26 08.18

Why do petunia leaves turn pale and how to deal with it?

Petunia flowers are a great way to decorate country cottage area or balcony. But, like any other plant, petunia can "get sick", and the first sign of the disease is most often yellowing of the leaves.

The leaves of the flower become dry, brittle, and this is a natural reaction to a lack or, conversely, an excess of moisture. Another possible cause of the disease is a lack of trace elements. Finally, plant disease can be caused by fungi or chlorosis. Each of these reasons involves a certain set of measures to "treat" the plant.

Excess moisture

Excessive soil moisture causes root rot. As a result, the flower stem softens, and the leaves turn yellow. If the spread of rot is not prevented, then it will inevitably damage the roots of the flower, which will lead to its imminent death. In addition, high soil moisture can provoke the appearance of fungus.

How to treat a plant:

• Affected shoots must be removed, after which it is necessary. treat cuts with fungicides.
• Avoid standing water.
• The soil must be periodically loosened.

lack of moisture

Drought is much less of a threat to petunias than excessive moisture. In this case, it is enough to water the plant, after which it will quickly recover. However, watering the plant should not be neglected - a chronic lack of moisture weakens the immunity of the petunia, as a result of which various pests can settle on the leaves of the flower.

Fungus

There are two most common types of fungal infections:

• Powdery mildew.
• Spider mite.

Often the leaves of petunia are covered with a whitish coating, which is a consequence of the defeat of the flower. powdery mildew. This is a type of fungal disease, the cause of which is a sharp change in humidity and temperature levels.

The fight against powdery mildew requires considerable effort. The first thing to do if the plant is grown indoors is to transplant the flowers affected by the fungus into pre-steamed soil. The next step is to maintain the optimal level of moisture and temperature.

Now consider how to deal with spider mites - the most dangerous pest cultivated plants.

As you might guess from the name, this fungus quickly covers the leaves and stem of the plant with cobwebs, thereby blocking access to nutrients. Possible reasons appearance spider mite – high humidity or excessive dryness.

You can get rid of the fungus folk remedies. For example, soapy water and tobacco tincture, which are sprayed on the plant, work well with it.

Important: petunia grown on the site is more susceptible to fungal diseases. As preventive measures it is recommended to pollinate the bushes with crushed sulfur.

Chlorosis

Chlorosis is a violation of the formation of chlorophyll in the leaves. Causes of chlorosis can be:

• Hard water. for watering better fit soft, settled water. Water the plants after upper layer the soil will dry out. At the same time, the soil must be loosened regularly so that the water does not stagnate.
• Violation temperature regime. If the temperature regime is violated, petunia leaves acquire a purple hue. The solution to the problem is to spray the plant with a solution ammonia. Solution dosage: 1 ml of alcohol per 1/2 bucket.
• Iron deficiency. This is a common cause of chlorosis if the petunia is grown in alkaline soil. In order to prevent iron deficiency, plants are best planted in acidic soil. Another way to solve the problem is to regularly oxidize the soil.

Petunias, both gentle and beautiful plant, you can perfectly decorate a flower bed, balcony or country terrace. It is easy to grow, blooms only until the first frost. However, problems may arise. The most common of them: why does petunia turn yellow? Firstly, the yellowness on the leaves of the petunia looks unattractive, and secondly, it means that something is wrong with the plant.

Petunia is a relatively picky plant. The main method of planting it is seedlings. In this case, a number of specific rules should be followed, the violation of which leads to diseases and, in some cases, to the death of the flower. Let's figure out why petunia leaves turn yellow.

Excess moisture

• Signs. If a petunia has yellow, brittle leaves, the problem may be the excess moisture that affects the roots of the plant. Very often, petunia turns yellow due to root rot. It means that root system plants do not receive enough oxygen due to the fact that it is in an environment of high humidity. This prevents the roots from developing and consuming trace elements from the ground. Because of this disease, the leaves of the petunia turn yellow, and after a while they completely fall off.
• Causes . Why can excess moisture build up? The problem may be due to lack of drainage or too frequent watering.
• What to do. Make several drainage holes in the bottom of the plant container. cut it all off yellow leaves. If the petunia has already rotted badly, transplant it into new ground. It should be fresh and well drained.

