Hibiscus sticky leaves what to do. Diseases and their causes

One of the reasons why indoor plant The leaves begin to curl, these are pests. For example, a flower infected with whitefly (whiteflies are one of the most dangerous pests), has yellow leaves covered sticky drops over their entire surface. In addition to whiteflies, other hibiscus pests threaten the plant: aphids, gall midges and spider mites.

Spider mite

Aphids are another scourge familiar to people who are interested in floriculture. Aphids are usually attracted to the fleshy shoots of the plant, so they quickly attack it and drink the juices from it. One of the characteristic signs of the appearance of this pest is that the plant curls its leaves, and subsequently sticky droplets quickly appear on the leaves.

To combat aphids, the following methods are used: first, they should be removed from the leaf and stem using a cotton pad, and then treated with a soap solution or special preparations (Aktara, Iskra).

Gallica

Another reason why the leaf blade curls and falls off is the gall midge, which poses a threat to both the leaves and the root system of the plant. Typically, pest eggs can be found in the buds of a plant - this is where worms hatch from the eggs, gnaw the buds, and then fall into the soil, closer to the roots of the plant.

Diseases and their causes

In addition to insect infestations, your flowers may also be susceptible to diseases. Hibiscus diseases, if left to chance, can cause the death of the plant. Rotten roots, leaves beginning to dry out - all this obvious signs that the hibiscus needs help. It's not about various types rot, when the plant has rotted or its roots have dried out, but about diseases that affect the condition of the foliage of the flower. So, let's look at the main leaf diseases and their treatment.

Chlorosis

Chlorosis is nothing more than the loss of color by leaves. Leaves affected by the disease rapidly lose color and become very pale, even slightly yellowish. The disease is most dangerous because the leaves may not only lose their color, but over time may begin to fall off. Thus, if you do not take any measures, your hibiscus may soon remain completely bare.

Sunburn

Another misfortune that poses a significant danger, but is not essentially a disease, is sunburn. Everything is simple here: sunburn occurs as a result of violation of the conditions of detention. Hibiscus, like the vast majority of plants, does not tolerate direct sunlight. So if you forget about this and place it in a place where it will be directly exposed to them, be prepared to suffer the consequences of sunburn.

Also, this misfortune can appear if you kept your plant in the shade for a long time, and then suddenly put it in a bright place. In this case, it is not even necessary that straight lines fall on it Sun rays– a simple change of environment will be enough. In addition, sunburn can occur even if the leaf seems to stick to the glass.

A sunburn looks like a slight reddish or yellowish dry spot on the surface of the leaf plate. It is better to take measures to save hibiscus immediately, because the longer you delay, the more rehabilitation the flower will need later.

Treatment and prevention

In order to eliminate the problems, you will need to cure the plant, saving it either from insect attack or disease. If in the case of insects it will be enough to use any effective insecticide or acaricide (and for those who like to use folk remedies - soap solution), then with diseases you need to act a little differently.

In case of chlorosis, it is necessary to treat the hibiscus with iron chelate and add the necessary fertilizers (since the disease itself is often caused by a lack of nutrients). Except by improving the conditions of detention, you will not help the plant in any way.

In order to eliminate the effects of sunburn, you need to remove all damaged hibiscus leaves, as well as optimize the conditions of maintenance - for example, place them in a darker place.

Hibiscus often decorates not only our homes, but also offices, shops, and public service premises. This plant is, in principle, unpretentious, but it has small enemies: pests and diseases, which sometimes seriously annoy the Chinese rose. Knowing what hibiscus diseases are and analyzing their causes, you can prevent diseases and avoid problems by caring for the plant correctly. If troubles could not be avoided, immediate action must be taken.

Hibiscus diseases: some causes

The most common mistakes in caring for Chinese roses that novice gardeners sometimes make are the following:

• Excessive watering, which caused partial rotting of the root;
• The hibiscus is exposed to the wind, in a draft, or in direct sunlight;
• The plant is in a hot room, and the air is dry;
• The hibiscus was not transplanted on time;
• Hibiscus leaves are covered with dust;
• Complete or partial lack of spraying (especially in summer);
• Irrigation water is of low quality, unsettled and with impurities;
• Poor lighting, the plant is in a dark place;
• Excessive feeding;
• Lack of feeding.

In addition to the above, you need to take into account that you cannot place hibiscus next to diseased plants, such contact will lead to pest damage and various diseases.

Hibiscus leaves: why they get sick

If Chinese rose leaves are affected, this is mainly due to the appearance of chlorosis.

This disease occurs due to the fact that the production of chlorophyll in the green parts of the plant decreases. The leaves lose their natural color, become pale, sometimes almost yellow.

