My tradescantia is looking a bit sad?
Hello, fellow plantparents,
I feel there's something wrong with my tradescantia but I can't figure out what exactly? It's like this since late August and I thought it could sunburned. I thought it will be better by now as I water propagated it last month and the other plant is doing wonderfully.
I also feel that the type I identified it as could be wrong. #tradescantia
I feel there's something wrong with my tradescantia but I can't figure out what exactly? It's like this since late August and I thought it could sunburned. I thought it will be better by now as I water propagated it last month and the other plant is doing wonderfully.
I also feel that the type I identified it as could be wrong. #tradescantia
2ft to light, direct
2โ pot with drainage
Last watered 2 years ago
3
@loukia I concur that you remove the plant material that is decaying it on tbe way to decay. However, I do note a compounding issue. The markings appear consistent with a fungal pathogen. Such infections occur when spores of the fungus are in the air and attach to wet spots on the plant caused by excess moisture in the soil and and in the vicinity of the plant. After attaching the the plant, the spores infiltrate the botanical tissue of the plant and works its way into the structure oof the plant. If not treated timely, the fungus can spread spread throughout the plant and cause death. It appears to me like you are in a very early stage still , which significantly increases the likelihood of a good prognosis.
My recommendation is to remove the entirety of any leaf that exhibits infection, quarantine the plant to stop the spread of the disease to any other plants, evaluate your cultural conditions, evaluate your watering technique, and implementing a fungal treatment plan that is both topical and systemic and that will treat the current disease and safeguard against the risk of future infections
To treat the fungal pathogen:
Sterilize a pair of sharp scissors with rubbing alcohol. Sterilizing sharp scissors mitigates the. spread of infection as compared to dull scissors, which tend to make larger wound and make the plant more vulnerable.
Many fungal pathogens are actually soil borne, so it is prudent to treat the soil and the roots as well as the foliage with anti fungal solutions. Fortunately there are options; three of them include using boi-active solution as suggested by a prior posting I usually use the brand Arber. Both Bionide and Arber provide systemic final protection.
Another option is to prepare a neem oil solution to be sprayed on the leaves and fed into the soil. Spraying neem oil on the leaves kills fungal spores on the outside of the plant. Feeding neem oil to the plant through the soil allows the plant to have systemic resistance to the fungus that may be infiltrating the inside of the plant. Mix one tablespoon of cold-pressed neem oil, one teaspoon of castle soap, and warm water together. Since neem oil is an oil, it does not mix well with water; using warm water and castle soap aid in allowing the oil to mix into the solution.
Neem oil is an old-fashioned, yet highy effective, naturally occurring anti-fungal extract from a plant. Castille soap is made using a very traditional old-fashioned method; it is potent, yet without unnecessary byproducts. Castille soap also has anti-fungal properties
Apply to soil using a thin spout watering can and move steadily, but slowly, allowing the solution to saturate the soil. Use only enough of the solution to saturate the soil until it runs out the drainage hole. Use a saucer to collect any excess solution that drained and after ten minutes remove the plant from the saucer. Note: the active ingredient of neem oil degrades in water until it is ineffective after 8 hours in water. Repeat application to soil every three weeks (active ingredient is ineffective in soil after three weeks).
There are so many types of fungal pathogens and there no one sized fits all anti-fungal solution that is effective against all pathogens. Hence, for the topical application, you can boost your anti-fungal fire power by adding some baking soda to the solution before you spray the plant with it. One teaspoon per quart of water. Spray the leaves, underneath as well, and the stems and allow it to dry. Spray the leaves no less than once a week. A note of caution: some plants might not react well to baking soda and repeat applications of baking soda can negatively impact the soil. I think covering the soil with a waterproof barrier during any applications would be prudent.
Given the variety of fungal pathogens, I think having a sulphur or copper based fungicide spray on hand is prudent in the event the specific pathogen you have is resistant to other treatments.
Treating fungus can require several applications. Be sure to quarantine the plant, as the pathogen is contagious. And increase ventilationโa small fan can ideal for this. Keep plants in well ventilated areas and do not let too many plants get too close together because that can create ideal conditions for a fungal outbreak. Wipe away an unnecessary moisture when you water and consider using pebbles as a top dressing to reduce exposure between the soil and the leaves. Ensure proper lighting.
A paper watering technique safeguards against leaf and brown spot and many potential pests and diseases. Preventing fungal infections through sound cultural practices (ensuring proper light, water, etc) is much easier than treating it. When watering, I find that using a watering can with a long narrow spout allows one to have more control and precision. Position the spout underneath leaves and move in a slow methodical fashion so the water can saturate the soil as it moves to the bottom the pot. Be sure to keep the leaves dry. Once water starts coming out of the drainage hole , stop watering.
Ensuring that you have sound cultural conditions safeguards against many diseases in pests; I find that prevention is much more effective than the cure. Cultural conditions include, light, water, soil properties, ventilation, humidity. The Greg app already provides guidelines for the appropriate cultural conditions. I recommend evaluating your cultural conditions and cross-reference those against the Greg guidance and make any adjustments accordingly.
