Why Brown Growths Appear on the Leaves of Houseplants: Time to Sound the Alarm

08.01.2023 16:15

Plaques on the underside of orchid or ficus leaves are a sign that the plants have been attacked by scale insects.

An expert of the online publication Belnovosti, agronomist, landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh spoke about how to detect a pest and what to do in such a situation.

So, you should be wary if sticky and shiny drops or plaque appear on the leaf blades, petioles or stems of plants.

The sugary secretions of scale insects are an ideal place for the reproduction of saprophytic fungi, the products of whose vital activity are honeydew or black.

The first thing you should do if you find scale insects is to isolate the affected plant.

Flower
Photo: © Belnovosti

After this, begin removing the brown plaques mechanically.

The next step is treatment with a chemical insecticide. Among the effective ones are such preparations as "Aktara", "Iskra Zolotaya", "Zubr" and others.

Spray the plants with special care, paying enough attention to each leaf (especially on the back side). In addition, you should also treat the place where the flower stood. If the pot was located on the windowsill, do not forget to wipe the glass.

Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Internet resource editor