Timely replanting, lack of contact with already sick pets, regular cleansing of layers of dust, as well as regular application of suitable fertilizers can help prevent further development of chlorosis. Sometimes the plant needs to be bathed under an indirect shower stream, carefully covering the ground with a piece of polyethylene. The new plant needs to be quarantined for a short time.

Iron deficiency

Hibiscus sometimes completely sheds its leaves. This phenomenon is a sign of iron deficiency. Most affordable way help the plant, if the hibiscus has completely fallen off, spray it with an iron chelate preparation. The cause of the disease may also be that the fertilizer for the pet was chosen incorrectly: it contains little or none of what hibiscus needs. useful substances and microelements.

Sunburn

As a rule, all hibiscus tolerate direct sunlight, but if the Chinese rose lived long time V shady place, and then it was very suddenly placed on a sunny windowsill (without an adaptation period), then sunburn may occur on the leaves. Outwardly, it looks like slightly yellowish or even red dry spots. All burnt leaves will have to be removed, and the plant should not be so harshly accustomed to the bright sun.

Sometimes it happens that the leaves are accidentally pressed against the surface of the glass, in which case a burn may also occur. Sunburn is the main reason why hibiscus leaves curl. In order to prevent this phenomenon, all plants grown in greenhouses should be exposed to daytime sun for a couple of hours every day. If the hibiscus was in the shade at home, then you should also place it in the sun, in a short time, and then clean up. Gradually, instead of the burned leaves, new, completely healthy ones will grow.

Adverse symptoms

• If hibiscus leaves fall, then most likely the room is too dry, and spraying is either not carried out or there is clearly not enough of it. Drafts, changes in lighting (sharp), or other stress may also be the cause.
• Sharp yellowing large quantity Leaves can mean infection by some pests, diseases of the root system, chlorosis, or insufficient air humidity in the room.
• If the tips of the leaves wither or dry, then there is a lack of microelements (for example, nitrogen or phosphorus), other nutrients, insufficient feeding of hibiscus.
• When the leaves become very lethargic, this means that the temperature permissible for keeping the plant has been exceeded, which is clearly higher than the norm.
• Sharp yellowing in combination with regularly falling leaves can often mean excessive moisture in the roots winter period or vice versa, a low level of humidity in the room.
• The so-called vascular wilt of hibiscus also deserves close attention. The rapidity of development of the disease sometimes makes it impossible to take timely necessary measures and save the plant. It is necessary to very quickly cut off (partially capturing healthy branches) the diseased parts of the hibiscus, then treat the entire plant with any antifungal drugs.

Lack of microelements

It is worth mentioning the lack of nutrients and poor feeding of the plant. So, what to do if hibiscus clearly lacks potassium or magnesium or zinc? When yellow spots appear on hibiscus, you just need to replace the soil or use special preparations that will make up for the deficiency. minerals. For example, if a plant lacks zinc, the leaves become too small and small specks soon appear on the leaves.

If a hibiscus lacks sulfur, the edges of the leaves will appear brown, and if there is not enough magnesium, the plant may develop chlorosis, which occurs between the veins. The leaf becomes like marble, partly white, dark spots may appear here and there. The lack of potassium is most clearly expressed in the partial or complete death of the leaf edges; this phenomenon is very similar in appearance to the burn mentioned above.

Aphids, gall midges and other pests on hibiscus

Some inexperienced gardeners do not know why hibiscus leaves curl. Often this phenomenon means damage to the plant by aphids or some other pests dangerous to the plant. For this reason, it is extremely important not to wait for their appearance, but to periodically carry out preventive measures, this is especially important to do before taking a pet to the balcony or outside in the warm season, and before bringing plants into the room in the fall.

If aphids appear on the hibiscus, which are attracted to young and succulent shoots, then this will be immediately noticeable, as the leaves become a little sticky, then begin to curl or bend. In this case, first remove all insects in the usual way. mechanical method(using a tampon and laundry soap). After this procedure, the hibiscus must be carefully treated with special aphid preparations that are commercially available. You can also think about traditional methods, but they are not always reliable and effective.

If conventional remedies and prevention of diseases caused by pests were ineffective, and the hibiscus leaf curls or is damaged in another way, additional methods of treatment should be carried out. For example, when affected by aphids, you can spray with insecticides (for example, the drug Actellik). After two treatments, carried out at intervals of a couple of weeks, as a rule, the plant returns to normal.

