Marigold diseases - why leaves dry

Marigolds (tagetes) are the inhabitants of every garden. They meet in city flower beds, pleasing the eyes of passers-by. Filling the air with an unsurpassed aroma, they flaunt on the balconies of city apartments. These flowers are completely unpretentious to grow. However, gardeners have a lot of questions if the bushes for some reason turn blue, red or purple. Many people do not quite understand what to do when these plants are attacked by pests. So that the disease is not caught by surprise, and measures were taken in a timely manner to eliminate it, you need to know the main diseases of marigolds, as well as those insects that harm these flowers.

Marigold diseases and their treatment

Tagetes, when compared with other colors, are practically not susceptible to disease. However, violation of the elementary rules of care, indifference to the soil, watering, feeding lead to the fact that the plants begin to wither and die.

Why do marigold leaves turn red

Some gardeners are at a dead end and do not understand why the leaves of marigolds turn red. Some believe this is due to poor care for them. Second, due to the fact that the plants are sick.

Marigold

The following reasons contribute to the reddening of marigold leaves:

• cold weather. It affects the leaves of the plant, as a result, they turn red;
• scorching sun. It also has a certain effect on the leaves, leading to a change in their color;
• transfer. The bushes need to go through a period of acclimatization, and during this time their leaves will be red;
• acidic soil. If the leaves of marigolds turn red, then you need to check the acidity of the soil.

As you can see, there is nothing wrong with the plant leaves turning red, no. It is enough to analyze for what reason such a phenomenon occurs, and it will not be difficult to eliminate the problem of labor.

Why marigolds do not bloom: what to do

Depending on the weather conditions, you need to wait about two months from the moment the bushes are planted in the ground to see how the plants bloom. If after this time nothing starts to happen, then the wrong care was taken for the seedlings.

The main reasons why marigolds do not bloom and what to do about it:

• lack or excess of fertilizers. Marigolds must be fed with preparations containing potassium and phosphorus (each component is taken in 1 tbsp. Spoon and dissolved in 10 liters of water, while the flow rate for watering should be 2-3 liters per 1 m²);
• insufficient or excessive watering. Flowers are watered daily, if the summer is dry - in the morning and in the evening (water consumption - 20 liters per 1 m²);
• there is not enough air in the ground. To saturate the soil with oxygen, it must be loosened once a week;
• not enough lighting. Bushes must be planted in a sunny place, if this is not possible, you can place them in partial shade.

The leaves of the marigolds turned white

Sometimes a white bloom appears on the leaves of the bushes. This may indicate both the presence of a disease and the infestation of flowers by pests.

So why do marigold leaves turn white? Main reasons:

• plants are affected by spider mites - white spots in the form of a cobweb are visible on the leaves;
• the bushes have undergone such a disease as powdery mildew - in addition to the appearance of plaque on the leaves, they begin to wrap up from the edges.

If the leaves of marigolds turn white, you need to take measures as soon as possible to eliminate the cause of the disease. Otherwise, the plant will die, and all the efforts to grow it will be in vain.

Marigold leaves curl

If the leaves of marigolds curl, the first step is to pay attention to whether the colors have enough lighting. It happens that the bushes were originally grown in a room in which there was practically no sunlight, and then they were taken out into the sun. In this case, the leaves first turn yellow, then dry, curling around the edges, and fall off.

Rolling leaves may also indicate that plants are affected by chlorosis or powdery mildew.

How does marigold chlorosis manifest

Chlorosis of marigolds is a disease, the appearance of which is caused by a deficiency of certain trace elements. With this ailment, the process of chlorophyll formation in the leaves is disrupted. The fact that Tagetes suffer from chlorosis is indicated by the following phenomena:

• the veins of the leaves remain green, and their plates turn yellow;
• the tops of the plants dry up;
• leaves become smaller in size and fall off;
• the buds are deformed and fall off;
• the development of the root system is suspended.

Chlorosis treatment consists in adding to the soil the trace element that the plant lacks. If difficulties arise with its definition, you need to use complex dressings, which contain all the necessary substances.

