How to deal with pests and diseases of the date palm

Despite the fact that among the entire palm family, the date palm is the most resistant to diseases and pests, they do not bypass it.

In this article we will understand why the date palm dries and what to do in such cases.

The date palm (Phoenix) has been cultivated since the 4th millennium BC. for edible fruits. In some nations dates are still the staple food today. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, many types of date palms have been grown as ornamental, in greenhouses and apartment conditions. Three species of plants take root in the houses: palm, Canarian and Robelen. Growing a date palm is not difficult from a bone. Decorative plants manifest only after five to seven years after planting. Palma requires care of medium complexity - prefers space, good hydration and lighting. Improper treatment with it can lead to a number of diseases and pest attacks.

Effective control of date palm pests

In case of violation of the optimal conditions of the content, the date palm can be attacked by pests. Most often, it is affected by spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects. Nematodes and thrips can also settle on a palm tree.

In order to prevent attacks of parasites, the plant should be sprayed more often, remove dead leaves and conduct its regular inspection. It is necessary to avoid care mistakes or correct them in a timely manner. Pest damage to the date palm is one of the reasons why a palm tree dries at home.

Mealybug

A mealybug is capable of causing enormous damage to a plant by sucking juices and nutrients from it.

As a result, the palm is exhausted, stops in growth and development. When infected with this pest, the plant is covered with white bloom.

Nematodes

Nematodes are transparent worms that live in the soil and damage the root system, leaves and plant stems. There is no point fighting this pest. - It is better to remove the palm tree with the pot, until the infection of the adjacent flowers has occurred.

In order to prevent the soil in which the palm is planted, it is necessary to sterilize before planting in the microwave (3 minutes) or in the oven (20 minutes).

Spider mite

Favorable conditions for the reproduction of spider mites in the apartment are dry air and high temperatures. First, the tick settles on the leaves, feeding on their juices, then moves to the tops. After his bites on the plant remain gray, yellow, brown spots. Affected leaves and stem crack, and then die. With a strong lesion, the plant is covered with cobwebs. If time does not take measures to get rid of the tick, the palm tree may die.

Thrips

Thrips can be found on the lower sides of palm leaves, along the veins - brown-brown spots form in the places of their vital activity. The upper part of the leaf is covered with white spots. With a strong infection, the leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall off. In the future, the entire palm tree may shrivel.

Shchitovka

The shield collects cell sap from the stem, leaves, palm fruit.

In the places of their penetration into the tissues, yellow and brown spots are formed.

The affected parts of the plant turn yellow, dry out and die.

Pests of indoor palms - a shield, a spider mite, thrips - are fought by the same methods as when infecting all of the apartment plants: mechanical, biological and chemical.

With a slight lesion, insects are collected by hand, scutes are scraped from the trunk with a brush. Effective remedy is repeated washing of leaves with a solution of household (1 tsp per 1 l of water) or liquid soap (15 g per 1 l of water), sprinkling with garlic extract. In case of severe injury, insecticides are used: "Aktellik", "Fitoverm", "Intavir", "Phosphamide", "Fufanon", etc.

From the gentle methods of saving the home palm, we can recommend the treatment of the plant with such means:

• infusion of garlic: 170 g of garlic infuse for five days in 1 liter of water in a dark place in a tightly closed vessel. For spraying use 6 g of infusion diluted with 1 l of water;
• dandelion infusion: 20-30 g of crushed roots insist in 1 liter of water for two hours.

Troubleshooting problems when growing date palm trees

Changes in the appearance of the plant may indicate both the presence of pests and improper care for them.

When growing a date palm, you must adhere to several rules:

• the plant should be in a spacious room with good ambient lighting;
• too long exposure to direct sunlight is undesirable;
• optimum temperatures for the content: in the summer - any; in winter - 12-18 ° С;
• having watered regular, balanced - with soft settled water;
• optimum humidity of air - 50-70%;
• in the hot season requires spraying (morning and evening); shower once a week;
• fertilize fertilizers once in two weeks from April to August; foliar fertilizers are applied monthly;
• every two weeks, rotate around the axis by 180 °.

The leaves turn yellow

The date palm turns yellow if it is watered with hard water, it suffers from a lack of moisture or nutrients.

To eliminate this trouble, it is necessary to carry out watering only with separated soft water with a temperature of 20 degrees.

In the summer, regular watering is carried out without waiting for the earthen clod to dry. During the winter period allow easy drying.

Feed the date palm in accordance with the recommendations. The last dressing should be carried out no later than August. For fertilizing use complex fertilizers or fertilizers for decorative leafy plants.

The leaves turn white

A pale appearance is characteristic of a plant that receives too much sunlight or is attacked by a spider mite. Date palm should be applied and examined for pests.

Brown spots on leaves

In the formation of brown plaques on the leaves it is also necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of the plant - parasites can live on it. In the future, the leaves can curl, dry and fall off.

The presence of brown spots may indicate an excess of moisture, irrigation with hard water and a sharp decrease in temperature.

Round light spots with brown edging - sunburn.

Causes of stains need to be installed and eliminated, remove damaged leaves.

Brown tips on the leaves

The brown tips of the leaves of the palm tree signal to you that you don't water enough. Such a sign can also be evidence that the plant is in a draft, is under the influence of a sharp temperature drop or in a room where it is too dry.

On the lack of watering also say drooping leaves.

In the presence of such symptoms, it is necessary to establish the correct mode of irrigation of the date palm, to spray it. And also to move the plant to another place, if it is standing in a draft, or the temperature regime in the room is unfavorable to it.

Palm leaves dry

Drying of palm leaves can occur for several reasons:

• insufficient watering;
• moisture stagnation;
• excess fertilizer.

Eliminate these causes, adjust the correct mode of feeding, and the plant will return the former decoration.With the stagnation of moisture, it is desirable to transplant the palm tree into another container.

Soft stem of a date and unpleasant smell of rot

A change in leaf color to brown, a softening of the trunk of a palm tree and an unpleasant smell may indicate excessive soil moisture. If you notice such signs, watering should stop for a while until the soil dries.

To increase the vain, it is better to check the root system of the plant. To do this, it will need to be removed from the pot. With the darkening, softening and wateriness of the roots of the palm will have to get rid of - it will not help. If there are good roots, then the dead ones are removed, and the cut points are sprinkled with crushed coal. The plant is transplanted to another pot.

Date palm is not growing

A stunted growth is possible with a nitrogen deficiency. Another symptom of this problem is the lightening of the palm.

A palm can also stop developing when it is kept at low temperatures - at 16-17 degrees its root system slows down its activity.

Among the diseases that occur in palm trees at home, also viral and fungal, such as penicillus, root rot, rot of stems, leaf spot.

When growing a date palm in room conditions, always follow the recommendations for growing it - regularly and moderately water it, do not allow a decrease or a strong increase in temperature, feed it properly, spray it. All these procedures will allow you to grow a healthy and beautiful tree.