Other pests of hibiscus are:

• The gall midge, which causes partial falling off and sharp yellowing of the leaves and buds of indoor hibiscus, sometimes they don’t even have time to fully bloom. Upon careful examination of the plant, you can notice the smallest eggs of this midge in the buds; worms will then appear from them, which eat the bud inside.
• If a plant is infested with whiteflies, the leaves turn yellow, become sticky and sticky, and the insects themselves can be found on the undersides of the leaves. Whiteflies are removed using potassium soap, as well as special preparations (Aktara or Karbofos, as well as Iskra and Tanrek).
• If a tea rose has a waxy white discharge (on the cuttings, on the leaves), then the plant is affected by a mealybug; the leaves can be treated with mineral oil. During the procedures, the plant should stand in a shady place.
• If brownish bumps are noticeable on the leaves, then it may be a scale insect.

Good to remember folk remedies, which our grandmothers used to wash the leaves of domestic plants from pests, aphids and scale insects. For example, red pepper (dry) is poured with water in a ratio of one to two, boiled for an hour and filtered. Ten grams of solution is diluted in one liter of water with laundry soap, which is used to treat the entire plant. You can also boil fifty grams of dry mustard in one liter of water for 15 minutes. The resulting decoction is diluted in 20 liters of water and sprayed on the affected plant.

More about pests: spider mites on hibiscus

If the air in the room is dry and spraying is not carried out regularly, then there may be good conditions For the development of mites on hibiscus, their colonies multiply quickly, feeding on the juice from the leaves. Appearance spider mite can completely destroy the plant very quickly, so you need to know characteristic features his presence. First of all, these are spots on the leaves; they can be brown or black; in fact, they represent the excrement of the pest.

The upper parts of the leaves are completely covered with small yellowish spots, the affected leaf loses its natural color, then becomes covered with a network of cobwebs, then falls off. Mites migrate along the web and destroy the entire plant.

For prevention, you need to monitor the air humidity in the room, spray the hibiscus regularly, avoiding dryness.

So, if you carefully follow everything the necessary conditions to grow a healthy plant, it is unlikely that diseases and pests will bother your hibiscus that much. Proper care is the key to an attractive appearance, rich flowering, as well as strong immunity, which will help the plant cope independently even with an invasion of pests.

The very first indoor “flower” that I grew with my own hands - Chinese hibiscus, or, as we called this plant, Chinese rose. I remember very well the day he appeared in our house. I am 15 years old. In the lobby of the clinic a huge man dies, obviously at some point beautiful bush. Constantly looking around, I break off a twig and hide it in my bag.

Over the years, the Chinese rose has experienced many different events with me. And recently I celebrated her 25th anniversary.

Chinese hibiscus, or Chinese rose(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is a plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae). The homeland of this incredibly beautiful flowering shrub Southeast Asia and Polynesia. In nature, it reaches a height of 4 m or more. Thanks to the work of breeders, today there are about 250 varieties of Chinese roses of a wide variety of colors, but 25 years ago we knew only the red-flowered double form.

To those who decided get yourself a hibiscus, we must remember that it is spreading fast growing shrub, which will require a large pot, and, therefore, a fairly spacious place in the house. True, now compact, slow-growing varieties have appeared on sale.

Hibiscus is easy to grow from non-lignified green shoots remaining after annual spring pruning. Cuttings with 2-3 leaves are cut from them. Large leaf blades are shortened by half to reduce moisture evaporation. Sometimes during the rooting process, the leaves on the cuttings fall off, but the cutting itself remains alive. As soon as roots develop on it, new leaves grow from dormant buds.

Rooting hibiscus possible in water. When small white growths (callus) appear at the lower end of the cutting, it is planted in small pot into the earthen mixture, water it abundantly and place it in a greenhouse. She can be replaced plastic bag or transparent plastic bottle, definitely with ventilation holes. With the appearance of young leaves, the plant can be removed from the greenhouse and placed in a permanent place.

Rooted cuttings bloom in the year of planting. Already 4-month-old young shoots “throw out” bud after bud from the apical point of growth. It’s funny to see how tiny buds appear on a thin stem. They gradually increase in size, and within a few days a huge double flower blooms, up to 10 cm in diameter!

It lasts exactly a day, and then falls off, giving way to the next one. Continuous flowering occurs until late autumn, and on southern windows all year round.

As soon as hibiscus will begin to prepare to bloom, he should be given more attention. The fact is that buds and flowers are a great treat for peach aphids. If you find uninvited guests, immediately treat the plant with the Fitoverm insecticide or any other drug that kills the pest. If there are too many aphids, it is better to remove the emerging buds until the plant is completely cured.

