What are the common diseases of small-leaved Syzygium buxifolium? These 3 need early detection and early treatment

Has your pot of small-leaved Syzygium buxifolium been looking a bit "droopy and listless" lately? Either the leaves develop spots, or the branches get moldy, or even the whole plant wilts. In fact, it is mostly down to common diseases. Today let's talk about the 3 diseases that small-leaved Syzygium buxifolium is most prone to, and how to identify and save them.

The first and also the most common one is leaf spot disease. This disease is very easy to recognize. At first, small brown dots appear on the leaves, smaller than sesame seeds, and you cannot spot them at all without looking carefully. When it gets serious, the small spots join together into irregular large patches, the leaves slowly turn yellow and dry up, and finally fall off at a touch. This disease generally peaks in summer and autumn, especially when water splashes onto the leaves while watering, or when the potting soil stays wet for a long time without ventilation, fungi easily find their way in.

There is no need to panic when dealing with leaf spot disease. First cut off all the diseased leaves, and remember to wipe the scissors with alcohol after cutting so you do not infect other branches. Then find a bottle of carbendazim, dilute it with water according to the instructions, and spray both sides of the leaves and the surface of the potting soil. Spray once every 5 days, and 3 sprays in a row can basically bring it under control. Normally do not water onto the leaves, and place it somewhere with good ventilation, such as by a balcony window, so the leaves can dry quickly, and this disease will be less likely to occur.

The second is root rot, which is more hidden than leaf spot disease. By the time you find it, the roots are often almost completely rotted. How do you tell? If the leaves suddenly look wilted and still have no energy after watering, and leaves drop before the potting soil is dry, and when you dig into the potting soil the roots are black and sticky and give off a foul smell, then it is almost certainly root rot. It is mostly caused by watering too often, water accumulating in the potting soil, or using airtight clay soil, so the roots get "smothered" inside.

To save a plant with root rot you have to be "a bit ruthless": first take the plant out of the pot, rinse off the potting soil with clean water, and cut off all the rotten roots and black roots until white, healthy roots are exposed. Then soak it in a carbendazim solution for 15 minutes, take it out and let it dry in a ventilated place for at least one day, without sun exposure. Change to a new flowerpot and repot it with loose new soil (such as leaf mold plus river sand), water once to settle the roots, then keep the potting soil slightly dry, and wait until new leaves emerge before watering normally again.

The third is powdery mildew. Although it is less common than the previous two, once it occurs it looks especially distressing. Leaves and tender branches are covered with a layer of white powder, as if flour had been sprinkled on them. It can be wiped off with your hand, but the more you wipe, the worse it gets. Later the powder turns gray, the leaves curl and deform, and new branches grow thin and weak. This disease generally occurs in spring and autumn, when the temperature is 15-25°C and the air is humid. For example, if it is placed on a closed balcony with insufficient light and frequent misting, powdery mildew fungi easily breed.

Treating powdery mildew is also simple. First cut off the branches and leaves with white powder, and do not just throw them into the flowerpot. Then dilute thiophanate-methyl with water and spray it, focusing on the undersides of the leaves and the tender branches. Spray once every 7 days, and 2-3 sprays are enough. Normally let the Syzygium buxifolium get more sun, at least 3 hours of bright indirect light each day, and do not keep it stuffy indoors all the time. Once the air circulates, powdery mildew is less likely to find its way in.

Actually, the diseases of small-leaved Syzygium buxifolium are mostly "spoiled" by our improper care: watering too often, not enough ventilation, and insufficient light give fungi and bacteria their chance. Observe more often, and deal with any abnormal leaves promptly. Do not let a minor illness drag on into a serious one.