Begonia leaves dry - what to do

Begonias have more than a thousand basic and hybrid varieties that are grown indoors. However, regardless of the type of flower, sooner or later their owners are faced with a very common problem - yellowing and drying of the leaves.

Begonia leaves dry - what could be the reasons

Begonia leaf plates can turn yellow and dry out in different ways. At first, these may be the usual browned specks on the surface of the leaf, or shrinkage may begin at the edges. Sometimes the leaves are only half dead. External changes can not always be the cause of the disease, but timely treatment can save the bush from its complete destruction.

Yellowing of leaves is one of the main problems of begonia

The reasons why the tips of the leaves or the entire leaf dry in begonia may be as follows:

• temperature rise;
• prolonged exposure to direct sunlight;
• hypothermia of the root system of the bush;
• stagnation of water in the soil due to abundant watering and lack of drainage;
• dry air in the room where begonia is grown;
• diseases;
• pests;
• fungal infections that cause root decay;
• lack of nutrients in the soil, in other words, lack of fertilizing;
• sharp jumps in temperature;
• a transplant that was not carried out on time, which is why the soil in the pot is compacted, and due to the growth of roots, the container becomes cramped.

When begonia dries up and withers, what to do and how to help it regain its healthy appearance? Most problems arise from lack of attention and care. First of all, it is necessary to regularly carry out simple, but vital measures for caring for a flower.

Another important role is played by the growing conditions of begonias, they should be as close as possible to natural, that is, in which the plant grows in the wild.

It is worth dwelling on some possible reasons in more detail.

Begonia diseases

Diseases in begonia often appear due to improper care and the introduction of bacteria through infected planting material or garden tools. Infections are often carried by insect pests.

Powdery mildew on the leaves

Most diseases affecting begonia are primarily reflected in its leaf plates.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew can be the reason why begonia withers. Its causative agents are mealybugs - whitish insects that have an oval shape. They secrete a liquid, which then settles on the surface of the foliage in the form of a white bloom. Every day the area of ​​spread of the disease grows and grows.

Powdery mildew provokes a halt in the normal development of the bush, it turns pale and withers. White bloom slowly begins to turn black, and the leaves dry out and fall off. Therefore, you should not delay treatment when signs of this disease appear.

When fighting powdery mildew, you can use the treatment of the bush, diluted in water with copper sulfate. Another remedy is a soapy solution, with which the bush is thoroughly washed under a warm shower. However, it is better to purchase special chemicals - fungicides.

In the fight against powdery mildew, Fundazol and Topsin M are effective

Bacterial spot

It is characterized by the appearance of spots on the lower part of the leaf plates, turning brown after a short amount of time. These dots subsequently begin to darken and destroy the green part of the bush. If begonia leaves dry at the edges, what to do and what methods to take then described below.

This disease belongs to the infectious group, so there is an immediate risk of infection of other indoor plants. If there are signs of spotting, you need to remove the begonia in a separate room, that is, protect the rest of the flowers from the infected one.

The diseased areas of the bush must be immediately removed and the cut sites must be treated with activated carbon crushed into powder. To combat the disease, spraying with copper oxychloride is carried out every two weeks.

However, statistics say that in 40% of cases of begonia bacterial spotting, unfortunately, it is not possible to save the bush, especially with late treatment.

Chlorosis

A common disease among indoor plants is reflected in the leaf plates. Chlorosis occurs when the formation of chlorophylls is disrupted in the cells of the foliage of begonia, in other words, the process of photosynthesis is suspended. This is immediately reflected in the leaves, which first begin to fade and wilt, and then turn yellow and fall off. The reason why begonia leaves wither from chlorosis is insufficient lighting of the bush.

Chlorosis is not a dangerous disease if you start treatment on time. It is enough to spray the bush and treat the soil with a solution of ferrous sulfate.

The pot itself needs to be moved to a more illuminated place, if there is a lack of natural light, use phytolamps.

Gray rot

Occurs due to excessive watering. Darkish spots appear on the foliage and shoots of begonia, and the root part of the bush begins to become covered with a sticky bloom. Soon, the affected areas may dry out and fall off.

If the bush is left untreated, the main trunk may die off, killing the plant. To combat rot, use Bordeaux liquid or a solution of soap and copper sulfate.

Pests

Another significant reason why begonia leaves dry up is the defeat of the bush by the following types of pests:

• Aphid. Small insects of green color, located on the leaves of the flower. They eat the fleshy parts of the plant and suck the juice out of them. Soon, the drying and dying off of the ground part of the bush begins. And on each affected leaflet, yellow spots with a brown border are formed. Treat the bush with a soap solution in the early stages and fungicides.
• Whitefly is a small butterfly that destroys begonia foliage. On the back of the leaf, it lays eggs, the larvae that appear destroy the green parts of the flower. To combat whitefly use "Mospilan" or "Confidor".

Whitefly larvae suck leaf juices

Soil moisture

Foliage can dry out due to waterlogging of the soil. Without the lack of loosening, the soil in the pot begins to accumulate moisture and freeze, turning into a hard, heavy lump. Therefore, good drainage is essential.

The drainage material must be covered at the bottom of the pot even during planting; expanded clay and brick chips or small pebbles can act instead. For additional air permeability of the soil, river sand is added to the planting substrate.

If the soil in the pot begins to become heavy and impenetrable, then you need to begin to loosen the soil regularly, even in winter when the plant is dormant. Florists recommend carrying out this procedure after each watering. The soil in the pot should be constantly moist, but loose.

Air temperature

The foliage begins to curl and dry out at an elevated temperature.Temperature fluctuations are also detrimental to the flower.

The room where begonia is kept should be ventilated regularly, and in the summer, the container with the plant can be placed on an open balcony, terrace, or taken out into the garden. Only hypothermia of the bush should not be allowed due to through and cold winds.

Decay of roots

Roots begin to rot with prolonged accumulation of moisture in the soil, which spreads various infections. At the beginning of the disease, it is impossible to see the signs of the disease with the naked eye, except that growth inhibition and wilting of the bush begin. In such cases, beginners make the mistake of thinking that the bush needs watering. As a result, the disease begins to develop rapidly.

Root decay is very dangerous for begonias

Rot, which has already hit the tuberous part, goes to the root part of the trunk and rises along the shoots. It suffers from this foliage, which begins to dry out.

In this case, the first thing to do is immediately transplant the bush to another nutrient soil. The affected areas should be cut off and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate before transplantation.

If the owner of a houseplant cannot understand why begonia flowers wither, despite the fact that there are no visible damages or diseases, then the problem lies underground. Most likely something happened to the roots of the plant.

Other possible problems

There are several more problems that can cause yellowing and drying of begonia foliage:

• prolonged exposure to direct sunlight;
• lack of dressing;
• transplants are not carried out, which makes the pot cramped;
• dry indoor air.

Healthy begonia pleases with its abundant flowering

Summing up, we can say that problems in begonias arise from improper care. Indoor plants are especially sensitive to growing conditions, each of them requires special rules and care measures. Therefore, you should be more careful about this problem when purchasing a flower.