Gladiolus is an adornment of almost every garden. There is a wide variety of colors for this flower. His homeland is Africa and Asia. From Latin, the name translates as "a small sword." The article below discusses the main diseases of gladioli and how to deal with them.
Brief description of the plant
Gladiolus belongs to the Iris family. The plant is a perennial. The leaves are long and green, sharp on the tips. Their length is from 40 to 80 cm. The stem has a dense composition. The plant can reach a length of one and a half to a meter. In the upper part, up to 40 flowers are collected, which have different sizes from 5 to 15 cm. They have the shape of a funnel, and their petals are curved outward. The color of flowers can be the most diverse: whitish, beige, red, etc.
What diseases do gladioli have?
Symptoms of a flower disease
There are various diseases of gladioli. In order to deal with them correctly, it is necessary, first of all, to find out the cause, based on the signs of the disease. These plants have poor immunity, so gladioli are susceptible to pests and diseases.
Yellowing leaves
Many gardeners wonder why gladiolus leaves turn yellow. The reason for this is various diseases. The affected plant does not receive enough nutrients, so it begins to deteriorate and dry.
Twisting
Another sign indicating that the plant is diseased is twisting of the stem. Often this symptom indicates diseases such as jaundice, mosaic, ring spotting.
Spotting
The presence of spots on the leaves of plants indicates the presence of an infectious disease. These diseases are dangerous because they are contagious to healthy plants.
Rust on the roots
Rust may appear on the roots. To understand this, rusty spots on the leaves will help. Orange bubbles may also appear.
Important! Most often, this disease is the cause of high humidity.
Other symptoms by which it can be understood that the plant is diseased include: poor growth, brown spots appear on the roots, brown spots form on the bulbs during storage, loss of shape and sagging flowers, growths on the root system.
How to deal with dangerous diseases
There are about 30 types of diseases from which flowers fade, dry and die.
Diseases can be of a bacterial or viral nature. The following describes why the leaves turn yellow at gladioli and what to do.
Fungal diseases
A possible reason why the leaves turn yellow in gladioli, as well as the appearance of other signs, is the infection of the plant with fungal diseases.
Bacterial scab
If the gladiolus leaves turn yellow and dry, then it is possible that it is infected with bacterial scab. This ailment is contagious. It is caused by soil bacteria. Causes of the disease:
- increased moisture and insufficient acidity of the soil;
- high water table;
- constantly wet weather.
Signs:
- spots of red color appear on the tubers and in the zone near the roots, as well as ulcers and warts, which later rot;
- the leaves turn yellow and withered.
If gladioli turn yellow, what to do:
- acidify alkaline soil;
- if groundwater comes too close to the surface of the earth or humidity is increased, drainage is required;
- heavily infected plants must be destroyed. Less affected fate can be cut off.
What does bacterial scab look like?
Fusarium
It is also called soil fungi. 90% of plants die from this disease. Fungi can live in the soil for up to five years. The appearance of the pathogen is associated with excessive fertilizing with nitrogen and organic fertilizers, excessive aridity or humidity. This disease is the reason why gladioli grow curves and fall.
Important! An infected plant cannot be treated; it must be destroyed. It is possible to plant new plants in a place that is infected, not earlier than after 5-8 years.
Botritiosis
The fungus can spread with wind or water. The plant can become infected both during the growing season and during storage. Usually occurs in damp and cool weather. All parts of the gladiolus become affected. Small brown spots appear on the leaves. The flowers disappear form, and spotting appears on their petals. Affected plants must be eliminated. Bulbs must be carefully sorted before storage. Before leaving them for the winter, it is necessary to dry, and disinfect before planting.
Septoria
It is also caused by soil fungi and is infectious. Its appearance occurs on poor and heavy soils with too high acidity. Infection usually begins in wet weather.
Septoria-affected plant
Symptoms
- the appearance of red-brown spots on the leaves;
- dark watery spots appear on the tubers, which turn into black rot.
To combat this disease, it is necessary to reduce the acidity of the soil. If the damage is insignificant, then it is possible to remove them with a knife and grease the cut place with green paint.
Sclerotinia
Infection occurs during the growing season. Fungi can live in the soil for about 15-20 years. It occurs in soil with high acidity, excessive humus, or if flowers are grown in damp and dark places. A plant can also get sick through contaminated soil. Dark spots appear on the leaves, then the foliage turns yellow, turns brown and rots. What to do if gladioli grow poorly and suffer from an ailment:
- soil acidity reduction;
- careful selection of bulbs for storage;
- destruction of diseased plants.
Sclerotiniosis plant
Bacterial root cancer
It is an infectious disease. The spores of the fungus persist in the soil for about two years. It occurs due to damage to the bulbs during storage and planting, damage to the neck and the beginning of the stem during caring for the plant. The main symptom of the disease is the appearance of various growths, which have a different shape and size. Before storing, the bulbs must be carefully sorted. Deformed, excessively flat with wet and dry spots must be set aside.
Important! Affected plants must be dug up and destroyed. Contagious soil must be treated with fungicides. Gladioli can be planted on the infected area no earlier than 2-3 years later.
Viral diseases of garden gladioli
Viruses that develop inside the cells are also the reason why gladioli do not bloom.
Mosaic, jaundice, spotting
These diseases are viral in nature. They have the same symptoms, and you can treat the plant from them with the same means. As a result of a virus infection, light streaks, rings and spots appear on the flowers and leaves. The plant becomes smaller, and its parts change shape. The manifestation of viral diseases is associated with damage to insects, which are carriers. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to fight parasites.
Key pests and control methods
The gladiolus has many pests that lead to the death of the plant.
Onion tick
Ticks can spread in the soil. They eat plant bulbs. There they penetrate through damaged scales. The female carries many eggs that suck all the juice from the bulb. After infection, the flower turns yellow, then dries and dies. The root itself begins to rot.
Affected flowers are eliminated. In those places where sick flowers grew, you can not plant anything for five years. Plants can be sprayed with karbofos or watered with celtan.
Medvedka
A bear is a parasite that has a length of up to 3 cm. Lives in the ground and eats the roots of the plant. Often from such parasites, the plant can dry overnight. The insect is distributed in loose and moist soils, in which there is a high content of humus. Fighting the parasite is possible by digging the site before planting. In the mink of the pest, it is worth spraying with dichlorvos, and also kalbofos in the soil.
Wireworm
This pest is a beetle larva. It grows in length up to 2 cm. The parasite eats the bulb and makes moves in it. With low humidity, the wireworm gnaws the middle part of the shoots, from which the plant dies. Especially common wireworm where there are thickets of wheatgrass.
Important! Gladioli cannot be planted where strawberries grow, since wireworms live in their roots.
The site must be kept clean, eliminating weeds. Near the flowers, you can put raw potatoes, beets or carrots to attract the pest. Metaphos powder is embedded in the soil.
Scoops
A scoop is a small butterfly with gray or brown wings. Holes appear on the leaves of the affected plant. Insects eat leaves, stems or buds. The plant is treated with various means and infusions of herbs.
Thrips
Thrips eat all kinds of gladioli. Their size is very small up to 1.5 mm. Parasites winter well in bulb scales. Females lay eggs non-stop. Pests and their larvae leave black dots.
Than it is possible to process gladioli from thrips:
- karbofosy process the roots after soaking them;
- during storage, the bulbs are covered with chalk.
Slugs and Caterpillars
They usually live in areas untreated from weeds. They eat foliage and buds, leaving holes. How to fight:
- set traps for slugs;
- weed weed;
- clean by hand.
Disease Prevention and Care
Gladioli spoil a variety of pests and diseases. So that the plant does not hurt, preventive measures and proper care are necessary.
Temperature
Bulbs are stored at 6 ° C. Before landing, they are transferred to a room where the temperature is 15 ° C. Planting a plant is best when the soil has warmed up to 10 ° C. For normal growth and development, the flower needs a temperature regime in the range of 15-25 ° C.
Lighting
For planting, you need to select a well-lit place. Even a small shadow in the northern regions can delay flower growth. In the southern regions, slight shading is acceptable.
Watering
During the period of drought, the plant is watered every week or every 10 days. It is impossible to water a plant superficially. A 1 m² bucket of water is required. The soil should be moistened to a depth of 30-35 cm.
Spraying
In order for buds to form on the plant that would please with beautiful flowering, it must be sprayed. To do this, boric acid (1.5 g), copper sulfate (2 g), zinc sulfate (1 g), water (10 l), liquid soap (15 ml) are mixed.
Important! Spraying is carried out in the evening. Water should flow to the entire plant.
Humidity
Ideal humidity for the growth of gladioli about 70%.
Priming
Gladioli are not particularly demanding on the ground, so anyone will do. Where the soil is light, watering is more common, and where it is heavy, loosening is required.
Top dressing
If the soil is fertile and fertilized with humus every year, then top dressing can be omitted. If the soil is depleted, then in June, nitrogen and potassium are added, in July - nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, in August - potassium and phosphorus.
From many diseases and insect pests, gladiolus can die. Therefore, proper care for them and regular inspection are important. If even the slightest deviations are noticed, the entrepreneur must immediately take rescue measures, otherwise it will not work to save the flower later.
