How do you prevent and treat pests and diseases of pitcher plants such as scale insects, leaf spot, and fusarium wilt?
The pitcher plant is so formidable, yet it can still get pests? Isn't the pitcher plant specifically a plant that eats insects? It can even be eaten by insects, and scale insects really are the nemesis of the pitcher plant. What pests does the pitcher plant have? How should they be handled?
1. Fusarium wilt
The leaves and pitchers of a pitcher plant bought not long ago withered, which is usually caused by not adapting to the environment. Most pitcher plants bought by gardening friends have just come out of the greenhouse not long ago, and once brought home they cannot adapt to the environment all at once, so they wither.
Solution: cut off the severely withered parts, spray water around it, keep the temperature constant. Can't do anything about a big temperature difference? Just cover it with a transparent plastic bag! This creates a constant-temperature, high-humidity environment.
2. Leaf spot
When you see small dark brown round spots appearing on the leaves, gardening friends get very worried. They will slowly expand. At first there are only a few spots on the leaves, but if not handled well the whole leaf is done for!
Hot, stuffy conditions (no ventilation, water accumulation) make black spot very easy to get. Of course, frost damage must also be avoided. The solution is very simple: cut off the affected leaves, even though it may have formed a cute little pitcher! Cut them off and throw them away, or burn them.
If you want to treat with spraying, you can start spraying in the early stage of the disease to prevent it from spreading.
Generally, 25% carbendazim wettable powder at 300-600 times dilution, 50% thiophanate at 1000 times, 70% maneb at 500 times, 80% mancozeb at 400-600 times, 50% captan at 500 times, etc. are used.
Note: buy two or more kinds of chemicals and alternate them when spraying, so that the pathogen does not develop resistance. This applies to all kinds of plants.
3. Scale insects
Scale insects are truly annoying! Why does every kind of flower have this thing!
They easily make branches and leaves wither, and can even kill the whole plant. They easily induce sooty mold, utterly wicked. These things reproduce fast and have strong resistance. What to do?
Prevention and control method: carefully inspect the plant every day and detect pests early. When there are just one or two at the beginning, destroy them directly, kill them with tweezers or brush them off with a soft brush.
If there are many, cut off the pest-infested branches and leaves and the diseased leaves and branches and destroy them.
If there are many insects that have not long hatched, chemicals can still kill them. Spray once every 7—10 days, and 2—3 times in a row is about enough. You can use 40% omethoate at 1000 times dilution, 50% malathion at 1500 times dilution, 255 imiphos at 1000 times dilution, 2.5% deltamethrin at 3000 times dilution, etc., applied as a spray.
Notes:
Its flowers are not very good. It likes a warm, humid, ventilated environment, so generally keeping it on a back-facing balcony is enough, with one or two hours of sunlight a day, and the pitchers it grows will also be robust!
Whether in a hanging pot or placed on a tabletop, you should make some supports for them to climb, though that is only needed once they grow big! If after keeping it for a while it just dies, then you can only mourn in silence!
When growing pitcher plants you still need to pay attention to these diseases, to avoid the pitcher plant dying. Pitcher plants are quite expensive, and if they die it is too much of a loss, and you will also be sad for a long time.
What to do when pitcher plants get insects: prevention and control of pitcher plant pests and diseases / 1 pest, 2 diseases, treat by spraying
When it comes to the pitcher plant, everyone thinks of its ability to catch mosquitoes and flies. But did you know that even such a mosquito-repelling plant can get insects! Because the pitcher plant is a tropical plant, growing it in our country will be affected, and if you are not careful it will be attacked by pests and diseases. So what do you do when pitcher plants get insects? Below is the prevention and control of pitcher plant pests and diseases. Let's take a look together.
1. What to do when pitcher plants get insects: spray chemicals
It is understood that the pitcher plant is a tropical plant, and cultivating it in most parts of our country will have a certain effect on its growth. If you are not careful, the pitcher plant will be attacked by pests and diseases. So what do you do when pitcher plants get insects? Actually it is very simple, just spray chemicals.
As for what chemicals to spray, there is a detailed introduction in the prevention and control of pitcher plant pests and diseases. Let's continue reading below.
2. Prevention and control of pitcher plant pests and diseases
According to the editor's research, if you do not strictly follow the pitcher plant cultivation methods, pitcher plants are prone to leaf spot, root rot, sunscald, etc. Among these, leaf spot and root rot are the more serious. In addition, they can also be attacked by scale insects. The specific symptoms and prevention and control methods are as follows:
1. Root mealybug
A type of scale insect, it mainly sucks the fresh sap of the pitcher plant. Symptoms of attack: pitcher plant leaves turn yellow, wither, and even drop, seriously affecting the ornamental effect of the pitcher plant.
Prevention and control method: when a small number of root mealybugs are found, they can be wiped off with a brush or coarse linen, then cut off the diseased leaves and burn them in a concentrated way to reduce the source of the disease; finally, spray 40% profenofos emulsifiable concentrate at 1000-1500 times dilution or 25% isazofos emulsifiable concentrate at 700-800 times dilution as a spray to check and kill them. Note that both the front and back sides of the branches must be covered, which can increase the insect-killing rate.
2. Leaf spot
One of the pests and diseases of the pitcher plant, it mainly infects its leaves. Symptoms of the disease: water-soaked spots and small dots appear on the leaves, gradually expanding to form oval spots, brown in color. The diseased part produces a black mold layer and later cracks. It seriously affects plant growth and the ornamental effect.