Attention! Before transplanting a petunia, treat its roots with an anti-fungal agent.

Nutrient deficiency

• Signs. The lack of trace elements usually affects adult plants that grow in pots.
• Causes . Petunia should be grown in soil that is saturated with trace elements. This soil can either be purchased from special store, or do it yourself (you need to make a mixture of garden soil, peat and sand). In addition, it is very important to feed the petunia during its flowering. Otherwise, the flower will lack useful nutrients. The most important trace elements for the plant.
  Iron. If a petunia lacks iron, its leaves begin to turn yellow. The veins remain green. To replenish the amount of iron in the ground, use Ferrovit or Cytofit preparations.
  Magnesium. With a lack of magnesium, the leaves dry, turn yellow. Their edges are curled. To restore the lack of a substance, use magnesium sulfate.
  Zinc. Small yellow blotches appear on the leaves. After some time, the entire leaf plate will turn yellow and die. To cure seedlings, use zinc sulfate.
  Sulfur. If we are talking about the lack of sulfur in the earth, the yellowed leaves of the petunia become reddish after a while. Sprinkle the ground with grated sulfur to restore balance.
• What to do . If there are any shortcomings beneficial substance You can use complex fertilizers. They initially contain all the necessary trace elements. They will help seedlings in healthy nutrition and enhanced growth.

Advice! When fertilizing petunias, do not use only one top dressing. Best to alternate root fertilizers with leafy.

Petunia diseases

In most cases, the cause of petunia disease is a growing error. The most common are:

• excessive planting density;
• high humidity (both soil and air);
• incorrect growing temperature;
• too alkaline or too acidic soil;
• lack of iron.

Most of the described errors lead to fungal diseases of petunias, and iron deficiency causes chlorosis.

It is desirable to prevent these mistakes from the very beginning of growing seedlings. In particular, you need to use neutral substrates, plant seedlings not too crowded or use individual pots, water correctly, and so on.

If, nevertheless, the foliage of the petunia began to turn yellow, you need to do necessary actions to save the affected bushes. Consider the sequence of actions depending on the manifestation of diseases.

Chlorosis

Both seedlings and adult petunias are susceptible to this disease. Its reason lies in the lack of the required amount of iron for petunias: there is either little iron in the substrate, or the root system cannot absorb it due to weakness. This leads to a decrease in the synthesis of chlorophyll in the cells of the plant, and it begins to turn yellow.

The symptoms of chlorosis are as follows: first, the veins of the upper leaves of the seedlings, located near the growth cone, turn yellow; after a while, these leaves turn yellow entirely, and then the disease passes to the entire foliage.

In addition to the lack of iron in the substrate, the reason for its poor assimilation may be the previously described violations of the growing regime. They need to be corrected, but first of all, urgent measures should be taken to ensure seedlings necessary quantity gland.

Since the root system cannot get iron from the substrate, it must be used foliar application, which consists in spraying the petunia with some iron-containing preparation.

Petunia perfectly absorbs iron chelate. You can buy it in a specialized store or cook it yourself. Marketed preparations (for example, Ferovit or Micro Fe) are relatively expensive, so it is better to prepare the iron chelate yourself.

To do this, it is necessary to dissolve 5 g in 500 ml of water. blue vitriol and 8-10 g citric acid. The resulting solution yellow color added to 3 l boiled water and this mixture is sprayed foliage seedlings.

Attention! Both the purchased drug and the self-made one, after dissolving in water, have a limited time of use (1-2 hours) due to the precipitation of iron chelate. Therefore, spraying should be done immediately after preparing the solution.

This procedure is repeated every 2-3 days. At the same time, so that the plant does not waste extra energy in the process of recovery, the formation of buds should be prevented, removing them as they appear.

You should not expect an instant recovery of seedlings. Depending on the stage of the disease, it can take up to several weeks to completely heal.

powdery mildew

This fungal disease manifests itself not only in the fact that the leaves turn yellow, but also in the formation of a white-gray coating on the underside of the leaf. As a rule, the reason lies in high humidity and temperature.

