Content
Delphinium diseases and pests, which can cause significant harm to the plant, affect the crop quite often, despite its hardiness and high immunity. Therefore, flower growers must know in advance about all pathologies and dangerous parasites, symptoms of diseases, methods of treatment and pest control.
Delphinium diseases and their treatment
Delphinium is most often affected by viral, bacterial and fungal diseases. Some of them are incurable, and to eliminate the infection it is necessary to completely destroy the perennial flower. Otherwise, the disease may spread to other crops.
Black spot
The most common delphinium disease is black spot, which most often forms in wet and cold weather. The progression of the disease is as follows:
- First, black spots form on the lower leaves.
- Then they spread to the upper part of the foliage.
- During the spread process, the stem suffers and also turns black.
The insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that spot bacteria can easily overwinter, both on last year’s infected foliage and in the ground. That is why every autumn it is recommended to remove fallen leaves from flower beds and destroy them.
Treatment of the disease depends entirely on the prevalence of spotting on the plant. If the delphinium has just begun to become stained, then you can try to save it. A tetracycline solution is used as a healing elixir. The drug is dissolved in water at the rate of 1 tablet per 1 liter of water. The treatment is carried out twice: the second time - after three days.
If the disease has managed to spread, then it is unlikely that the delphinium will be saved. Therefore, it is recommended to dig up and burn the affected bush, and treat the soil underneath it with a tetracycline solution.
Delphinium wilt
Many delphinium diseases, as well as plant pests, lead to its wilting. But there is also a separate pathology of the same name, which develops as a result of the activity of certain bacteria. Both wet and cool weather and dry and hot weather can contribute to this.
Development of the disease:
- The first thing that appears on the lower leaves is yellowness.
- The stem then becomes covered with dark and brown spots.
- Subsequently, the affected areas on the stem become soft and then turn black.
This disease is considered incurable because bacteria destroy the flower from the inside. The only option to save the delphinium from wilting is to carry out preventive measures. Before planting, the seed material is soaked for 30 minutes in hot water (45 - 50 degrees).
Powdery mildew
A common disease among delphiniums is powdery mildew, which manifests itself as a grayish coating on the foliage of the plant. In this case, the flower may turn silver in an instant, and the foliage will fade more and more every day. Once the greens turn brown or brown, the plant cannot be saved.
Treatment of powdery mildew is possible in the early stages. Colloidal sulfur is used for this. The bushes need to be sprayed with a 1% solution.
Downy mildew
The disease can attack the plant during the autumn rainy period. The reason for the development of pathology is dampness and coolness. As a result, the lower parts of the foliage begin to become covered with a silvery-white layer.
Like many other delphinium diseases, downy mildew can be removed with Bordeaux mixture. And if the fight against them is started in a timely manner, then the chances of saving the plant are high, and it will continue to delight the eye not only in the photo.
Root collar rot
Fungal diseases of delphinium, for example, root collar rot, are also dangerous. The main symptom is the appearance of cobweb-like mycelium at the base of the stem, as well as yellowing of the lower part of the foliage. Rot quickly destroys the roots, which leads to the death of the crop.
Infection occurs either when pruning the bush or during transplantation. Excessively moist soil coupled with high air temperatures promotes the development of rot.
Fusarium
Another disease that can affect delphinium in hot summers is stem wilting, or fusarium. Most often, the disease overtakes young plants, whose stem begins to become covered with spots. Fusarium quickly spreads throughout the bush, moving from the stem to the roots. It takes less than a week for the disease to kill the plant. And the only way to save an infected flower is to remove the damaged stems and get rid of them by burning them.
Ramularia leaf blight
Some delphinium diseases, photos and descriptions of which must be studied before planting, are difficult to treat. The same applies to a disease called ramulariasis, which is expressed in the appearance of a large number of spots that can reach more than 1 cm in diameter. In this case, the foliage begins to dry out and then falls off.
You can save the delphinium by immediately treating it with a solution of borax or foundation.
If in the spring you treat the delphinium against diseases that develop due to the attack of viruses, then the plant can be protected from many ailments and even from death.
Delphinium pests and their control
Not only diseases can attack delphinium in the garden. There he is also pursued by numerous pests. Most often the lists of enemies include:
- caterpillars;
- delphinium fly;
- delphinium mite;
- slugs;
- aphid;
- meadow nematode.
All these pests harm flowers, stems and foliage, and nematodes can destroy the root system. If the problem is neglected, the plant can quickly die.
Delphinium fly
The main danger of this pest is that the fly lays eggs with its offspring directly in the delphinium buds. After emergence, the larvae begin to attack the stamens and pistils, which first leads to the fact that the plant stops bearing fruit and then dies altogether.
The main and most effective remedy against this pest is a 10% solution of prometrin. It is necessary to treat the delphinium several times to remove the fly and its offspring forever.
Aphid
An equally dangerous pest is aphids, which love not only cabbage and radishes, but also flower crops. Aphids quickly spoil the foliage, which makes normal nutrition of the flower impossible.
Several means can eliminate the pest:
- specialized drugs;
- soap and water solution (laundry, 70%);
- tobacco infusion (pour boiling water over freshly grown tobacco in a ratio of 1 to 1, leave for 3 days, pour over a plant that has been attacked by pests).
Delphinium mite
If the delphinium leaves begin to curl and turn black, this may indicate the presence of a pest such as the delphinium mite, which causes damage to flowers and leaves.
Attention! If you do not treat the delphinium with special products against this pest, the plant may die.
Slugs
Slugs attack mainly young specimens of delphinium, so they are considered very dangerous pests. To prevent flowers from dying, you need to take care of their safety in advance.You can scatter granular metaldehyde, superphosphate or ordinary lime on the flowerbeds, which parasites try to avoid.
Meadow nematode
An insidious pest that can attack the roots of a flower is the meadow nematode. It is quite difficult to remove it, so experienced gardeners prefer to protect their area from the appearance of the parasite. This can be done by treating the soil with forty percent thiazone. The procedure is carried out before planting the delphinium, approximately 20 - 30 days.
Preventive actions
A plant such as delphinium can be attacked by various diseases and pests. Many of them lead to the death of a garden flower, so it is best to use some recommendations for disease prevention.
- Soil preparation. Before planting delphinium in the ground, it is necessary to disinfect the soil and seeds. For this, a simple solution of manganese is suitable, which is poured onto the soil, and in which the seed material is also soaked before sowing.
- Construction of the drainage layer. Despite its unpretentiousness, delphinium prefers a moderate level of soil moisture. To prevent moisture from stagnating, it is necessary to pour a small layer of fine crushed stone or expanded clay into the holes before planting.
- Compliance with the watering and fertilizing schedule. If the plant grows in comfortable conditions, it will have high immunity, which will allow it to cope with the attack of various diseases and pests.
Conclusion
Delphinium diseases and pest damage can have different origins. Some cases are incurable.Therefore, it is important to take a responsible approach to the process of growing this garden flower, following the rules of care and taking preventive measures.
