Geranium may begin to wither due to exposure to various unfavorable factors. The main ones:

• Rare or irregular feeding. Fertilizers are added every month, but in small quantities.
• Pot too big. The plant requires a fairly narrow container for its root system. If you have a large pot, all the nutrients accumulate in the roots, not reaching the leaves and stem. As a result, the geranium does not bloom.
• Small amount of water for irrigation. The flower is not watered often, but with plenty of water.
• Spraying a flower. Geranium does not need spraying; this only makes the plant worse.
• No trimming. Pruning is carried out every spring, leaving only a few shoots.
• Bad light. If the plant receives little sunlight, then it is necessary to provide artificial lighting.
• Low oxygen. The flower constantly needs an influx of fresh air, so the room needs to be ventilated regularly. In the summer, if possible, the flower is planted in open ground.

Symptoms and diagnoses

Diseases, their photos, treatment and prevention

To overcome diseases that are common in geraniums, you need to identify and eliminate them in a timely manner:

1. If it is noticed that the plant has withered, it is necessary to immediately remove diseased areas, dry leaves and branches.
2. The flower bed where the plant is planted for the summer must be constantly cleared of weeds.
3. You cannot water geraniums by overhead watering and after 11 a.m.
4. When processing a plant, it is necessary to wash your hands more often.
5. Do not add fertilizers that contain a lot of nitrogen to the soil.
6. The soil must have good drainage so that water does not stagnate in it.
7. We need to fight insects.
8. Many diseases are treated with chemicals that contain a fungicide (antifungal substance).

Blackleg

This the disease develops due to waterlogging of the soil or lack of drainage. As a result, the stem darkens and rots. To prevent the development of the disease, it is necessary to pinch off the cuttings and cut off the top, then root.

Rhizoctonia rot

Dark spots form at the bottom of the stems. There is no flowering. As the disease progresses, the leaves turn yellow and wither, and the plant dies. The infection penetrates through the soil.

Provoke the development of the disease:

• Excess fertilizer.
• Warmth in the room, especially during the heating season.
• Excessive soil moisture.
• Poor lighting and poor ventilation.

Help with illness:

• Root mealybug. Appears if the soil is very moist. The insect eats the root system. To rehabilitate geraniums, the affected roots are cut off, after which the plant’s roots are immersed in hot water for several minutes. Then they are dried and sprinkled with charcoal. The root treated in this way is transferred to sterile soil.
• Mealybug. The pest looks like white lumps that suck the juices out of the plant. First of all, you need to isolate the flower and remove the white lumps with your hands. After this, spray the plant with a soap-alcohol solution.
• Whitefly. It can be found on the inside of the leaf. To remove it, the medicine Aktara is often used.
• Aphid. Most often it affects young plants. Its habitat is shoots, leaves and stems. Pests can be removed manually or by cutting off the affected stem.
• Caterpillar. The insect makes multiple holes in the stems into which it lays larvae. In this case, the drugs Senpai or Lipidocida help.

Attention! If the flower is on the verge of death, it is treated with insecticides such as Aktara, Aktellik or Fufanon.

We invite you to watch a video about pelargonium pests:

Reanimation of an indoor flower

Sometimes pelargonium dies right before our eyes. In such a situation, there is no time to find out the cause; it is necessary to urgently revive the plant. This is done as follows:

If you know how to properly maintain geranium at home and respond to various diseases in a timely manner, the plant will delight you with its well-groomed appearance and abundant flowering for a long time.

Useful video

We invite you to watch a video about geranium diseases:

Before we look at what diseases can affect your favorite flowering geranium and how to deal with them, let's look at other reasons why plants begin to wilt. For example, external signs such as the appearance of brown spots on leaves or dropping flowers may be associated with:

• Too small a pot, which is why the plant’s root system simply does not develop.
• Lack or absence of drainage in the container.
• Drafts or lack of sunlight.
• Excess moisture during watering.
• Frequent application of nitrogen fertilizers, as a result of which green mass quickly develops to the detriment of flowering.
• Deficiency of phosphorus or potassium in the soil.

Wilting geranium

To eliminate these factors, you just need to reconsider, putting watering and fertilizing in order. But coping with diseases and their consequences is quite difficult. Let's take a closer look at how diseases can “attack” indoor geraniums and what methods against them are considered the most effective.

