Powdery mildew in violets: a photo, how to get rid?

Violation of the rules of care for violets often leads to the appearance of various diseases. Fungal infections and viruses affect precisely weakened plants, whose immunity has suffered due to improper conditions or lack of sufficient nutrients in the soil. Senpoles are rarely sick, but sometimes plants already infected or infected with pests are sold in the store.

Powdery mildew: fungal disease of violets

One of the most dangerous fungal diseases is powdery mildew. It damages the leaves and buds, on which a plaque appears, similar to flour. In the picture, powdery mildew on violets often looks like a speck of dust. If the disease is left untreated, the plant quickly dies. Therefore, it is important for every lover of violets to know what causes can trigger the infection and how to avoid it.

Causes of powdery mildew

The disease is spread by spores of fungi from one plant to another. They can be constantly in the air, but do not infect the violet, if it is healthy. But weakened flowers quickly become infected and die. Therefore, when buying new indoor plants, it is necessary to observe a two-week quarantine, wash the leaves of beginners to get rid of parasites, and spray for the prevention of diseases with biological preparations. Another option, as powdery mildew on violets may appear, is contamination through the soil. A new soil, even purchased in the store, must be disinfected, roasting in the oven or shedding a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Errors in the care of violet

But most often the cause of the disease is a violation of the conditions of care:

1. Excess humidity at low temperature. For example, overflow in winter, when a plant stands on a cold window sill. Undercooling of the root system can cause the appearance of various fungal diseases. Especially it is dangerous for violets on wick watering.
2. Low illumination. With a lack of light, the violet deforms, ceases to bloom and spends a lot of energy on active growth. In winter, it is desirable to illuminate the flowers with special lamps, if the window sill is not bright enough. They will serve as an additional source of heat.
3. Dust and dirt around the violets. If you do not conduct regular cleaning on a shelf with plants, the risk of various diseases, including powdery mildew, increases.
4. The reason may be an excess of nitrogen in the soil or a lack of phosphorus-potassium top dressing.
5. Burns and wounds on the leaves from excess sun, when they get into a fungal spore, can cause disease. Therefore, the burned leaves should be removed.
6. Improperly selected soil: if the soil is too heavy, long drying out and not enough nutritious, the violet can get sick. Soil for the flower is made in such a way that the roots are breathing. It must be friable and airy. It is recommended to add disintegrating agents: perlite, vermiculite, sphagnum moss in small amounts. The optimum acidity of the soil is 6.5-7 pH.
7. Too large a pot can lead to the appearance of powdery mildew in violets. For plants with a standard size outlet, the diameter of the pot should not exceed 9 cm.
8. When using a clay pot for a violet, the risk of waterlogging of the root system increases. In winter, clay strongly cools and can cause fungal diseases.
9. Overly abundant watering negatively affects the plant and can lead to the appearance of powdery mildew on violets. Before you pour a flower, you should always check if the ground is sufficiently dry.

Signs of infection

The main sign of the disease is the appearance of a white mealy coating first on the leaves, and then on buds. This is the first stage of the disease. "Flour" can resemble ordinary dust, but it is not washed from the leaves, because it is a mycelium of the fungus. If there are other flowers next to infected senpolia, they can get infected from a close contact. How to deal with powdery mildew in violets? It is important to pay attention in time to the state of violets and begin treatment, otherwise it will be difficult to save the flower. In the second stage, the leaves are covered with ulcers that spread to the entire leaf plate until it completely dies. The plant ceases to grow and develop, as a result, it dies.

Varieties of powdery mildew

There are two types of powdery mildew in violets: false and real. Both diseases are caused by fungi and are dangerous for plants, but with false form on all parts of the flower light spots are formed, and the leaf plate is covered with brown dots. Violet can die from any form of powdery mildew, if not on time to begin treatment.

Antifungal drugs

How to get rid of powdery mildew in violets? To do this, use a fungicide, most often the drug "Topaz", it is considered the most effective at an early stage of the disease. Processing is carried out twice with an interval of 14 days. Popular among amateur flower growers "Fundazol" and "Benlat", but using these tools, you should carefully read the instructions and contraindications to their use in a room. For prevention, you can use "Fitosporin", but it is ineffective in severe form of the disease.

Powdery mildew in violets: treatment with folk remedies

Chemicals can be replaced by folk remedies.

1. Effectively fights with a solution of 200 ml of milk, water and 1 tsp. Salt. Such a composition possesses the property of dehydration of spores, as a result of which the fungus withers. Process the plant should be every 2 days, protecting the soil in the pot from salinization.
2. Milk whey can be mixed with water in a ratio of 1/10 and sprayed with this composition flowers every three days.
3. A solution of iodine in water is a few drops on a glass. It will be sufficient to single-pass such a composition to get rid of the dispute.
4. For the treatment of powdery mildew, solutions of copper sulfate and green soap, a suspension of colloidal sulfur, spraying with soda and infusion of mullein are also used. The top layer of soil and the plants themselves are sprayed with solutions twice, at weekly intervals.
5. You can use this recipe: 1 tablespoon of dry mustard, stir in 5 liters of warm water and sprinkle with a solution of the plant.
6. Garlic is considered an effective remedy against fungal infections and for the prevention of pest attacks. Use 25 grams of garlic per liter of water, the solution is kept for 24 hours, filtered and sprayed with violets.
7. 100 g of fresh herb horset is poured with a liter of water per day, after which the composition must be boiled for 2 hours. Then the broth is bred in water (1 part of the solution in 5 parts of water) and the flowers are treated 3 times with an interval of 5 days.

The process of treatment of violets

For the effective treatment of plants, the following action plan should be adhered to:

• All diseased plants immediately isolate from healthy ones, remove peduncles, so that the plant does not waste energy on flowering. If some parts of the flower are severely affected by the disease, it should be removed as much as possible.
• Violet wash under a stream of warm water, trying not to hit the center. Disinfect the pan and pot. After the shower, the plant is left in a dark place until the moisture is completely dry.
• The top layer of the soil is removed and discarded. A clean soil is poured into the pot.
• The drug is diluted according to the instructions and treated with a plant. The treatment is repeated after two weeks.

It is important to conduct a regular inspection of the plant collection in order to recognize the danger in time, and remember that healthy plants with strong immunity themselves can cope with many diseases and even rid themselves of pests.