Since the fungus infects the leaves from the underside, it may not be immediately noticeable. What, in fact, is happening: the disease manifests itself when the petunia begins to turn yellow. Therefore, for prevention, you need to regularly inspect seedlings from all sides.

If a fungus is found, it is necessary to completely remove the affected fragments, and treat the plant with any fungicide.

And, of course, after that it is necessary to take measures to correct the temperature regime of the seedlings and its watering. As a means for the prevention of fungus, you can use Bordeaux mixture, iron sulfate or foundationol.

• before sowing the soil substrate, steam it;
• do not thicken the landings;
• make sure that the temperature near the plant is not subjected to sudden changes;
• do not allow moisture to stagnate, monitor the watering process;
• do not overfeed the plant with fertilizers that contain a lot of nitrogen.

For more information on the prevention and treatment of chlorosis and powdery mildew, see the video:

Pest control

Petunia pests primarily attack young or weakened plants, as they do not have the necessary immunity. Damage caused by pests causes petunia seedlings to turn yellow and dry out.

There are three main pests in petunias:

• spider mite;
• whitefly;

Spider mites

Spider mites most often appear due to lack of moisture. The small size of these arthropods does not always allow them to be detected in time. However, traces of its vital activity in the form of a thin cobweb and withered leaves are an exact pointer to this pest.

To combat ticks, you can use any acaricides: Phytoterm, Accent, Antiklesch.

whitefly

The whitefly is a small insect that reproduces rapidly. Its small, light green larvae live on the underside of petunia leaves. A large number of larvae leads to the fact that they completely block the nutrition of seedlings, its leaves turn yellow and wither.

Whiteflies can be controlled with permethrin because they are highly resistant to most other insecticides. Spraying of petunia seedlings is done every three days for 1-2 weeks. You can also treat the petunia with a protective preparation Spark.

Attention! Permethrin is a fairly strong agent that should be used with caution. It is capable of killing most insects, including honey bees. When it comes into contact with mucous membranes, it can cause severe itching and burning.

Aphid

Aphids infect all parts of the plant from stems to leaves and are capable of destroying seedlings in a relatively short time compared to other diseases and pests. Seedlings should be inspected daily for insects, as they are also sometimes difficult to spot due to their protective coloration.

In addition, aphids, in addition to damaging seedlings and consuming their juices, can be a carrier of fungus or viral diseases, in particular cucumber mosaic and potato X-viruses. These viruses also cause petunia seedlings to turn yellow.

The fight against aphids consists of two stages: at the first, the seedlings are sprayed with a soap and tobacco solution. It is also advisable to spray all plants, even those that are not affected by aphids. At the second stage, it is necessary to treat petunias once with confidor or fitoverm

Conclusion

The reason for the yellowing of the leaves of petunia seedlings lies, first of all, in the improper care of it. Weakened by improper conditions, plants become easily vulnerable to diseases and pests.

At all stages of growing petunias - from planting seedlings to caring for adult bushes, you should strictly adhere to the rules for its breeding and most problems with it can be avoided.

I saw very much at the neighbor's beautiful flowers- petunias. She said she raised them herself. I decided to try it too, but all my seedlings died almost immediately after germination.

Expert answer

Petunia only seems to be an easy-to-care flower. In fact, you need to know how to grow it. There are especially many problems with seedlings: if the conditions are not met, it quickly loses its viability. However, the beauty of flowering is able to level all the difficulties. To avoid problems, you need to know why petunia seedlings fall and die.

Pictured is Petunia

Problem 1. Seedlings

Difficulties begin almost immediately. It often happens that the petunia does not even rise. Why it happens?

The main mistake of beginner flower growers is too much depth. First, pay attention to the seeds: they are very small in petunia, i.e. the margin of viability and maintenance nutrients they are small. They are just enough to release sprouts. Then the flower needs sunlight to grow further. If the seeds are deepened by 1 cm or more, then the petunias simply do not have enough strength to break through to the light. The seeds won't sprout. Therefore, they are not buried, but simply poured onto the ground and slightly pressed down. Seeds should not be sunk into the ground by more than 1-2 mm.