Hibiscus needs to be shaped. In the spring, in mid-March-April, long shoots are shortened to stimulate branching. If the plant has only one shoot, it is cut to an arbitrary height. If a bush has formed, then you need to observe certain rules trimmings recommended by experts. Each shoot is cut 1/3 above the leaf facing outward. I did a little experiment. Some of the shoots were pruned according to the recommendation, and some contrary to it, that is, above the inner bud. Those branches that were pruned according to the rules gave rise to several side shoots. And the “wrong” ones only grew one young shoot from the upper bud.

In spring at the same time as pruning hibiscus is replanted or transferred to fresh substrate; young plants annually, adults starting at 7-10 years old - as needed. For large tubs, they should be changed annually. upper layer land.

Hibiscus are big gluttons, so I add a little rotted mullein to the fresh substrate.

Previously, when I just started studying indoor floriculture, collected rotted leaves in the park and mixed them into the soil mixture when replanting. Feed hibiscus It is necessary to fertilize every 2 weeks for flowering crops.

In summer it is better to take them out open air. Watering with soft rainwater, abundance sunlight, Fresh air harden the plant before a long and difficult winter. Minimum temperature which Chinese hibiscus can withstand - plus 10-12″C. A further decrease in temperature can lead to hypothermia of the root system and death of the plant.

In the autumn-winter period, the flowering of hibiscus weakens or stops altogether. Half-opened buds fall off, but new ones are not formed. A period of relative peace ensues. At this time, the plant is fertilized no more than once a month. With batteries included central heating Another danger appears - the invasion of spider mites. This pest should also be eliminated using appropriate medications. A few years ago my hibiscus is sick. I still don’t know what happened. The leaves began to fly away, the shoots stopped growing, and the growing points dried up. Wait for death. I didn’t bother with the plant, took it out of the pot, and examined the roots. They were knotty and very densely intertwined; I didn’t find anything else alarming. Slightly “stirring up” root system, trimmed it a little with scissors and shortened the shoots. I planted the bush in another pot, completely changing the substrate. Now all that was left was to wait. For about a year, the hibiscus showed no signs of life. He didn't die, but he didn't grow either. No fertilizers or stimulants helped. Completely desperate, I began to water it with urea diluted in water. Slowly, very slowly, the plant began to come to life. For 8 months I tried to help him, and when I had already given up, my hibiscus suddenly “woke up”: young leaves began to appear, shoots grew. Every day he looked more and more like his former self. It celebrated its 25th anniversary covered in shiny new foliage.

Chinese hibiscus is propagated not only by cuttings, but also by seeds.. However, of all the commercially available varietal seeds, I was only able to grow the hibiscus ‘Tsar Bell’. All 5 seeds sprouted in 3 days, and after 4 months the seedlings reached 50-70 cm in height and began to prepare for flowering. On one of them a huge (15 cm in diameter!) flower opened. The seedlings, left in small pots due to lack of space, showed amazing resilience. Sometimes the substrate in them completely dried out, the leaves hung and it seemed that the plants could not be saved. But as soon as the pots were immersed in water, the turgor was completely restored within a few hours. In the fall, due to insufficient lighting, the seedlings began to lose leaves, then the shoots began to die. When about 10 cm remained to the base of the stems, the dying stopped. In spring the plants began to grow. After the ground warmed up, I planted all 5 seedlings in the ground. However, despite the fact that the colorful seed bag bore the inscription “Winter-hardy!”, the plants felt open ground uncomfortable, the growth of shoots has stopped. Only 3 seedlings survived until the fall, and not a single one survived the winter.

Thanks to communication with foreign breeders and the arrival of new, hitherto unknown varieties on our flower market, we now know much more about hibiscus than before. There are varieties whose flower size reaches 25 cm in diameter! Now no one will be surprised by the old variety with red double flowers, but it is dear to me, like an old and reliable Friend.

On a note:

— CHAMPION VARIETIES OF GLADIOLUS

Hibiscus - beautiful and spectacular home plant, having bright and large flowers. Without a doubt, many gardeners grow hibiscus in their home. However, caring for hibiscus should also be appropriate.

With proper care, hibiscus do not suffer from pests and diseases. But mistakes also happen to an experienced grower. We cannot exclude the influence external factors: for example, purchasing an already diseased plant in a store.

In contact with

Why indoor hibiscus does not bloom and what to do in this case

One common problem with hibiscus is failure to bloom.
This may be related:

• with insufficient lighting - to set buds, the plant must be in direct sunlight for at least 4 hours a day,
• lack of timely pruning- buds appear only on new shoots,
• pest damage,
• lack of nutrition,
• lack of rest period in winter. From October to February, watering and fertilizing are reduced, and the temperature is lowered to 15-18 degrees. It is believed that under these conditions, flower buds. But the plant can bloom in winter, with sufficient lighting.