A frequent “guest” of geraniums is the Botrytis mushroom, which can appear at any time of the year and affects flowers of different ages. Most often, this fungus appears as a result of excessive watering or due to too humid air. Its main feature is the dark fluff that appears on the leaves or stem. At first the spots are small, after a couple of days they begin to grow, which can lead to complete infection of the flowers.

Preventive measures include cleaning the soil in the pot from weeds, removing all wilted flowers, and proper watering - water should not stagnate in the ground. And during watering, make sure that water does not get on the leaves and flower buds. It happens that the mushroom appears as a result of too dense plantings, when individual flowers do not have enough ventilation. That is why, when planting geraniums, keep in mind that the distance between plants should be about 10 cm. If you notice sprouts affected by the fungus, remove them and treat the flowers themselves with fungicidal agents.

Removing faded geranium flowers

Another well-known fungal disease is root rot, which most often appears due to severe stagnation of water in the soil.

From the roots, rot spreads to the stem and leaves, the plant turns brown, the roots are usually covered with a gray coating, which is somewhat reminiscent of a cobweb. If you don’t know how to deal with this disease, the plant will rot very quickly. The first thing to do is improve the drainage in the container. It is also worth replacing the soil mixture with a new one, looser and more breathable, which will avoid stagnation of water. While fighting the disease, you should stop using nitrogen-containing fertilizers. It is also worth removing all affected parts of the flower and treating it with a suitable product.

Unlike fungal diseases, bacterial diseases are caused by various pathogenic bacteria. Usually, brown spots appear on the affected flowers, which at the very beginning of the disease are small in size and located on the back of the leaves. Another characteristic sign is the black veins of the leaves and their drying.

Bacterial disease of pelargonium

If the disease becomes systemic (appearing and then disappearing), the plant becomes very weak and lethargic, the branches gradually die, the stem turns black, and the flower eventually dries out. Prevention is simple: provide good drainage, monitor watering, use soil for planting that allows air and water to pass through well. Sick plants also need to be watered with fungicides. But if the stage is too thick, when there are no treatment options, the geranium will have to be burned so as not to infect the rest of the plants.

Thus, the most famous disease caused by “bacteria” is rust, when red spots form on the leaves, in the middle of which there are spores. If you don't know how to deal with the disease, it will very quickly consume your favorite flowers and destroy them. The most effective anti-rust remedy is copper sulfate - prepare a solution, tear off all infected leaves and water the plant with the prepared mixture. To consolidate the result, repeat the treatment after a week.

Indoor geranium, like any other plant, has quite a few enemies. For example, these are aphids, caterpillars, ants, whiteflies. We will tell you about the most proven methods of pest control:

• Aspirin, which can be used to combat almost all pests. Just dilute one tablet in 1 liter of water and treat the flowers three times a week until you kill all the pests.
• Marathon It is considered a good remedy against whiteflies and aphids. This drug is convenient because it does not need to be diluted in water, and its duration of action is almost three months. Just sprinkle with granules Marathon pots of flowers and water.
• In the fight against a pest such as a caterpillar, you need to use a product Monterey. Simply spray the flowers and buds with a liquid solution, preparing it according to the instructions. To increase effectiveness, repeat treatment every other week.

Spraying flowers with Monterey liquid solution

And to make geranium more resistant to pests, diseases and their consequences in the form of poor growth and lack of flowering, be sure to use the product for preventive purposes Messenger. This drug helps increase the immunity of flowers. Just dilute the product according to the instructions and water the soil. By the way, this drug will also help you with.

Geranium is very responsive to good care and, with the right actions, gardeners will delight with their bright flowering. But even with proper care, geraniums sometimes stop blooming. What to do in this case? The beginning of long flowering of this plant is due to proper maintenance in the winter season. In winter, this plant prefers cool conditions and minimal watering. The cooler it was in the winter, the longer the geranium will bloom in the summer.

Geranium flowering

In April, the flower should be transplanted into a new pot and fed using potash fertilizers. To stimulate the development of new buds and further flowering, be sure to remove all faded inflorescences. Another important condition is high-quality lighting. In summer, it is advisable to place the pot with geranium in a lighted place, but at the same time so that direct sunlight does not fall on the plant - this will lead to burns. In winter, geraniums need artificial lighting for 4-5 hours every day. In spring you should also trim the flower, leaving 2-3 of the most powerful shoots.