There are a few more conditions, without which the seeds will not germinate:

• good lighting;
• warm;
• wet soil;
• regular watering. At this stage, you can wet the seeds and soil with a spray bottle so as not to dislodge the seeds.

Sowing occurs as follows. They take petunia seeds (any, now they are sold simple, granular or coated in a fertilizer shell) and sow them in well-moistened soil, without deepening, but only by clapping their palms or slightly pressing them with their fingers. Spray from above with a spray bottle, cover with a film or bag to create the effect of a greenhouse, put in a warm, well-lit place. Sowing seeds is carried out in February or March, so that the seedlings have time to get stronger and grow up before planting in open ground.

Another reason, independent of the grower, why petunia seedlings die is the poor quality of seeds, their initial non-viability or too long shelf life.

Problem 2. Shoots do not throw off the shell and die

The sprouts do not always have the strength to throw off the shell on their own. In this they have to help. If the seed coat does not fall off, the plant will die.

Seedlings must be checked and aired every day. Once a day, the film is completely removed from the container or lifted: the seeds are inspected, the soil is moistened. If it is noticed that the seed germinated, but did not throw off the shell, then this may indicate 2 facts:

1. Seeds "rejected".
2. Too dry.

In the first case, there is no point in saving the plant, it will die anyway. In the second - you can help the flower. First, the humidity level is increased: when airing, the film is not completely removed, but only lifted, the airing time is reduced, and the shell is additionally moistened with a spray bottle. You can help the flower throw it off. To do this, water is dripped onto the seed from a syringe, and then the shell is removed with a needle.

Problem 3. Blackleg

Sometimes it happens that the seeds have sprouted, they have already risen and started to grow, but suddenly they began to collapse, fall and disappear. In this case, you need to inspect the stem. If it darkened at the base, then the petunias got sick with the so-called. "black leg". They were struck by a fungus from the soil.

The fungus is not activated just like that. The reason for its development is very high humidity and lack of ventilation. Flower growers need to monitor the maintenance of water balance: the soil should be moist, but not damp. Moreover, water stagnation should not be allowed. We must not forget the ventilation.

The "black leg" can be defeated and still healthy plants can be saved. First of all, all infected petunias must be thrown away without regret - they can no longer be saved. healthy plants transplant into fresh soil. Soil for greater safety must be decontaminated. To do this, the earth is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or formalin. And in the future, make sure that the soil is not excessively moistened.

Another option for blackening the stems is the increased acidity of the soil. Petunias do not like such soil, so it must be changed. Increased acidity of the soil can be the reason why petunia shoots fall.

Problem 4. Seedlings are pulled out

Sometimes the reason why seedlings fall is not a fungus, but a lack of sun or too high a temperature in the room. What it looks like: the plants collapse, but at the same time their stems, although thin, do not turn black. That is, the reason is not in the "black leg", the petunias are healthy, but too stretched out. In this case, some countermeasures must be taken. If you do not pay attention and leave everything as it is, then the flowers will stretch out a lot and will not be those fluffy bushes with many branches.

Seedlings usually stand on the windowsill. But she may not have enough light, especially if the windows face the north side. Therefore, additional lighting can be used. For example, install special lamps.

Another reason is that the seedlings sit too densely, and an unhealthy competition for light has begun between the petunias. In this case, it is necessary to thin out the flowers, plant them.

It is often hot, stuffy and dry in apartments due to the working central heating. Such a microclimate also contributes to excessive upward growth. As a result, petunias are strongly stretched, and thin stems are unable to hold them. There is a collapse of the flower. To stop this process, you must try to lower the temperature or rearrange the flower in cool place. You also need to monitor the level of humidity.

What to do to slow down growth? You can pinch the petunias. Then its upward growth will slow down, the growth of lateral shoots will be activated. As a result, the bushes will become more lush, branched, and the stems will begin to grow stronger. Well helps and the deepening of the stems.

