower lovers need to be extra alert and deal with these "obstacles" with full force.

The first "obstacle": There is something dirty in the center of the succulent's leaves, and it is sticky. What is going on?

If the center of the succulent's leaves looks a bit dirty and feels sticky to the touch, this means your succulent has a pest infestation, possibly aphids or scale insects. At this time, flower lovers can check the underside of the leaves. If scale insects or aphids are found, they need to mix pesticide with water and spray the succulent once a week, and 3 consecutive treatments will drive them away.

The second "obstacle": The weak leaves have been chewed, and I do not know what is going on?

If the succulent leaves are chewed over a large area, it is very likely the "good work" of cabbage worms, snails, owlet moths (Noctuidae) larvae and the like. This kind of insect is relatively large and easier to find than scale insects and aphids, so it can simply be removed by hand. Usually, flower lovers should pay special attention to guarding against snails after rain and butterflies fluttering during the succulent's flowering period.

The third "obstacle": Little white bugs, endless, what should I do?

The common little white bugs on succulents are scale insects. This pest reproduces quickly, and the eggs are very hard to kill, so many flower lovers who grow succulents feel that no matter how they kill them, they can never finish off scale insects. At this time, the only option is to clean them up promptly, also by putting pesticide into a succulent spray bottle and spraying to kill the scale insects.

The fourth "obstacle": The succulent leaves dry up and fall off, and yellow-brown spots have appeared. What is wrong?

This situation may mean the succulent has been "targeted" by red spider mites, and flower lovers need to check whether the succulent plant has red spider mites. If necessary, spray a pesticide specifically for killing red spider mites. If no red spider mites are found, it may be rust disease. In mild cases, the diseased leaves can be removed and the plant kept in a ventilated place; if the condition is severe, a fungicidal pesticide needs to be sprayed, and the plant should be kept in a shaded, ventilated place.

The fifth "obstacle": The succulent has fungus gnats. What should I do?

Adult fungus gnats do no harm to succulents, but their larvae chew the roots and tender leaves, and are especially fond of small succulent seedlings grown from seed, often eating them completely bare. The method for dealing with fungus gnats is relatively simple: keep the soil dry, and the larvae will die in about 3 days. Some other insecticides can also effectively kill fungus gnat larvae.

In addition, flower lovers can also place sticky insect glue paper around the succulents to trap and kill them; moreover, using granular soil as a top dressing can also reduce the occurrence of fungus gnats.