Why do black spots appear on plant leaves?

In order to help you out and answer your question about why do black leaves get on some of your plants, we’ve put together this simple guide so you can learn more about the possible causes, how to eliminate them, and how to prevent the appearance of stains. on the leaves of plants . Its appearance is usually the first symptom of some type of disease or plague that is reducing the health of the plant.

We encourage you to take a look at this Green Ecology article about why black spots appear on the leaves of plants to keep your plants free of these, because in addition to giving them a bad appearance, they can also end up with them if not they are given the corresponding treatment.

Causes of black spots on plant leaves

Although in most cases black spots are usually related to the presence of fungi on plants or the onset of plant leaf diseases , it may be due to other factors. These are some of the causes that the leaves of your plants have black spots :

Natural death of leaves

You should know that even in the case of perennials, the leaves have a limited life expectancy. The leaves may show this aspect because they have completed their life cycle and not because of the presence of any disease.

Sunburn

It is the result of placing the plant in direct and continuous exposure to sunlight. This can be increased if you also water your plants during the central hours of the day. To avoid this we recommend that you move your pots during the hours of greatest sunlight and that you water them using a sprayer.

Taking into account these cases that occur naturally or due to a bad location of your plants, we are going to talk a little more about fungi in plants. These are undoubtedly one of the main causes that leaves end up with those annoying black spots that are so damaging to their health.

Appearance of fungi

Fungi appear when the plant is exposed to excessive humidity. They are spots that initially take on a brownish color, to finally end up with a dark color. In addition to its rounded shape, it is easy to recognize the presence of fungi by the appearance of aphids, tiny insects that are attracted by the sweet taste of the leaves and flowers that are exposed by the action of the fungus. In fact, it is advisable to treat the pest before eliminating the fungi to ensure that the treatment used will be completely effective. These symptoms may be due to the presence of different fungi such as mildew or powdery mildew or to diseases related to them such as rust or anthracnose .

How to remove black spots from plant leaves

Next, we are going to give you some basic tips to know how to treat your plants that have black spots on the leaves. In most cases, as we have already mentioned, it will be because of the appearance that we have focused on how to eliminate fungi from the leaves .

Step 1: remove infected leaves

To ensure the health of your plant, the first thing you should do is prune all infected leaves as quickly as possible since fungi spread through direct contact. Make sure the tools you are going to use for this treatment are sanitized every time you cut a new blade. You can use a liquid solution made up of one fifth of bleach and four fifths of water.

Step 2: treat infected areas

To avoid cutting all the infected leaves of the plant, especially those that already have a yellowish appearance, we can try to recover them using some remedies to prevent the disease from spreading. The simplest thing is to use fungicides, but we want to remind you that whenever you buy this type of product, make sure that they are made with an organic compound base. You can also use neem or neem oil, or prepare other home remedies with which to spray the leaves periodically.

Step 3: rake and discard infected leaves

If your plants are indoors, we advise you to always keep the soil as airy as possible and to remove all infected leaves. Place these in a tightly closed bag to throw them away and to prevent agents such as the wind or animals from spreading the fungi again.

How to prevent black spots on plant leaves

¿ Why the tips of the leaves turn black ? Usually, when only the tips of the leaves turn black, it can be due to excess moisture in the soil , either due to poor drainage or excessive watering.

However, the appearance of black spots on the leaves is due in the vast majority of occasions to the appearance of fungi in our garden, cultivation or pots. Once fungi have appeared they can be quite difficult to eliminate, so prevention is always more appropriate than cure, as popular wisdom says. These are some measures you can take to prevent the appearance of fungus on your plants :

• Keep the plant in an airy and dry area, unless it is a species that does not tolerate drafts or expressly requires high humidity.
• Provide a substrate rich in nutrients that give the plant strength to fight against fungi and diseases. Vermicompost is a great option as a fertilizer, ecological and very rich in healthy microorganisms.
• Always water your plants by adding water to the substrate and trying not to wet their leaves or flowers. These parts tend to be susceptible to fungus or disease growth if kept moist for too long, and most plants only need water in their substrate or soil.
• Make sure the substrate is light and offers good drainage. If you have the potted plant, make sure the container has drainage holes and that you remove the excess water about 20 minutes after watering from the dish below.