In order for the hibiscus to bloom, it should be provided with a sunny location, timely pinching and pruning of shoots, rest in winter and abundant feeding in summer. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the plant in order to notice pest damage in time.

Hibiscus pests

Spider mite

One of the main enemies of indoor hibiscus is. Collectors of varietal hibiscus constantly fight with it, coming up with more and more new ways to fight it. There are many drugs to kill this pest, but the problem is that with regular treatment, mites get used to them very quickly. Spider mite on hibiscus: photo The most popular insecticides are Fitoverm, or Kleschevit, which are quite safe for humans. Flower growers often use Actellik, but its vapors are poisonous, so this product is not recommended for use indoors. The preparations Sunmite and Neoron are distinguished by the fact that they destroy not only the mites themselves, but also their eggs, but these products are not sold in ordinary flower shops and often do not show much effectiveness.

Oddly enough, it is “ traditional methods» . For example, spraying plants with water, adding a few drops of any essential oil(5 drops per 1 liter of water). You need to do this regularly, every week. The method is safe for humans and destructive for ticks. But if you skip this treatment once or twice, the pests will return.

By the way, if you add growth stimulants (for example) or leaf fertilizers with each spraying, the result will be even better. Of course, medications need to be alternated. Regularly bathing plants in a hot shower works in much the same way. Some hibiscus collectors spray the plants several times every day. warm water and wipe the window sills with soapy water.

From the outside, these methods seem too energy-intensive, but when hibiscus collections are large and expensive, it is better to devote one day a week to spraying or bathing in the shower than to lose plants due to a pest invasion.

Aphid on hibiscus

Such pests are attracted to soft, succulent shoots; its appearance on the plant immediately becomes noticeable due to sticky secretions and deformation of the foliage. Remove insects mechanically using a cotton swab and soap. Then the hibiscus should be treated with special chemicals: , Biotlin, Iskra or any others. Can be used traditional methods, but they may not be effective enough. The treatment is repeated several times, according to the instructions. Usually the plant is sprayed again after 2 weeks.

Gall midge: why hibiscus buds fall off

The fact that the hibiscus is dropping its buds may indicate a gall midge infestation. These pests lay their eggs in the buds, therefore, as a preventative measure, all yellowed buds must be removed before they fall to the ground. The soil in a pot with hibiscus is treated with a preparation against soil pests.

The problem with buds may also be due to lack of lighting, uneven watering, lack of nutrition, drafts and moving the hibiscus pot around the apartment.

Diseases of indoor hibiscus

Chlorosis or why hibiscus leaves turn yellow and fall off

One of the problems with hibiscus is leaf chlorosis, that is, loss of color. The leaf blade becomes pale green, almost yellow. The leaves may also begin to fall. This is a sign of iron deficiency. The easiest way to restore the crown's rich color is to spray the plant with iron chelate. You should also change the fertilizer if it does not contain enough microelements needed by hibiscus. Chlorosis in hibiscus: photo Select good feeding It’s really not easy for these plants, so you often have to go through different options.

Lack of nutrients (potassium, magnesium, zinc, sulfur)

The appearance of yellow spots, for example, after transplantation into new soil, may be caused by its lime content or lack of nutrients. Then you should replace the soil or use special preparations to compensate for the lack of certain substances.

• With a lack of zinc, the leaves become smaller and speckles appear on them.
• Lack of sulfur is expressed in browning of the leaf edges.
• When there is little magnesium, chlorosis occurs between the veins - the so-called “marbling” of the leaf, sometimes with the appearance of dark spots.
• A lack of potassium is expressed in the death of the leaf edge, which looks like a burn.

If the above methods do not work, the chlorosis may be caused by viruses. Infections are carried by various pests; if such symptoms occur, you need to get rid of the insects and treat the hibiscus with fungicides.

Sunburn

Hibiscus plants generally tolerate direct sunlight well. But if the plant has been standing in the shade for a long time, and it is placed in the sun without an adaptation period, sunburn may occur. They look like yellowish or red dry spots. Burnt leaves will have to be removed, and the flower will need to be gradually acclimated to the sun. It happens that foliage is pressed against the glass - then a burn may also occur on it.

Also sunburn - main reason Why do hibiscus leaves curl?
Sunburn on hibiscus: photo The key to hibiscus health - proper care. Strong immunity allows the plant to cope even with pests and provides an attractive appearance and abundant flowering.

See also a useful video about caring for hibiscus in winter and summer: