As soon as you do not call cacti - and green hedgehogs, and prickly friends, and even the flowers of the desert. They adorn themselves with endless sandy expanses, and windowsills of city apartments. And both look fascinating there. But it turns out, desert deserters have their own problems in the form of parasites and various ailments. That's about the diseases and pests of cacti, as well as their treatment, and we'll talk today.
Cacti diseases, classification and treatment
So, cacti, like many other living beings, are also sick, despite their high stability and unpretentiousness. And although there are a lot of cactus diseases, they can all be divided into the following groups.
- Fungal diseases of cacti. These include late blight and various rot. The prerequisite for their occurrence is considered to be improper care for the cactus , namely, waterlogging of the soil. And, of course, the presence of fungal spores in the soil. Treatment in this case is as follows. All rotten places, even roots, are removed. The plant is treated with antifungal agents such as phytosporin, and cuts in case of damage by dry rot - also with coal or sulfur powder. The earth in the pot is completely replaced with a new pot, previously subjected to hot treatment and soil, and the pot itself, then the cactus should be transplanted . In some cases, for example, when affected by stalk rot, the diseased plant and the soil beneath it are simply removed, so as not to infect nearby standing individuals. A newly rooted plant is recommended to be disinfected 3 more times during the year at regular intervals.
- Virus-bacterial diseases of cacti. This group of diseases is very extensive, but its main distinctive symptom, manifested in all cases without exception, is a change in the color of the green mass of the plant. The spines simply turn yellow, fade and acquire an unpresentable, feeble appearance. How to treat cacti in this case? It is very simple, to create favorable external conditions for them and to give a good top dressing. Plants will soon gain strength and will cope with the overwhelming affliction.
- Pests of cacti. Strangely enough, but the pests for indoor cacti are all the same mealy and rootworms, nematodes, scutellum and spider mites. And the methods of struggle here are the same as in the cases with any other indoor plants.
The mealybugs, scabbards and ticks, if there are not many of them, are collected with a brush moistened in a solution of the pesticide. And the soil and the whole plant are treated with a mixture of soapy water and an insecticide. With a large number of these parasites, the ground is covered with polyethylene, and the plant is washed under a stream of water, and then processed in the manner described above.
When rootbugs or nematodes are found, the cactus is freed from the earth coma, the affected roots are removed and treated with a soapy water solution with a pesticide. The earth is thrown away, and the pot is either doused with boiling water, or etched with an insecticide. The new soil for prophylaxis is steamed in the oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of 120-150 ° C. A new rooting of the treated plant is performed no earlier than 2 weeks after the treatment.
That's all the main points of how to treat cacti. In general, it's better not to let the diseases take possession of your pets, then there will be no need to treat it.