Other reasons why your indoor flowers suddenly stopped blooming:

• The pot is too large, as a result of which the geranium develops its roots and does not have time to bloom.
• Too little watering can also result in geraniums not blooming.

Let's find out how to identify this or that disease of pelargonium, and how to effectively treat it. Please note that many diseases arise due to improper home conditions, and if maintenance errors are not corrected, their treatment will be useless.

Chlorosis

If the leaves of geraniums begin to change color, this often indicates chlorosis, that is, a failure in the process of photosynthesis due to a lack of mineral supplements. If the edges of the leaves become light, this is a nitrogen deficiency. A lack of sulfur manifests itself as a uniform yellowing of the entire plant, including the stems; magnesium - the appearance of spots between the veins of old leaves; iron - spots between the veins of young leaves. With phosphorus deficiency, a yellow spot forms on old leaves near the petiole, which then spreads to the entire leaf.

This disease can be cured by regular application of balanced complex fertilizers or a specific substance. For example, in case of iron deficiency, Antichlorosin (iron chelate) is added.

Dropsy

This is a physiological disease, the cause of which is not an infection, but improper living conditions, in particular overwatering, cold and high humidity. With dropsy, swollen, swollen areas appear on the underside of the leaves. To get rid of this disease, you need to properly care for the flower: reduce watering and spraying, and improve drainage if necessary. The room should be warm and well ventilated.

Bacterial burn

Dried areas appear on the leaves of pelargonium, they begin to curl and deform. Pelargonium stops developing.

Since it is useless to fight the emerging disease, cut off completely healthy areas for cuttings, and throw away or burn the diseased plant.

Ring spot

This disease is indicated by light ring-shaped spots on the leaves. Later, the infected leaf blades curl inward or droop like umbrellas.

Without treatment, the flower may die. To save it, pick and destroy any leaves that are curled or spotted, and treat the plant with fungicides.

Powdery mildew

Fungal infection. The main symptom is the appearance of a white powdery coating on the leaves.

Diseased geraniums should be treated with fungicides or colloidal sulfur, after picking off the infected leaves.

Blackleg

Also a fungal disease that attacks the stem: a dark spot appears at the soil level, then black rot grows rapidly until the stem breaks and the plant dies. The appearance of a black leg in geraniums is caused by too heavy soil, overwatering and poor drainage.

Cannot be treated. Cut off the top for rooting, the rest can be thrown away.

Late blight

If the leaves wither and curl, as if due to a lack of water, or dark, sunken spots appear on the leaves and stem, this is late blight. In a damp room, a white fluffy coating also appears on the stains. Most often, this disease is detected in late stages, when treatment is no longer possible.

If a small area is affected, remove it and replant the plant in new soil. For prevention and treatment, “Ridomil”, “Profit Gold”, “Previkur” are used.

Gray rot

Gray rot is identified by wet brown-gray spots on the stems and leaves of pelargonium. Rot often affects the plant due to excess nitrogen, stuffiness, too wet soil and air.

You can get rid of rot by cutting off the infected areas and treating the geranium with Fundazol. Vitaros is also used. When cutting, the cut sprout can be placed in a solution of one of these drugs to prevent rot.

Alternaria blight

Bubbles and spots with a whitish coating appear on the lower part of the leaf blade. The leaf gradually fades, turns yellow and finally falls off. The cause of the disease is most often excess moisture. We get rid of this problem by picking off diseased leaves and treating the geranium with Ridomil.

Rust

The first symptom is that light spots with dark red dots appear on the leaves. You can see a brown coating underneath.

If a small area is infected, it must be removed and the pelargonium should be treated with fungicides twice (with an interval of 2 weeks). Otherwise, save the healthy parts for cuttings and destroy the plant.

Verticillium wilt

The disease can occur when there is a lack of moisture and too high an air temperature. The main symptom is yellowed and wilted leaves and inflorescences.

After removing dry parts of the plant, increase the frequency of watering (avoiding overwatering). For prevention, you can use Trichodermin.