Prevention and control method: promptly remove diseased leaves and destroy them in a concentrated way to reduce the source of the disease; when the disease occurs, spray a fungicide or a 1000 times antibacterial solution. When spraying, it must be even and the whole plant must be covered, including the back of the leaves.
3. Root rot
In a high-temperature summer environment, if there is no ventilation and the water used for watering contains lime, then the pitcher plant will suffer from root rot. Symptoms of the disease: the above-ground leaves turn yellow and gradually wilt. The underground roots turn brown and rot, and no new roots grow for a long time.
Prevention and control method: in the early stage of the disease, promptly spray chemicals. You can choose things like lizhujing or root rot spirit, dilute with clean water into a solution and spray. To avoid root rot, you can use a mix of peat soil, dry cow dung, leaf mold and sandy soil, hang it in a greenhouse, and provide appropriate shade.
4. Frost protection and pest prevention
The pitcher plant is a tropical plant, and when the temperature is low it is easily frostbitten, with many small patches appearing on the leaves. If it lives in a damp, dark environment for a long time, it is also prone to sooty mold. In summer it can also be attacked by pests such as thrips and scale insects.
Prevention and control method: when the temperature drops, keep it warm in time, and it is best to place it in an air-conditioned room. To avoid attack by pests, promptly spray a dedicated insecticide. Ventilate in time, let it see sunlight, and promptly clean up any insects found.
That is all the editor has to introduce about the prevention and control of pitcher plant pests and diseases. I believe everyone now knows what to do when pitcher plants get insects or get sick! Overall, although the pitcher plant can repel insects, it can also get insects, so to avoid unnecessary trouble, everyone should take good care of it.
Pitcher plant feng shui: pitcher plant cultivation methods
Everyone is surely familiar with the pitcher plant. In many people's homes there are pitcher plants, used to catch insects and kill mosquitoes, and planting them on a balcony or in a courtyard is also a sensory enjoyment. So today let's look at how to cultivate this peculiar pitcher plant. In this issueplant feng shuitakes you to learn about pitcher plant cultivation methods.
Basic information about the pitcher plant:
Pitcher plant (Latin scientific name: Nepenthessp.), also called water pitcher plant, monkey water bottle, monkey jar, piglet cage, thunder god pot, etc., is the collective name for all species of the genus Nepenthes. It belongs to tropical insectivorous plants and has a unique organ for absorbing nutrients - the insect-catching pitcher. The pitcher is cylindrical, slightly swollen in the lower part, with a lid on the pitcher mouth, and it gets its name because its shape resembles a pig cage. There are about 170 wild species of Nepenthes plants worldwide, only one species is produced in the Guangdong region of China, and there are more than 1000 horticultural varieties. At present, excellent varieties of pitcher plants are mainly used for flower exhibitions.
Pitcher plant cultivation methods
Soil: The soil is best as loose, fertile and breathable leaf mold or peat soil. For potted plants, a mixed substrate of peat soil, sphagnum moss, charcoal and fir bark shavings is commonly used.
Watering: The pitcher plant is quite sensitive to moisture. The pitcher plant can only grow and develop normally under high-humidity conditions. During the growing period it needs frequent spraying, 4 to 5 times a day. If the temperature changes greatly or it is too dry, it will affect the formation of the leaf pitchers.
Sunlight: The pitcher plant is an epiphytic plant, often growing under large trees or on the north side of rocks. Its natural conditions are semi-shade. Under strong direct light in summer it must be shaded, otherwise the leaves are easily scorched, directly affecting the development of the leaf pitchers. But under long-term dark conditions, the leaf pitchers form slowly and small, and the color on the pitcher surface is dull.
Temperature: The suitable growth temperature for the pitcher plant is 25-30°C, from March to September it is 21-30°C, and from September to the following March it is 18-24°C. In winter the temperature should not be lower than 16°C. Below 15°C the plant stops growing, and below 10°C the leaf edges suffer frost damage.
Fertilizing: The pitcher plant does not particularly need fertilizing, because the pitcher plant can usually catch insects on its own to convert nutrients. If the pitcher plant has insects to eat, there is no need to fertilize.
Pests: Pitcher plants often suffer from leaf spot and scale insect damage. For leaf spot, spray 50% zineb wettable powder at 1000 times dilution. For scale insects, spray 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 2000 times dilution.
Pruning: The pitcher of the pitcher plant is a modified leaf, so like the leaves of other plants it also ages and dies. Generally speaking, under suitable conditions each pitcher can survive for several months. When it has already withered, you can cut it off to make the whole plant look more beautiful, but this is purely for appearance and has nothing to do with the health of the plant.
Notes on cultivating pitcher plants
1. The flowers of the pitcher plant have little ornamental value. The flowers are small and plain, and only a few varieties have more colorful flowers. In addition, the flowers of the pitcher plant also give off a not very pleasant smell, so do not cultivate it indoors as much as possible. A courtyard balcony is the best choice.
2. The pitcher plant is a vine plant and must have something to cling to in order to stand, so you need to set up supports for the pitcher plant. To set up the supports, you need to use a larger flower pot. On the other hand, using a larger flower pot can hold more cultivation medium, making the pot stable and heavy, which can support a large pitcher plant without being blown over by the wind.