What is powdery mildew in marigolds (lat.Erysiphaceae)

Powdery mildew is classified as a fungal disease. When it occurs, a whitish coating appears on the leaves of plants in the form of a powder, which many mistake for ordinary dust. It is easy to remove it with your finger, but soon it reappears.

Diseases of marigolds

If you do not pay attention to this ailment for a long time, the entire plant is covered with a bloom. Over time, its leaves turn yellow, and new ones grow twisted and ugly in shape.

To treat the bushes from powdery mildew, fungicides are used, which are based on sulfur.

Gray rot (lat.Botrytis cinerea)

The disease affects plants in cold, damp weather. More often dense plantings of flowers are susceptible to ailment. If the leaves and stems of the bushes darkened, spots of a brownish tint began to form on them, then it is time to take action and save the plants from gray rot.

The disease can spread quickly. Therefore, at the first signs of an illness, it is necessary to remove the affected parts of the flower. Otherwise, the disease will spread to crops growing nearby.

Black rot of marigolds (lat.Guignardia bidwellii)

Blackleg is the most common marigold disease. It affects mainly young plants. The lower part of their stems first darkens, and then rots, from which the flower dies.

In the fight against black rot, special attention is paid to preventive measures. You can occasionally water the plants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. If some of them get sick, they are immediately removed to avoid infection of other bushes.

Signs of late blight (Latin Phytophthora infestans)

Marigolds do not suffer from late blight. On the contrary, these flowers are planted near potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and other crops that are susceptible to infection by Phytophthora infestans fungi, which means “destroying plants”.

Brown spot of marigolds (Latin Phyllosticta petuniae Sp.)

Brown spot is not terrible for marigolds, since they are also not susceptible to this disease.

Causes of marigold disease

Marigolds are unpretentious plants. However, improper care of them provokes the development of various diseases.

Temperature violation

Due to a violation of the temperature regime, the following diseases can develop:

• powdery mildew (outside air is below 15 ° C);
• gray mold (cold, damp weather).

Violation of watering rules

Irrigation violations may cause the following problems:

• powdery mildew (the soil is constantly overdried and then poured over);
• black leg (darkening and decay of the stems with excessive watering);
• cessation of growth (the soil is poorly moistened);
• small inflorescences (lack of moisture).

Excess moisture leads to the impossibility of the development of inflorescences after the marigolds bloom. They rot, which ultimately destroys the plant completely.

Lack of iron

If the plants or seedlings turn yellow, this could be a sign of iron deficiency. The problem is easily solved if you add top dressing, which contains the missing trace element.

Pests

Sometimes it is completely incomprehensible what happens to the flowers: either someone is eating marigolds, or they have undergone some kind of disease, or simply the wrong care is taken for them. In fact, it is quite easy to recognize what is happening to the bushes. The main thing is to know what pests can attack these plants and what the result of their vital activity looks like.

Who eats marigolds

The most common insects that eat marigolds are:

• greenhouse whitefly. It affects plants growing in hot conditions. For example, in sparsely ventilated greenhouses or outdoors in extremely warm summers. It is a small butterfly. Her main food is the juice from the leaves of flowers. On plants, this insect can leave its larvae, the secretions from which become a habitat for sooty fungi. The presence of this ailment is evidenced by a black bloom on the leaves of plants;

Greenhouse whitefly

• snails and slugs. These parasites, belonging to the class of molluscs, gnaw on bushes in rainy weather. They eat both leaves and stems of plants;
• thrips are small insects that, sucking juice from the buds of marigolds, destroy them. They begin to rot, and eventually dry out and fall off. The affected areas are quite easy to see: they look like small punctures in the area of ​​the petals of the buds;
• caterpillars. They feed on the leaves of flowers, which is why the plant loses its decorative effect.

Spider mite on marigolds

This pest infects young plants. However, if summers are hot and dry, it can attack mature bushes as well. This insect spreads in an arid environment, so it is important when growing marigolds to maintain appropriate air humidity and spray the plants as often as possible.