Geranium pests

Pelargonium pests not only deplete the plant by drinking juices and eating individual parts, but also provoke the appearance of infectious diseases. In addition, they are able to spread quickly, infecting other plants. Let's find out how to deal with them.

Aphid

Whitefly

These white midges are dangerous pests of geraniums. Varieties are most often affected. How to get rid of whiteflies?

For the fight they use “Akarin”, “Aktellik”, “Fitoverm”. Curled leaves should be torn off and discarded.

Termites

When these pests appear on geraniums, spray with aspirin (1 tablet per 8 l) every other day. Among the chemicals, including for prevention, you can use Messenger and Marathon.

Nematode

Root mealybug

This oval, whitish insect often appears in waterlogged soil. It eats the roots, which is why the geranium stops developing.

If the damage is minor, to save the pelargonium, completely wash off the soil from the roots and cut off the damaged areas. For prevention, new soil is treated with Vidat or Tekta. Watering with Aktara is also recommended.

Mealybug

Caterpillars

Caterpillars appear more often when kept outdoors. The pest eats the leaves and without intervention can destroy the plant. Once you find a hole, inspect the flower.

Regular manual collection of pests often helps. If you see that someone is still eating the leaves, treat the geranium with Lepidocide or Senpai.

Slugs

Like the caterpillar, the slug eats pelargonium leaves, leaving noticeable holes in them. Manual collection can be used. If this does not help and the pest is actively eating flowers, use the preparations “Thunderstorm”, “Ferramol”, “Slug Eater”.

Please note that the treated plant may soon become ill again if maintenance errors are not corrected.

Provide geranium care in compliance with all requirements: water it with water at room temperature, avoiding overflowing and drying out; In winter, place cork or foam stands under the pot; feed the plant in a timely manner; Do not forget about proper lighting and regular ventilation of the room.

Video “Control of pests and diseases of indoor plants”

From this video you will learn how to deal with diseases and pests that attack indoor plants.

Geranium is generally unpretentious. She loves warmth, sun and simple soil. The conditions for its maintenance are simple:

• moderate watering;
• bright sun (9 out of 10 points);
• warm air;
• good drainage and loosening of the soil;
• nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in equal proportions and very small quantities;
• not very nutritious soil with a slightly acidic pH;
• weeding;
• periodic pruning of the upper shoots, removal of dead flowers and leaves.

Important! It is best to water geraniums before 11 o’clock.

Diagnosis of problems

Brown areas

• Brown spots on the lower leaves of geranium may indicate infection with gray mold. These spots are the first symptom, followed by a dense gray coating appearing on the affected areas.
• Brown spots with a light center are a sign of Alternaria blight. Manifestations of the disease: geraniums do not bloom and dry out, and with high air humidity a velvety coating appears on them.
• Brown-red spots on the leaves and stem - geraniums are cold or have too much sun(read about why indoor geranium leaves turn red and dry out). You should move the geranium to a warmer place and select the optimal lighting level - 9 out of 10 points.

On a note. Common causes of discoloration of geranium leaves are associated with improper care.

What to do if the flower is sick: detailed instructions

The main condition is to create a quarantine so that the disease does not spread to other flowers. A careful examination of the leaves on the top and bottom, stem, flowers, soil and assessment of the condition can give a lot of information about what happened to your geranium.

Rust

If the flower is affected by rust, you must:

1. move the geranium to a cool and dry place;
2. reduce watering and stop spraying;
3. remove diseased leaves;
4. treat the plant with Topaz.

Note! Treatment is effective only in the early stages of the disease.

Fungus

If your symptoms indicate Botrytis fungus, you will have to:

1. remove affected plant fragments;
2. treat it with systemic fungicides;
3. reduce watering;
4. loosen the soil.

Ring spot

If ring spotting is detected, it is unlikely that the flower will be saved. The disease is viral and affects the entire plant., therefore the prognosis is most often unfavorable, and it is better to destroy the plant along with the soil.

Getting rid of spider mites is possible if the owner is willing to devote a lot of effort to it. A tick is a microscopic arachnid, not an insect. It is useless to fight it with insecticides.