Problem 5. Yellowing or other discoloration of the leaves

According to the state of foliage in many plants, a complete diagnosis of the condition can be made. Petunia seedlings are no exception. A change in the color of the foliage usually indicates that the plant lacks any nutrients, trace elements:

• with a lack of phosphorus, the leaves become blue-violet;
• small and yellowish leaves indicate a nitrogen deficiency;
• if yellowness has affected the lower leaves, then nitrogen is most likely in excess;
• with a lack of magnesium, the lower branches and leaves on them become variegated, then turn brown and fall off;
• uniform thinning and yellowing of the foliage indicates insufficient watering;
• yellowing or lightening to almost white color apical leaves speaks of chlorosis - iron deficiency. In this case, the veins remain green. This is the most common reason why petunia seedlings turn yellow.

There is only one way to deal with all these phenomena - to feed. You can use complex fertilizers or narrowly targeted. For example, in case of chlorosis, plants need to be treated with special preparations containing iron: Iron Chelate, Feravit, etc. Another way to combat incipient chlorosis is to water with a solution of citric acid. For 1 liter of water, 1 g of powder is required. The fact is that the leaves can also turn yellow when the soil is alkalized.

Sometimes the cause of chlorosis is the attack of pests. They can be seen when examining petunias. In this case, insecticides must be used. Petunia tolerates exposure to chemicals quite easily.

Problem 6

If the flowers suddenly stop growing abruptly, this indicates that their root system has become cramped in the container used. This is another reason why petunia shoots fall. Especially if all other parameters are met. The problem is solved simply: it is necessary to transplant the flowers into a larger container so that the roots can continue to grow and develop. The first week the plants will hurt a little, this is normal. 10 days after transplanting, you can feed them using complex fertilizers.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS ABOUT PETUNIA HOW TO ACHIEVE THAT THE PETUNIA WAS SHORT, PLUCK AND BUSHY? In order for the petunia not to stretch, it is necessary to observe the agricultural technique of growing petunias: withstand day and night temperatures. Low temperatures at night (up to 5 degrees Celsius) and high (16-18 ° C) during the day, the petunia will be plump and bushy without many pinches. WHY DOES PETUNIA GROW INTO A STICK WITH A BUD AT THE END? At a high temperature (about 18 ° C) and without differences between day and night, all seedlings of terry petunia grow in 1 stick. Petunias need to be pinched for bushiness. Without pinching, lack of light and keeping petunia seedlings in a warm place, an elongated and non-bushy plant will grow. WHEN DO YOU NEED TO PLUG A PETUNIA? You need to pinch the petunia after 2 pairs of true leaves. This promotes the growth of axillary shoots. WHAT PROMOTES THE FORMATION OF SIDE SHOOTS? For the formation of lateral shoots, pinching and a lower night temperature (13-15 ° C) are needed. HOW TO ACHIEVE LONG WHIPS IN AMPEL PETUNIA? Petunia is a "gluttonous" plant. Therefore, the larger the amount of land for a petunia, the longer the lashes will be at the ampelous and luxurious bush at the bush. From this we conclude that the less land and food a petunia has, the less attractive the plant will be and vice versa. WHAT TO DO TO SHUTTER PETUNIA? In order for the petunia to grow in the room where the seedlings grow, the temperature is lowered. WHY DOES PETUNIA DO NOT FLOWER? If the sun is not enough, then the petunia can gain a lot of decent greenery and not bloom. Also, in a small container, petunia roots have nowhere to roam, there is less nutrition and flowering will be rare or not at all. Petunia is a voracious plant, loves top dressing. During the flowering period, fertilizers should have little nitrogen, and be more phosphorus and potassium. Please note that the first petunia flowers are almost always half empty, later the plant will gain strength and delight with chic flowers. If you were fond of pinching, then this one also delays flowering. WHY DO THE PETUNIA LEAVES TURN BLUE-PURPLE? With a lack of phosphorus, the leaves of a petunia can turn purple. If the measles is good, then this is not the reason. With a difference in day and night temperatures in winter, petunia leaves can also turn purple. WHY DO THE LOWER LEAVES TURN YELLOW IN PETUNIA? The lower leaves of a petunia usually turn yellow from overflow, lack of nitrogen, or a small amount of earth. WHY DID THE PETUNIA SEEDLINGS STOP GROWING? Stopping growth may be due to a lack of boron, which results in the death of the apical points of growth. To solve the problem, you can spray the petunia with a solution boric acid(7 grams per 10 liters of water). The result should appear in 10 days. WHAT TO DO TO MAKE THE PLANTS GROW BETTER WHEN DIVING? After picking petunias into other containers, there may be damage to the root system. Therefore, after a week, it is better to give the plants monophosphate or fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus in order to better take root. WHY DO THE FLOWERED FLOWERS CUT OFF THE PETUNIA? Those flowers that have faded in petunias are cut off not only for aesthetic purposes, but also to stimulate flowering. WHAT WATER TO WATER PETUNIA? For watering petunias, the acidity of the water is of great importance. petunia loves more water with an acid reaction. As you know, most of us have hard water. Therefore, there are two options: either acidify the water for irrigation, or simply plant the plant in an acidic soil mixture. HOW TO BREED EPIN CORRECTLY? When breeding epin, please note. that epin collapses in alkaline environment. Therefore, to make sense of epin, when diluting it, acidify the water with citric acid. When breeding epin use the following proportions: 4 drops in a glass of water (250 ml).

