Causes of death of indoor plants
There are many factors why indoor plants die. Signs that flowers are withering, and what reasons can lead to the death of indoor plants? Excessive or insufficient watering, the use of unsuitable, often too high doses of fertilizers, excessively high or low temperatures lead to weakening of the plants.
It is important to know how to correct the situation before it is too late. Is it possible to revive a dying plant if the leaves on it have begun to turn yellow and fall off? Most often, it is enough to change the growing conditions for the plant to recover.
A dying plant is easy to recognize, the leaves say a lot about how well the plant is growing. The hardest part is determining the nature of the problem. As a rule, leaves that turn yellow or fall off are a sign that the plant is sick.
Always remove unhealthy leaves and stems from fading flowers to give them energy for new, healthy growth. To do this, use sharp secateurs, cutting as close to the stem as possible without damaging it.
More information! To avoid damaging the plant by over-pruning, never cut more than 25 percent of the green mass. What you can do is cut off dying leaves or stems.
Too much water. Home flowers will disappear if there is too much water. As you know, excessive watering of plants can lead to a number of problems, including root rot.
Waterlogging of the soil is the main reason for the death of indoor plants. If watered too often or the soil does not have time to dry, green vegetation can suffer from root rot and die.
Let the soil dry. Another sign that your plant is being over-watered is unhealthy leaves on the underside of the plant, as “lower leaves get sick first.”
Pay attention! Signs of root rot include slow wilting of the plant, yellowing and falling leaves. It may seem that the plant needs water. Probably, after watering, it can die even faster.
Root rot causes roots to become soft, brownish-black due to lack of oxygen. Through rotten roots, pathogens enter the plant, and it dies.
You can try to save it by removing the roots from the soil. All rotten rhizomes are removed and the soil is replaced. Transplanted into fresh soil after cleaning and disinfection of the container. Until the top layer dries, the plant is not watered.
Not enough water.Water shortage symptoms of withering flowers can be the same as if the soil is too wet. The plant looks wilted. Yellow leaves curl around the edges and fall off.
The solution here is simple – water the plant until the soil is moist.
Poor drainage. The pot should always have a drainage hole. If not present, water will collect at the bottom of the pot and cause root rot. After the water pours out of the drainage hole, be sure to drain the excess water that has accumulated in the saucer.
If the soil has hardened, it will no longer allow water to pass through properly. When watering from above, the water will most likely run off the sides.
You can place the pot in a bowl of water for several hours. A good soak should fix this.
Morewhy flowers disappear
Moving the plantaround the house can result in sudden loss of leaves. They may experience shock from sudden changes in temperature or light. Home flowers are moved to another place gradually, increasing the residence time. They should first be held in a new place for several hours, and then returned to their original place. Only in this way will the plant be ready to move.
Too much sun. Flowering houseplants can get burned by strong sunlight through windows. If brown or black spots appear on the leaves on one side, this is a sunburn.
The bright midday sun from the window hits the plant. Cut off the leaves and move to a protected place away from direct sunlight.
Not enough sun. If the leaves are getting smaller, turning yellow, or dropping, they may not be getting enough sunlight. Indoor plants require sunlight to grow properly. Give the plant more light to save it.
Pay attention! All plants need photosynthesis to provide energy for growth. When not enough chlorophyll is produced, there is little energy to sustain life. If a houseplant receives a lower level of light than usual, it will grow sluggishly. Leaves become pale or begin to turn yellow.
The house temperature is too hot or too cold. Keeping the plant under a cold air vent can also cause problems.
Applying fertilizer. Houseplants need to be fertilized regularly as the nutrients in the soil are depleted over time. If the leaves turn yellow but don’t fall off, the houseplant may just be starving. Nutrient deficiencies may well be the reason why the lush green foliage started to grow poorly.
When nutrient deficiencies are the problem, the plant can be transplanted into a fresh, nutrient-rich potting mix, or fertilized.
Feed regularly during the active growing season. Fertilize only moist soil. You can not overdo it with fertilizers, which can cause even more harm. Excess fertilizer can even “poison” the plant, and it will eventually die.
Do not fertilize house flowers when they are in vegetative dormancy. They grow less, not because they are weak or sick, but because they are in a “rest period”. At this stage, the plant does not need fertilizer, it needs less water and fewer hours of sunlight. This is the natural cycle of plants. Do not fertilize a struggling plant. Adding fertilizer to an unhealthy plant can lead to its death.
Plants also benefit from repotting from time to time that have outgrown their pots and will grow sluggishly.
If a houseplant is not doing well despite regular watering and fertilizing, it may be time to repot it. Choose a pot a few centimeters larger to give the roots some free space.
Pay attention! When plants don’t thrive, or if the potting soil has compacted and no longer holds moisture, it’s probably depleted and should be replaced. If the potting mix looks good, there is no real reason to completely change it. Instead, about a third of the potting mix is removed and replaced with fresh material.
Plants may have different substrate requirements. There are those that grow better in acidic soils. Others need more organic matter, while others need poorer substrates.
To choose the right substrate in which it grows properly, you must know the type of plant. There are soil mixtures on the market for all vegetation.
Pests
Common houseplant pests are spider mites and mealybugs. It is important to detect them early, before things get out of control. If any pests are noticed, the entire plant is washed with warm water using insecticidal soap. Pests thrive in dry conditions and the shower method is great.
A small web around the leaves indicates the presence of spider mites, which cause harm by feeding on the sap of the leaves. The plant is isolated so as not to infect otherse.
Another pest – whiteflies suck the juice of indoor plants, which causes the leaves to turn yellow and die. A large whitefly infestation will most certainly kill the plant and may infect others. You will have to manually remove insects by pulling them out with a vacuum cleaner or washing them out with a hose.
Brown spots on the stems and leaves of the plant indicate a fungal disease. Isolate affected plants so they don’t infect neighboring plants, and then remove any affected leaves and stems. You can also treat the plants with an antifungal solution.
A white powdery substance on the leaves likely indicates that they are infected with powdery mildew, a fungal disease that will eventually kill them. All affected parts of the plant should be removed and moved to a place with better air circulation.
Green leaves have yellow veins. When the leaves remain green and only the veins turn yellow, the culprit is often a nutrient deficiency (often iron) that can be corrected fairly easily.
Another reason is the use of insecticides or herbicides around the plant. If so, the plant is essentially poisoned and there is little that can be done. Limit or eliminate the use of these crop protection chemicals in the future.
If problems with houseplants cannot be identified, the wrong species may have been selected. A plant that requires abundant sunlight will always feel bad in an apartment with few windows and low lighting. Before buying any houseplant, you need to make sure that you can provide the conditions necessary for it to thrive.
