The violet, or Saintpaulia, is one of the most beloved plants among gardeners. Graceful yet modest and delicate, it adds a touch of elegance to any interior. Unfortunately, it's not just humans who love violets; parasitic insects and harmful microorganisms also love them. Spider mites, scale insects, thrips, nematodes, aphids, and mealybugs thrive on them. Fungi, bacteria, and viruses can also mar the plant's beauty. Powdery mildew, late blight, and fusarium wilt cause significant damage.
Most violet diseases have characteristic signs that are clearly visible in photographs, so recognizing the problem and treating it correctly isn't that difficult. The key is to act quickly once you notice signs of disease on your flower.
General characteristics of violets
The African violet belongs to the Gesneriad family. This beautiful flowering plant originated in the mountainous regions of tropical Africa. It can also be found in Japan and North America.
All the flower varieties, of which there are over five hundred, and according to some sources over seven hundred, are extremely difficult to describe. White, sky-blue, violet, light blue, pale and bright pink, cherry-violet, deep purple-blue, lilac-pink, double and with petals ruffled at the very edges, large and small flowers, with proper care, delight the eye for up to nine months a year.
This is a herbaceous perennial. Its oval or broadly oval leaves are dark green above and light, sometimes reddish, beneath, and covered with a soft, tickling, whitish fuzz. They grow on long petioles and reach up to 8 cm in length. The plant produces its first buds in the spring. These are solitary flowers with five lanceolate or ovate petals.
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Caring for the flower is not difficult, but it is necessary to know the basic rules and adhere to them, since it is with improper care that the plant becomes ill.
What are the different types of violet diseases and how to treat them?
Incorrectly selected conditions can lead to the plant becoming very weak or even dying. To avoid this, carefully monitor lighting, watering, and air temperature. It's important to monitor the plant's development, growth, and condition so that prompt treatment can be initiated if signs of disease appear on the leaves.
Of course, in order to choose the right treatment and understand what to do in a given case, it's important to determine the plant's illness. There could be several causes.
Powdery mildew
The first and perhaps most important sign of powdery mildew is a white, flour-like coating on the leaves. This is a fungus. Newly transplanted plants, both young and old, become infected through spores in the soil. Other ways the disease can be transmitted include a diseased plant or dirty tools used during transplanting or propagation.
If treatment isn't started promptly, ulcers will appear on the leaves, the plant will stop growing, weaken, and eventually die. The first step to saving the plant is to remove all the damaged leaves and thoroughly spray both the green parts and the soil with a warm fungicide solution. Products such as Topaz or Fundazol are best for this; they are safe for delicate violets. After treatment, place the pot in a dark place and leave it to dry completely. This will prevent sunburn.
There's also downy mildew. Preventative measures and treatment are the same, but the symptoms differ. At the very beginning of the disease, the undersides of the leaves become covered with a silvery or white coating. Over time, light green, brown, or red spots appear on the upper surface of the leaf blade. If left untreated, the violet will die.
Rust
During the spring and winter, when sunlight is very scarce, the plant weakens. This can lead to the activation of the Phragmidium fungus, which causes a serious disease called rust. Signs of its presence include yellow-brown spots on one side of the leaf and pustules on the other. Often, just a few drops of water on the plant or warm, humid air indoors is enough to germinate the fungal spores.
Once the pustules open, the spores quickly spread to other flowers. Therefore, when the disease is detected, it is necessary to isolate the affected plant, remove the infected areas, and treat it with a fungicide. Fitosporin-M, Baktofit, and Topaz are effective against rust, but if the disease is advanced, these products may not be effective. In this case, the flowerpot should be disposed of and the plant itself destroyed.
Rotten
Lack of drainage in the pot, overwatering after a dry spell, over-chilling of the soil, and poor-quality soil can all lead to root rot. Wilted, limp leaves and soft petioles are all signs that the fungus phytopthora pythium has taken hold in the flowerpot, and the plant needs urgent rescue.
First, carefully remove the violet and inspect the roots. They should be white, and the stem should be purple. If not, they are already infected, and the damaged portion should be cut off. Again, a fungicide will come in handy here. Spray the violet with the fungicide, removing 1-1.5 cm of leaves from the lower stems, leave it for about 30 minutes, and then place it in the solution to encourage rooting.
Brown fungus is characterized by the appearance of whitish mycelial threads. Gray fungus produces a fluffy coating.
To avoid violet rotting, you need to ensure that the air is not excessively humid, do not spray the rosettes, and water without allowing water to stagnate.
Bacteriosis
For violet growers, the hottest time of year is a crucial one. In summer, the plant can die from bacterial blight. This occurs due to improper watering. Perhaps unknowingly, some owners alternately overwater and then overwater their flowers.
Signs of bacterial blight include brown spots covering stems, leaves, and petioles, darkening of the stem, softening of the leaves, and, ultimately, death. Another danger is that the disease easily spreads to nearby plants.
July is a particularly difficult time. The flower doesn't like sun; it needs to be kept in the shade, and drip irrigation should be left on when traveling. Another secret to preventing bacterial blight is spring repotting into a pot with new soil and summer treatment with Epin. Experienced violet growers report that no other measures, including medicinal ones, are effective. Only proper agricultural practices can protect the Saintpaulia from this disease.
