Control Methods for Pests of Clivia and Diseases of Edible Fungi

The common pest of Clivia is the scale insect, which often gathers on the tender tips of leaves, sucks the leaf sap, and whose secretions turn the stems and leaves moldy black, causing sooty mold and making the leaves wither. Scale insects have strong reproductive capacity and can produce multiple generations in 1 year; a single female adult can often produce hundreds of nymphs. If not controlled in time, they can cause the plant to die.

Scale insect control should focus on prevention. Usually, check the plant body frequently and remove pests early when found. Both manual and chemical methods can be used together for control. If pests are found on only a few leaf tips, they can be scraped off manually by sharpening a thin wooden stick or using a bamboo skewer to pick out the insects. If large numbers of nymphs appear, spray with 25% phosmet emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution.

In addition, earthworms can also become pests of Clivia. When the Clivia plant is young, its fleshy roots are tender and weak. If there are earthworms in the potting soil, they often burrow around everywhere, injuring the tender roots, destroying the Clivia's ability to absorb nutrients, and causing the plant to stop growing or develop root rot. The control method is to frequently check whether there are round soil pellets on the surface of the potting soil (that is, earthworm excrement). If found, immediately water with 50% dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate at 1500-2000 times dilution. If earthworms are seen burrowing, remove them immediately, and apply control again after 7 days.

(Li Jikai, Nanhu Park, Shenyang)