I am mindful that this is a lot of information and you may not be convinced that it is a fungus. Thatโs perfectly fineโdiagnosing houseplants is difficult! There are apps now that use Artificial Intelligence to diagnose plant diseases. These programs, however, are nascent and still have some issues to work out. For me, they are most helpful if I see something that looks like a fungus to me and then use the AI to confirm my suspicion. You can also wait and observe how the plant does. If the brown spots proliferate and expand, this would be a confirmatory signal that it is acting like a fungus and thereforeโฆ..
I hope the helps. Good luck!
My recommendation is to remove the entirety of any leaf that exhibits infection, quarantine the plant to stop the spread of the disease to any other plants, evaluate your cultural conditions, evaluate your watering technique, and implementing a fungal treatment plan that is both topical and systemic and that will treat the current disease and safeguard against the risk of future infections
To treat the fungal pathogen:
Sterilize a pair of sharp scissors with rubbing alcohol. Sterilizing sharp scissors mitigates the. spread of infection as compared to dull scissors, which tend to make larger wound and make the plant more vulnerable.
Many fungal pathogens are actually soil borne, so it is prudent to treat the soil and the roots as well as the foliage with anti fungal solutions. Fortunately there are options; three of them include using boi-active solution as suggested by a prior posting I usually use the brand Arber. Both Bionide and Arber provide systemic final protection.
Another option is to prepare a neem oil solution to be sprayed on the leaves and fed into the soil. Spraying neem oil on the leaves kills fungal spores on the outside of the plant. Feeding neem oil to the plant through the soil allows the plant to have systemic resistance to the fungus that may be infiltrating the inside of the plant. Mix one tablespoon of cold-pressed neem oil, one teaspoon of castle soap, and warm water together. Since neem oil is an oil, it does not mix well with water; using warm water and castle soap aid in allowing the oil to mix into the solution.
Neem oil is an old-fashioned, yet highy effective, naturally occurring anti-fungal extract from a plant. Castille soap is made using a very traditional old-fashioned method; it is potent, yet without unnecessary byproducts. Castille soap also has anti-fungal properties
Apply to soil using a thin spout watering can and move steadily, but slowly, allowing the solution to saturate the soil. Use only enough of the solution to saturate the soil until it runs out the drainage hole. Use a saucer to collect any excess solution that drained and after ten minutes remove the plant from the saucer. Note: the active ingredient of neem oil degrades in water until it is ineffective after 8 hours in water. Repeat application to soil every three weeks (active ingredient is ineffective in soil after three weeks).
There are so many types of fungal pathogens and there no one sized fits all anti-fungal solution that is effective against all pathogens. Hence, for the topical application, you can boost your anti-fungal fire power by adding some baking soda to the solution before you spray the plant with it. One teaspoon per quart of water. Spray the leaves, underneath as well, and the stems and allow it to dry. Spray the leaves no less than once a week. A note of caution: some plants might not react well to baking soda and repeat applications of baking soda can negatively impact the soil. I think covering the soil with a waterproof barrier during any applications would be prudent.
Given the variety of fungal pathogens, I think having a sulphur or copper based fungicide spray on hand is prudent in the event the specific pathogen you have is resistant to other treatments.
Treating fungus can require several applications. Be sure to quarantine the plant, as the pathogen is contagious. And increase ventilationโa small fan can ideal for this. Keep plants in well ventilated areas and do not let too many plants get too close together because that can create ideal conditions for a fungal outbreak. Wipe away an unnecessary moisture when you water and consider using pebbles as a top dressing to reduce exposure between the soil and the leaves. Ensure proper lighting.
A paper watering technique safeguards against leaf and brown spot and many potential pests and diseases. Preventing fungal infections through sound cultural practices (ensuring proper light, water, etc) is much easier than treating it. When watering, I find that using a watering can with a long narrow spout allows one to have more control and precision. Position the spout underneath leaves and move in a slow methodical fashion so the water can saturate the soil as it moves to the bottom the pot. Be sure to keep the leaves dry. Once water starts coming out of the drainage hole , stop watering.
Ensuring that you have sound cultural conditions safeguards against many diseases in pests; I find that prevention is much more effective than the cure. Cultural conditions include, light, water, soil properties, ventilation, humidity. The Greg app already provides guidelines for the appropriate cultural conditions. I recommend evaluating your cultural conditions and cross-reference those against the Greg guidance and make any adjustments accordingly.
I am mindful that this is a lot of information and you may not be convinced that it is a fungus. Thatโs perfectly fineโdiagnosing houseplants is difficult! There are apps now that use Artificial Intelligence to diagnose plant diseases. These programs, however, are nascent and still have some issues to work out. For me, they are most helpful if I see something that looks like a fungus to me and then use the AI to confirm my suspicion. You can also wait and observe how the plant does. If the brown spots proliferate and expand, this would be a confirmatory signal that it is acting like a fungus and thereforeโฆ..
I hope the helps. Good luck!
Thank you all for the pieces of advice you gave! ๐