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Another dangerous disease that affects the roots, then the leaves, stems, and petioles of violets is fusarium. The roots rot, the lower leaves wilt and fall off, and the stems become soft and die. The affected plant must be isolated as quickly as possible to prevent the infection from spreading to other violets.
It's best to discard it along with the soil and disinfect the pot with copper sulfate or a fungicide. Prevention is the same as before: regular watering. Monthly watering with a phytosporin solution will also be beneficial.
Late blight
Late blight also kills violets. Signs of this disease include brown stems and bare trunks. However, late blight can be caused by a fungus that enters through damaged areas of the plant.
This disease cannot be cured, and it's best to dispose of the plant and its pot as soon as possible. If the pot must be kept, it should be thoroughly sterilized. To prevent this, add superphosphate to the soil and maintain a regular watering schedule.
How to treat violets when they are damaged by pests
Various pests cause a lot of trouble for plants. As mentioned above, the main ones are thrips, mites, aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, and nematodes.
Thrips
Falling pollen, yellow streaks on violet leaves, stickiness, gray, yellow, or whitish spots, small black dots, curling leaves, and drying flowers and buds indicate the presence of thrips, a parasitic insect. In some cases, you can even see thrips running around.
Getting rid of them is quite difficult, as they adapt to any chemicals. It is also important to say that even if the adult insects die, new ones will soon hatch from the larvae.
An experienced gardener's recipe will help eliminate parasites. He recommends dissolving any flea shampoo (25 ml) and one ampoule of Fitoverm-M in five to six liters of water. Rinse the leaves with warm running water and dip the rosette in the soapy solution. Then, water the soil with a solution of Fitoverm-M or Aktara.
There's another method. Spray the Saintpaulia with an "Aktara" solution, then cover it with a plastic bag and quarantine it for 24 hours. To completely eliminate thrips, this procedure must be repeated several times to kill all the larvae.
Having treated the plant in this way, it is advisable to replant it or renew the top layer of soil.
Ticks
Violets are also attractive to spider mites, who love their sap. The most well-known species of this pest is the spider mite. The presence of this pest is easily identified by its fine webbing, as well as misshapen and drying leaves.
Yellow spots and thickened leaves indicate cyclamen mite, which causes the plant to stop growing and blooming.
However, a plant can even die from the flatworm mite if not treated promptly. This species is rare, but it causes significant damage. A sign of this "tenant" is leaves curling inward.
To combat this pest, both folk methods and “professional” ones using chemicals are used.
Folk remedies include treating the petioles and leaves with alcohol. Alcohol or vodka will do. After a few days, spray the plant with an infusion of onion peels. To do this, pour 80 grams of peels into three liters of boiling water, let it steep for several days, and strain. All plants in the room should be treated with this infusion.
Of the chemicals, I recommend Apollo, Neoron, and Fitoverm. They all do their job well.
Scale insect
Violets are also parasitized by scale insects. However, getting rid of them is quite difficult. A single female produces numerous future pests. Their larvae feed on the violet's sap, destroying the plant itself. The lower parts of the flower's leaves become covered with brown-red scales, while the upper parts become covered with yellow spots. But that's not all the damage: the adult insect secretes a sticky mucus—an ideal breeding ground for fungus.
To get rid of this pest, use a cotton swab soaked in Actellic, Aktara, or Karbofos. This simple method is suitable for mechanical treatment of the plant. You can also use soapy water with kerosene (just a few drops) or olive oil – 1 liter of water to 2 tablespoons of oil. Apply the solution to all the leaves and petioles of the violet.
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Nematodes are worms that attack the root system. They are transparent and threadlike in appearance and can reach 2 mm in length. The main signs of these "unexpected guests" include thick stems, short or absent petioles, dense dark green leaves with inward-curving edges, small, distorted flowers, and black or brown roots.
Prevention is crucial for protecting against nematodes, as it's impossible to get rid of them. Keep this in mind when planting, and add peat moss and small dried marigold petals to the soil. It's also recommended to water the plant with marigold infusion or peat water, as nematodes dislike peat.
Aphid
Signs of an aphid infestation are similar to those of a nematode infestation: curled leaves, malformed flowers, and sticky secretions that the fungus thrives in. Failure to develop buds and a deformed flower crown can also be seen.
Aphids carry viruses, so they need to be eliminated. Small green or black specimens will be killed by a soapy solution. Wash the violet with them. Repeat the "bathing" after a few days. For advanced disease, use Actellic, Fitoverm, and Intavir.
Mealybug
Mealybugs, also known as hairy lice, live in buds, young leaves, and shoots. While parasitic, they can reach a size of up to 6 mm. Both the adult mealybug and the larvae cause irreparable damage to the plant. A white coating, very similar to cotton wool, is the main sign of an intruder. Also present are sweet secretions, which the fungus thrives in.
To get rid of this pest, treat the entire plant with a soapy solution, washing away the insects and plaque. The second step is to spray the violet with a solution of green soap (10 g per 1 liter of water). This should be done three times a week. Mospilan and Regent are helpful in this fight; they should be used as watering agents.
Frequently asked questions about growing
Proper temperature and watering are essential for these delicate plants. Violets need to be monitored to prevent disease and prevent death.
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