When a spider mite appears on the marigolds, the leaves of the bushes acquire a whitish bloom. Then they dry up and, dying, fall off.It is necessary to take timely measures to combat this pest. Otherwise, the garden will lose its charming inhabitants.

If the question arises of how to deal with cobwebs on marigolds, then the only correct methods are to keep the air moist and spray the bushes frequently.

You can get rid of a spider mite as follows. It is necessary to pour 200 g of tobacco into 2 liters of water. Insist for two days, filter and add water until a 10-liter container is filled. To this solution, add 50 g of shavings of laundry soap and mix everything thoroughly. Tagetes are sprayed with such an infusion in the morning and in the evening until the pest completely disappears.

Aphids on marigolds

These insects are tiny in size from 3 to 7 mm. On the head of the pest, there is a proboscis, with which it pierces the stem and leaves of the plant, sucking out the juice. Insects attack the bushes in colonies.

Aphids on marigolds

When aphids appear on marigolds, the main way to combat it is to use insecticides. Before using them, you need to wash off insects from the bushes with a strong pressure of water. Once this has been done, chemicals can be used to prevent pests from returning to the flowers.

Agrochemistry and plant protection

In order for the Tagetes to please the eye with their appearance, it is necessary to take care of preventive measures to protect plants from diseases at the stage of planting seeds.

How to treat with folk remedies

Some ailments of marigolds can be cured by unconventional methods:

• Chlorosis. You can save a plant from this scourge if you drop rusty nails into the pot where it grows (some scrape off rust from old metal objects, and then add it to the soil).
• Fungal diseases are treated with the following compositions: 40 g of soda ash is mixed with 10 g of detergent, dissolved in 10 liters of hot water and cooled (sprayed with bushes and soil); 80 g of mustard powder is poured into 20 liters of water, the resulting solution is sprayed over the flowers; 60 g of finely chopped garlic is poured into 2 liters of water, infused for a day, filtered, used for spraying.

Prevention and protection of marigolds from pests and diseases

Preventive measures are as follows:

• compliance with the temperature regime, the rules for watering the bushes, planting plants in places with good lighting;
• deciding to plant seeds in open ground, this should be done no earlier than the second half of May (the soil is covered with protective material and it is not removed until the first shoots appear);
• when growing seedlings in pots or cups, drainage should be poured on their bottom (you can use coarse sand or crushed stone). This is a preventive measure to prevent the development of fungal diseases;
• in spring, plants are fertilized sparingly, since abundant fertilizing can provoke active growth of deciduous mass and delay flowering.

Protection of marigolds from diseases and pests:

• Greenhouse whitefly. Preventive measures include treating the bushes with mustard and water. To cook it, you need to take 2 tbsp. tablespoons of dry mustard and 0.5 liters of water. The ingredients are mixed and placed in a water bath. When the mustard dissolves, the agent is cooled and sprayed with the bushes.
• Snails and slugs.To prevent them from eating plants, these pests must be picked by hand. Also, wood planks are laid along the marigold bushes. They are an obstacle for slugs and snails on their way to plant leaves.
• Thrips. Prevention to protect against them begins in early spring. When the garden is treated against the harm of various insects, marigolds are also sprayed with special preparations. Thrips, as a rule, affect fruit trees and move from them to flowers. Therefore, it is important to do a comprehensive treatment of everything that can bloom in the garden.

Marigold pests

• Caterpillars. Protection measures are reduced to spraying plants with chemicals. You can also dust the foliage of the bushes with ash.
• Spider mite. Preventive measures include frequent spraying of plants, as this insect cannot stand high humidity.
• Chlorosis. Protecting plants from the development of this disease consists in observing the correct method of growing flowers, as well as in timely feeding.
• Black rot. Preventive measures consist in the fact that flower seeds are soaked in fungicides before planting, they are also etched into the soil in which the plants will grow.

Timely preventive measures make it possible to further rid the plant of the effects of chemicals that allow it to fight pests and diseases.

Tagetes reliably protect many crops from various pests and diseases. However, these flowers themselves may undergo a certain ailment. To protect your pets from such a situation, you need to devote more time to them and eliminate any sign of an emerging problem even at the stage of its inception.