Evergreen and spectacular dracaena (Dracaena marginata) often decorates apartments and offices. Its unpretentiousness and attractive appearance are appreciated by both flower growers and interior designers. Sometimes when growing a crop, the question arises as to why the tips of the leaves dry on the dracaena. There are many prerequisites for these deviations, including insect attacks, illness, and improper care.
Dracaena leaves dry - what could be the reason
If the plant is properly looked after, it becomes more resistant to fungal and viral infections and bacteria. Why do dracaena leaves dry? The problem is often related to random florist errors. Pests can cause a lot of trouble, but will not lead to its death.
Dried leaf tips
Important! Dangerous to the culture include rot, bacterial and viral diseases that cannot be cured. The affected flower must be destroyed - if you ignore this requirement, then you can lose the entire collection of plants.
Diseases
Dracaena leaves dry in the presence of specific diseases:
- Alternariosis - on the foliage pale brownish spots with a whitish middle form. Affected areas darken and die over time.
- Bacteriosis - the ends of the leaves become brownish, then the lesion captures the healthy parts. The stem, trunk and petioles are covered with ulcerations with an oily border.
- Heterosporiosis - spots of beige color are formed on the leaves, with a reddish fringing. Further development of the pathology leads to a change in the color of the marks on a greenish-gray tone.
- Powdery mildew - initially lighter areas appear on the foliage, which darken over time and become brown.
- Gray rot - is manifested by light brown spots, eventually covering with a whitish bloom with a fluff. Blackish dots on leaf blades are considered the second symptom of the disease.
- Phyllosticosis - dark brown spots with blackish spots appear on leafy plates. The disease is more commonly seen in adult plants.
- Fusarium - leaves from the tips turn yellow, along the edges become watery. As it spreads, the upper part of the trunk begins to dry out, the stems darken and thin, the whole plant is covered with dark brown spots.
Important! When affected by spotted wilting, the foliage is covered with yellowish-brownish stains, which become bronze when exposed to ultraviolet light. Plant growth stops, young leaves are small, with an irregular shape. Over time, the culture dries and dies.
The manifestation of phylosticosis
Pests
List of common parasites in dracaena:
- Whitefly - the pest looks like an ordinary moth. It lays larvae on the underside of foliage, which feed on sap and secrete a sweet substance. With damage to the plant, yellowish or whitish marks appear. Because of the ability to fly, the parasite is considered dangerous for all nearby cultures.
- Mealybug - whitish insects seem to be sprinkled with flour. Eating plant juice stops the growth and development of flowers. The pest can be identified by a cotton-like waxy substance covering the foliage.
Dracaena thrips
- Spider mite - a small insect with a pale yellow or light green color, localized on the wrong side of the leaf plates. The active activity of the parasite leads to the formation of whitish spots and the finest cobwebs. The culture stops in development, loses immunity to many diseases that are transmitted by ticks. As soon as the palm begins to turn white, it is necessary to begin an active fight against the parasite.
- Aphid - prefers tops and wrong sides of leaves. In a mass attack, the foliage withers, twists, loses its color and flies around.
- Thrips - miniature creatures with dimensions of no more than 2 mm. They prefer to settle on the inner side of leaf plates, live in groups. The upper part of the leaves turns gray-brown with light dots.
- Scale - small insect, from 2 to 4 mm in size, grayish or yellowish in color. The main food of the parasite is the juice of the plant. With a massive lesion, the foliage begins to dry out and crumble.
Important! What to do if the dracaena dries leaf tips due to parasites? Florists are advised to mechanically clean the affected plants and treat them with insecticides.
Soil moisture
In the summer, the earth should dry up to 5 cm in depth, you can determine the process by a wooden stick inserted into the pot. Watering is carried out every three days, in the winter - once a week. When growing broadleaf varieties, soil moisture is often done due to the larger evaporation area. After each procedure, the soil is slightly loosened.
Important! Signal of lack of moisture are drooping, sluggish leaves. Overflow leads to the formation of rot.
Air temperature
In the spring and summer months, they observe a temperature regime of 20-24 ℃. In winter, the temperature is reduced to 17-19 ℃ above zero. The maximum allowable lower limit is +15 ℃.
Important! Fragrant Dracaena, Dragon and Hooker do not die with a short-term decrease in temperature to +10 ℃. Plants do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature.
Root decay
A palm tree begins to die under the following conditions:
- Excessive watering - the accumulation of liquid in pots leads to a lack of oxygen. The root system remains without the necessary nutrients. The result of overflows is softening of the trunk and blackening of the foliage.
- Cold and drafts - a constant temperature below +15 ℃ provokes tarnishing of the leaves, over time they turn black and fall off.
Root rot
Important! If the ends of the leaves dry, you need to change the care of dracaena at home: reduce the frequency of watering and move the flower box to a room heated to +20 ℃. Resuscitation measures for a frozen palm tree begin with a warm shower, which can be done by lowering the pot into the bathtub, covering the soil with plastic wrap and dipping the green part with water (not higher than + 40 ℃).
Other possible problems
Other prerequisites for drying the sheets include:
- Insufficient volume of the pot - the active growth of the root system and the growth of the plant in size requires timely transplantation. The procedure is carried out with maximum accuracy, trying to do without damage to the roots. Sometimes the process can cause spontaneous dropping of foliage by a palm tree - due to stress.
- Direct hit of the sun - from the rays of the sun, the leaves begin to dry out and change the usual shade to a yellowish color. In some cases, the dried up stalk is folded in half, it can dry out and die.
- Draft - the windowsill is not suitable for plants due to possible drafts, temperature changes under the influence of central heating. When aired, the culture will quickly begin to hurt.
- Top dressing - insufficient or excessive fertilization leads to yellowness and leaf fall.
Burns on the leaves
It makes no sense to treat the affected leaves - experienced flower growers advise them to be cut to avoid general infection of the green part. If you ignore the recommendations and prolonged inaction, it is impossible to save a sick palm.
Dracaena is a beautiful culture that enriches houses with oxygen and decorates the room. Compliance with containment rules will help to avoid many problems, including the development of diseases and the attack of insect pests.
