Croton flower - leaves fall. The reasons

Croton, or codiaum, is a perennial houseplant that is distinguished by decorative leaves of various shapes, colors and sizes. Their appearance is so unusual that it attracts the eye. Therefore, many growers grow this plant at home. But you can often hear questions from flower growers: Croton leaves fall, what should I do? Various reasons can provoke the process. You should figure out what this may be associated with and what to do.

Croton - home care, leaves fall

If you figure out why croton leaves dry and what to do, it is easy to fix the problem. Croton belongs to the category of evergreens. In the wild, this culture grows in the tropical jungle in the south and east of Asia. In nature, plant height reaches 2.5-4 m, which is facilitated by favorable conditions.

Croton is prized by flower growers for the beauty of its leaves.

For the full development of a flower, you need warmth, good lighting and regular moderate watering. But at home, it is not always possible to maintain the optimal regime for the plant. If the tips of the leaves begin to dry in croton, this signals an inconsistency in growing conditions.

Improper watering

The reason why the leaves of croton dry up may be a lack of moisture. This occurs as a result of the drying out of the root system in the absence of watering for a long time. To save the plant, it is necessary to control that the soil in the pot is always slightly moist.

Excessive soil moisture in autumn and winter can also provoke a problem with leaves. This leads to decay of the roots, which disrupts metabolic processes in the tissues. It is possible to save croton in this situation if the reason was established in a timely manner. It is recommended to carry out a complete transplant of the flower with the removal of rotten root areas. You should also pour Croton with Maxim or Previkur Energy.

Regular overflow and drafts can lead to a sharp drop in the leaves of the flower.

Diseases

Diseases can also provoke drying and further leaf fall. Most often, they develop when the rules for caring for a flower are violated.

The most common ones are:

• Anthracnose. This fungal disease develops at a high humidity of about 90% in combination with a high temperature of + 27 ... +29 degrees. An increased level of soil acidity and a lack of potassium and phosphorus can also provoke the development of anthracnose. The disease manifests itself as brown spots with a dark brown border along the edge. Subsequently, they grow and merge into a single whole, which prevents the movement of nutrients. Against the background of the disease, croton leaves begin to dry out, lose turgor and, as a result, may fall off. For treatment, it is recommended to treat the plant with Fundazol, Antracol, Euparen.
• Root rot. This disease can also be the reason why Croton abruptly sheds its leaves. It develops with excessive watering and cold content. Low acidity of the soil can be a provoking factor. The disease can be recognized at the initial stage by the sharp yellowing of the leaves, after which they descend and become lethargic. For treatment, it is necessary to pour Croton with Fitosporin-M or Previkur.

With root rot, the plant can be saved only at the initial stage of the lesion.

Pests

In some cases, it is pests that cause the tips of the leaves of Croton to dry out. A lesion can be recognized by the depressed type of plant, slow growth or its complete absence, yellowing of the ends and leaf fall.

Possible problems:

• Spider mite. It is a small insect that is difficult to see with the naked eye. The tick feeds on the sap of the plant. The lesion can be recognized by the dull shade of the leaves, the appearance of yellow dots on the upper side of the leaf along its edge, as well as a small cobweb at the tops of the shoots. The provoking factor is dry air and elevated temperature of the content. To destroy the pest, it is necessary to process the plant twice at a frequency of 7 days. For spider mites, it is recommended to use drugs such as Fitoverm, Actellik.
• Shield. The size of the insect does not exceed 5 mm. The body of the pest is covered with a shield that protects it from external influences. The insect can be found on the underside of the leaves and along the shoots. As a result of the defeat, the plant stops developing, as it spends all its strength on the struggle. The leaves of the plant turn yellow, fall, and then fall off. To destroy the scale insect, it is necessary to water the croton twice with Aktara's working solution with a break of 5 days, and also spray the aboveground part of the flower with Fitoverm.
• Mealybug. The pest is a small white insect that feeds on plant sap. With a mass accumulation, it resembles scraps of cotton wool. The insect reproduces in the upper layer of the soil, and then moves to the leaves and shoots of croton. If damaged, the flower stops developing completely and can lower its leaves. For destruction, it is necessary to spray the plant and the topsoil in the pot at least 3 times. For this, drugs such as Inta-Vir, Actellik are suitable.

Temperature regime

Often, the drooping of the leaves in croton is associated with non-compliance with the maintenance regime. Favorable temperature for growing - + 20 ... +22 degrees. Any deviation up or down negatively affects the plant.

At elevated temperatures, the humidity of the air decreases, which causes discomfort to the flower. The tips of the leaves begin to dry out, and their decorative effect decreases.

The lowered temperature regime slows down biological processes in tissues. This leads to the fact that the leaves do not receive nutrition, so they turn yellow, become soft and sink.

Croton does not tolerate both cold and hot content.

How to prevent

In order to prevent the leaves from falling off the croton, you need to properly care for it. This will avoid many problems.

Key recommendations:

• For croton, you do not need to pick up a container that is too large, since the soil that has not been mastered by the roots begins to sour.
• Transplanting young plants should be carried out annually in spring, and grown ones - once every 2-3 years.
• It is important to create a favorable temperature for the flower; its drops and drafts should not be allowed.
• It is necessary to provide full lighting, since croton belongs to light-loving plants.
• Watering should be done regularly so that the soil in the pot is always slightly damp.
• The plant should be provided with timely feeding.
• It is important to regularly inspect the plant for diseases and pests in order to identify the problem at the initial stage.

The flower has dropped its leaves after transplanting

What to do if croton has dropped the leaves after transplanting? In this case, it is recommended to rearrange the plant in light partial shade, control soil moisture and regularly spray the leaves. When transplanting, the plant is stressed, so it takes time to recover.