WHY DO THE PETUNIA LEAVES TWIST? One of the common causes of twisting and yellowing of the leaves of a petunia is the presence of pests. The first pest is the spider mite. If you look at the leaves in the light and the leaves will be as if pricked with a needle, these are exactly the tricks of the spider mite. Urgently treat all plants with Taurus. For prevention from spider mites, it is necessary to treat petunia seedlings with fitoverm or actofit. Also, the twisting of the leaves of a petunia can occur due to the fact that the temperature is very high, the air is dry and there is no light. The higher the temperature, the more light, if, on the contrary, at a low degree there is a lot of light, then the plant lays many points of growth and a more compact plant is obtained, but if it is warm, above 20 ° C and there is little light and even dry air, the plant tries to avoid moisture loss by twisting the sheet.

WHY IS THE PETUNIA SEEDLING EXTENDED? Petunia seedlings are stretched from a lack of lighting. The problem can be solved by highlighting the seedlings with fluorescent lamps. WHAT TO DO IF THE PETUNIA SEEDLING IS EXTENDED? If the petunia seedlings are stretched out, there are two ways out of this situation. The first - you can pinch. The second - you can transfer the seedlings into large cups. For example, if the petunia was in 200 gr. a glass, transfer it to 500 gr. glass and sprinkle with earth. Petunia, like all nightshades, tolerates transshipments normally.

WHY PETUNIA CHLOROSITE? One of the causes of chlorosis in petunia is the non-compliance with the “dry-wet” agricultural technique, when the earth in cups with petunia seedlings does not have time to dry out between waterings, it turns sour. WHAT TO DO IF PETUNIA LEAVES ARE CHLOROSITE (YELLOW)? Usually, the problem of chlorosis in petunias is dealt with with the help of iron chelate, which is applied to the plant either under the leaf or under the root. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. It all depends on the manufacturer of the chelate and the expiration date. A very convenient and less expensive way is to water the chlorosis seedlings of petunias with citric acid at the rate of (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water) or (1 g per 1 liter). After two weeks, pale, yellow seedlings turn green again. However, keep in mind that yellowing of the leaves is not always an indicator of iron deficiency or indigestion. This may be a lack of manganese, nitrogen and other trace elements. From a lack of nitrogen, small and yellow leaves are formed. From a lack of iron, light yellow or white leaves are formed, the apical shoot is affected. From a lack of magnesium, which manifests itself on lower leaves- the leaves become variegated in color, turn brown and fall off. HOW TO CALCULATE IRRIGATION OF PLANTS WITH CITRIC ACID FOR THE PREVENTION OF CHLOROSIS? Usually, for the prevention of chlorosis, a concentration of citric acid is used at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. If you have few plants, then it turns out 1 g per 1 liter. 1 g is about a few crystals of citric acid. HOW TO PREPARE IRON CHELATE BY YOURSELF? In 3 liters of cold boiled water dissolve 12 g of citric acid. 7.5 g of ferrous sulfate are introduced into this solution. The result is a complex ferrous iron salt of light orange color. This solution is suitable for spraying a diseased plant and for top dressing at the root. The remains of the unused solution can be poured under the garden flowers.