Begonia Plant Diseases

Home guides sf gate bacterial leaf spot or blight of begonia is one of the most widespread begonia diseases and is caused by xanthomonas campestris pv.

Begonia plant diseases. A begonia plant can be seriously injured even by a mild infection. Here are a couple of possible explanations for your leaf damage. Plenty of ventilation spacing between plants and shading will all help to provide an environment. Bacterial leaf spot and blight.

Use cuttings from healthy plants only. This disease first appears on the underside of older. Types of flower rex tips on planting mealy bugs are the most common pest affecting begonia especially with large plants with dense foliage. Warm 80 to 90 f or 37 to 32 c moist poorly ventilated conditions favor rapid de velopment of the disease.

The fungal spores spread both through the water and through the air. Water soaked areas surrounded by yellow halos develop on leaves. Fungi responsible for this condition may be introduced on cuttings or be present in soil. Greasy spots might form on the underside of infected leaves.

Plants slowly die one leaf at a time. Fungicides may be used as a drench. Mix 1 tablespoon horticultural oil and 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 gallon of water. Particularly rieger types which are systemically infected.

It could also be thrips a tiny bug that sucks the juices out of plants. Another common begonia disease is powdery mildew. In many cases prevention is better than cure and only in a very few cases is it necessary to destroy the entire plant. Rapid spread of the disease occurs when plants are crowded tog ether under co nditions of high humi dity.

Pests diseases problems. Aster yellows is a disease caused by leafhoppers that results in spindly growth and yellow veins on young begonia leaves. The infected plant becomes. The fungus favors humid shady areas with moderate temperatures.

Powdery mildew also might affect the flowers of fibrous begonia varieties. Begonia plants can collapse and die from advanced stem rot diseases. Do not propagate from. This problem is often severe when cuttings are placed in beds for rooting.

Affected plants wilt and break over at the soil line due to decayed spots being formed on stems. Pythium infected begonias have small discolored roots or tubers and water soaked blackened stems. Remove infected leaves from rex and tuberous types because they are not systemically infected. Cold water on the leaves can cause spots especially if the leaves were warm when they were watered.

Good greenhouse management will help to guard against some of the problems itemised below. Purchase plants free of the disease. Remove any damaged leaves or stems and treat plants affected by insect pests with a horticultural oil and baking soda mix. Do not wet leaves when irrigating.

Sometimes problems are bound to occur and not every tuber that you start at the beginning of the season will grow into a satisfactory begonia to be proud of. Disease symptoms pathogen cause management. A fungus erysiphe cichoracearum causes powdery white spots to form on both lower and upper leaf surfaces.