How to protect houseplants from diseases and pests in winter

Ornamental indoor plants create a cozy atmosphere in the house and serve as a real decoration of the interior. But in order for them to please the eye for a long time, it is necessary to carefully take care of their health, especially in winter due to the lack of sunlight. How to protect plants from diseases and insect pests, tell "Izvestia".

Frequent causes of diseases of indoor plants

Most often diseases of decorative indoor plants occur with improper care. This may be the location in too dark a place or under bright sunlight, insufficient watering, improperly selected soil or soil, lack of nitrogen.

Another reason is pests, which can be brought in with land bought in the store, get from the street, as well as stay on the old pot from a former sick plant.

All this creates conditions for weakening the immunity of the plant and the development of diseases.

Common diseases of indoor plants

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to determine whether the unhealthy appearance of the plant is the result of poor care or whether it is suffering from a disease caused by pests.

If the leaves, stems and flowers have a powdery, starchy appearance, this may indicate the presence of a fungal disease known as powdery mildew.

Red spots, which then turn into dark crusts, are characteristic of stagonosporosis, or so-called red scald. The disease is dangerous because it leads to rotting bulbs and deformed leaves.

Rounded dark brown spots with clear outlines indicate septoriosis. And light oval with a dark border - about heterosporosis. With severe infection, the leaves wither and fall off.

One of the most harmful diseases is considered gray rot. It is easily recognized by a fluffy gray plaque resembling mold. The rot can cover not only the leaves, destroying the plant tissue, but also the soil and the walls of the pot. In this case, in addition to treatment, replanting will be required.

How to protect indoor plants from diseases and pests

First of all, during the disease of the plant, it is necessary to reduce air humidity, provide more frequent ventilation and moderate watering.

To treat the leaves and soil, you can prepare a copper-soap solution. In one liter of warm water you need to dissolve 10-20 g of green soap, and then add a few grams of copper sulfate. It is better to dissolve it in water in a separate container in advance.

This method is well suited against fungal diseases and pests such as aphids, whitefly and others. You can also prepare a solution of baking soda (a tablespoon per 10 liters of water) or iodine (a teaspoon per 10 liters of water). Spots are sometimes enough to treat with greens or iodine.

With a large number of insects, you can try to remove them with a cotton disk, but in order to get rid of larvae and eggs, special treatment will be required.

The plant should be isolated and thoroughly washed under a stream of water from the shower, and then treated with an infusion of garlic with the addition of soap. A good result gives and veterinary preparation from fleas. For five to seven days after treatment, the flower should remain in quarantine. Only after that it can be put next to healthy plants.

Earlier "Izvestia" told how to save garden plants in winter.