How to get rid of spider mites:

1. wash the flower with warm water and laundry or tar soap - after this, half of the mite population will be destroyed;
2. disinfect the window sill and everything that was there, wash the windows, wash the curtains;
3. Water the geranium thoroughly and wrap it tightly in polyethylene for three days - the mites will die from high humidity.

To enhance the effect, some gardeners recommend tincture of garlic in water followed by wrapping: cotton swabs are moistened with a caustic solution and placed 2-3 on each pot.

Also Spraying with aspirin (1 tablet per 1 liter of water) is considered very effective. You can do without wrapping, using insectoacaricidal preparations every 2 weeks. However, they only affect adults. To stop the appearance of eggs, it is necessary to use hormonal drugs (Clofentesine and Flufenzine), and for a more powerful effect, combine them with any biological product.

If everything has been tried, and the pest does not give up, you can release a natural enemy on it, which will gladly destroy mites, small and large, but will not touch your flowers, animals, or yourself: this is phytoseiulus. During the day, it destroys up to five adult individuals or up to a dozen eggs, and when left without food, it dies. You can buy it at a garden center, flower shop or online.

Attention! If the cobweb has entangled the entire plant, it can no longer be saved.

Gray rot

How to cure gray rot:

1. treat geraniums with systemic fungicides to destroy the fungus;
2. reduce watering, cancel spraying, reduce air humidity.

Infection with this disease occurs through the soil. Treatment:

1. replacing soil and pot;
2. treating the plant with Ridomil Gold or Skor;
3. good ventilation;
4. loosening the soil;
5. optimal watering regime.

Insects

• wash the flower in a soap-ash solution;
• wipe the leaves with alcohol - this must be done quickly so as not to burn them;
• treat with special insecticides;
• replace the soil.

Prevention

The plant is quite resistant to disease, but prevention will help avoid unnecessary problems. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the flower and maintain:

• correct temperature conditions;
• a certain soil moisture;
• optimal lighting;
• timely feeding.

So, geranium is not the most difficult flower to care for and maintain, but it also requires attention and care. By being vigilant about the condition of the leaves, flowers, and stems, you can significantly extend the life of the geranium, and it will decorate your home for a long time with lush blooms or the invigorating aroma of the leaves.

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Geranium (or pelargonium) is a herbaceous plant of the Geranium family with lobed or dissected fragrant leaves. Plants are grown as ornamental or commercial plants to obtain essential oils. In Russia there are up to 40 species of geranium. Unpretentious pelargonium has bright red or pink clusters of flowers.

Common causes of the disease

The main factors that provoke various diseases in geranium are:

Read about why the leaves of indoor geraniums turn red and dry out, and from there you will learn why the leaves turn white and how to help the plant.

Most often, geranium is susceptible to various ailments due to poor care. The most common diseases of pelargonium are as follows:

ATTENTION: A bacterial burn cannot be treated. To save pelargonium from death, you need to pinch off all infected parts from a healthy shoot and burn them.

If infected, the diseased flower is isolated, For healthy plants, prevention is carried out, which includes the following steps:

1. moderate watering;
2. when the indoor air is cool, the plants are provided with dry air;
3. sterilize the soil;
4. carry out pest control;
5. quarantine them.

We talked in detail about why leaf diseases occur in geraniums.

IMPORTANT: At an advanced stage, it is necessary to treat the plant with insecticides (Aktara, Aktellik or Fufanon).

And here you can see a photo of geranium affected by diseases:

Pelargonium resuscitation: care at home

There are situations that happen very quickly, literally before our eyes. In this case, the plant requires immediate restoration without identifying the reasons for such wilting. There are several effective ways to revive pelargonium:

1. washing and removing dry rotten roots;
2. cutting off rotten and dry leaves, up to their complete removal;
3. disinfection in Epin solution for about 1 hour;
4. soil sterilization;
5. transplantation into a warm and moist substrate;
6. moving the plant to a bright, slightly cool place without drafts;
7. exclusion of watering, in warm weather spraying with warm water;
8. feeding with Epin (once a week);
9. gradual transfer of geranium to the sunny side;
10. When new leaves appear, transfer to standard care.

Geranium rarely gets sick when it receives enough light, warmth and quality care. If, nevertheless, pelargonium is affected by some disease, then you should not delay treatment. Prevention and timely treatment of geranium will help to completely cure it.