At the beginning of autumn, the daytime temperatures are still relatively high, and the sunlight, although it has lost its intensity, is sufficient for the plants. Annual flowers are at the end of their life cycle, and perennials are preparing for their dormant period. This is the season when the watering regime for houseplants is reduced so that they can more easily adapt to the conditions in the living quarters where they will survive the cold winter months.
Reduced soil moisture, dry air and still high temperatures in autumn make plants less resistant to enemies.
Statistics show that every second plant is attacked by aphids. These small insects (1-5mm) form entire colonies on the tips of the shoots, young leaves and flower stalks, from where they suck the food juices. As a result, the affected areas become deformed and dry, the flowers wither, and the sticky juice they secrete is a suitable breeding ground for various types of disease-causing fungi.
One of the serious threats to plants comes from the various types of spider mites. These miniature spiders reproduce extremely quickly in the presence of sufficient heat and low air humidity, causing significant disturbances in the metabolism of ornamental plants. They develop mainly on the underside of young leaves, from which they suck the cell sap, together with the chlorophyll grains. Lowering the level of chlorophyll disrupts the normal flow of life processes in plants and they lag behind in their development. Damaged areas become discolored or brown, after which the leaves dry and fall off. The flower buds do not develop and fall, the flowers remain underdeveloped and wither, and a thin cobweb is visible on the remains of the plant. If adequate measures are not taken in time to combat spider mites, they can cause irreparable damage or completely destroy the flower.
Special attention deserves the red flatworm, which is the smallest of all mites and owes its name to its color and flat body. Dry stagnant air and high indoor temperatures are ideal for their rapid spread on ornamental plants.
The cyclamen mite belongs to this genus of pests. It is monophagous – it does not attack other plants. Due to its tiny size and ability to hide in the corners of leaves, its detection with the naked eye is extremely difficult. The concentration of a large number of mites resembles a powdery layer adhering to the lower surface of the leaves. Unlike other types of mites, the ideal conditions for its development include high air humidity and a more moderate temperature. Infected cyclamen have brownish shoot tips, flower buds are unnaturally dark in color and wither, and spots and deformations appear on the flowers. Prevention against all types of mites consists in regular and careful visual control of the surface of the leaves.
At an established density of 4-5 mites on the larger leaves (2-3 on the smaller ones), all above-ground parts of the plant are sprayed with Omit 57E, Piranika 20VP or Talstar 10EK. To break the cobweb under which there are adult mites, larvae and eggs, spray with a strong stream, in opposite directions, taking care not to get the preparation on the flower buds and flowers. If a significant part of the plant is affected, it is better to destroy the whole plant in order to stop the invasion of the mites on the remaining flowers.
Adverse indoor growing conditions are ideal for whitefly infestation. This tiny white butterfly (about 1-2 mm) reproduces extremely quickly. It feeds on the juice of the leaves and exhausts the plant as much as possible. Forms colonies on the reverse side of the leaves. The infected plant is sprayed with a solution of Admiral 10EK. The preparation induces sterility in female individuals and cleanses the plant of the pest.
Aphids are one of the most stubborn enemies of decorative flowers. They spread over the leaves, twigs and stems. There are different varieties, but their common characteristics are reduced to the hemispherical shape of the shield and its brown color. The invader quickly conquers the entire plant and spreads to the surrounding areas. It is located on the lower surface of the leaves. In less affected plants, lice and their eggs are washed off with a soapy solution. Cleaning with a swab soaked in denatured alcohol is recommended for more serious contamination. A new preparation with proven effectiveness against the parasite is also available in the commercial network - ECTO KILL spray. The plant is sprayed (on two consecutive days), and on the second day it is also sprayed into the surface layer of the soil. The insecticide kills the shield-bearing aphids and they "peel off" the leaves. Thus, the beloved plant regains its perfect decorativeness. The preparation can also be applied prophylactically.
Thrips, which attack the flowers and buds of decorative plants, also cause serious damage to flowers. The appearance of these dwarf insects (1-1.5 mm) on the flowers can be determined by the presence of numerous light dots and transparent areas on the upper surface of the leaves and black dots located on their reverse side. Adult insects are dark brownish or black, while larvae are white, whitish or yellow, which makes them inconspicuous on the leaf petura. The fight against thrips is difficult due to the fact that at each stage of its development it is "sensitive" to a specific insecticide. The preparations are not able to destroy eggs and larvae in the last stage of their development. Single treatments can achieve population reduction, but not complete destruction of the pest, i.e. it is necessary to carry out several treatments with different preparations. This requires, in the presence of thrips, to destroy all the flowers and peduncles of the plants in the collection. Since at 25ºС the population doubles in 4-5 days, several treatments with different preparations are recommended, carried out at an interval of 4 days. The thrips adapts to different chemical products for plant protection, which necessitates alternating treatments with Aktara, Mospilan and Confidor in a random sequence. It is recommended to add an antiparasitic shampoo for pets to the solution, which helps it stick better to the above-ground vegetative parts of the plants.
By ensuring the flow of fresh air, higher air humidity and suitable temperature, we will ensure not only the desired decorativeness of the flowers, but also their better resistance against pests.
