Having an Anthurium at home is getting easier and easier because they are common plants in shops and florists that, due to their showiness, many are made with them. However, diseases can take their toll on Anthurium, to the point that they die.
As we do not want this to happen to you, today we are going to be more practical and then we are going to talk about each of the diseases that affect this plant and we will give you tips to try to avoid them and, in case you catch them, how to solve it. So keep reading.
Red spider
La Red spider It is one of the Anthurium diseases to which we must be more careful. It is actually a pest and these spiders are often not visible to the naked eye because, in case you did not know, they are very, very small (0,5 millimeters).
What you will notice is what causes them, which in this case will cause leaves and flowers curl and begin to dry inevitably until, finally, they will fall off.
To fix it, you can spray the plant with a little water because spiders don’t like this at all. Another option is to put it in a cooler and shady place, but here it will depend on the needs of the Anthurium.
bacterial blight
This strange name refers to a disease caused by a bacterium, the Xanthomonas campestris. And what does this little guy do? Then it invades the plant from the inside causing the passage of water and nutrients to be affected. Something similar to what cholesterol does in our body. This is how this behaves.
Physically, what you will see is that the leaves of your plant begin to fall without remedy. So, to avoid this, experts recommend that you place it in one of the areas of the house with the best sunlight (always indirect) and avoid areas where air and moisture circulate as much as possible.
Another action to do is remove the leaves to prevent the disease from spreading, but it is not good to put any chemical product on it.
root rot
Another of the most common diseases in Anthuriums is root rot, which is caused by the appearance of the bacteria erwina carotovora. What it does is eat the part of the roots and the base of the stem, causing very little perceptible injuries at first (until it is almost too late).
The truth is that the plant will deteriorate very quickly and there is a sign that will alert you to this problem: the bad smell that it will give off. Also, it will start to darken and when this happens there is not much solution (keep in mind that the roots are the most important part of the plants).
Rot
If we have talked to you about root rot before, you should also take root rot into account, which is another Anthurium disease to take into account. It is produced by a fungus that can be on the plant for years without doing anything. Until it is activated.
This causes this fungus to feed on the plant as it deteriorates, causing it to wither and dry up almost hopelessly. Why? Well, because it is the fungus that receives all the nutrients and also feeds on the energy of the plant.
To fix it, what you could try is exchange the land for another of good quality. But since the fungus is not well visible to the naked eye, this can be difficult to achieve.
xanthomonas
Although we have previously told you about a specific bacterium, in this case the disease is more general and you will see it physically on the part of the leaves and on the spathes. What does it produce? what stains appear, first yellow, and then brown. These begin especially on the edge and little by little they invade the entire sheet causing them to die inevitably. But not only that, but in the end the stems are also damaged.
To solve it, it is important not to water it too much, and above all without wetting the flowers or the leaves, and support it with fertilizers rich in nitrogen, since they allow it to combat this disease.
Ralstonia solanacearum
This strange name refers to one of the usual problems that arise in Anthuriums: that the leaves turn yellow and thinner. The exact term to refer to this is chlorosis but the truth is that it is only the first step for this bacterium because, after affecting the leaves (all or a good part), the next thing is to pass to the vascular system and that is when all the leaves and stems will turn brown.
If it gets there it is difficult to save the plant because it will be consumed to the inside.
mosaic virus
Has it ever happened to you that you have looked at the leaves of your Anthurium and seen him as small yellow or much lighter green spots scattered throughout the leaves? You may not have given it much importance, but over time, those little spots will become more and more visible, and they will change to a brown color and then become black and invade more parts of the leaf.
We are sorry to tell you that it is one of the Anthurium diseases that, in addition to being common, is caused by a virus and has no cure.
What you can try is that, if you only see one or two leaves, cut them and check that they do not appear on the rest of the leaves. Thus, you will be anticipating that it can be dispersed, not only by your Anthurium, but by other plants that you have near it or that can rub against and affect each other.
Anthracnose
Although this name may evoke a “spider”, it is actually a fungus, the Colletotrichum gloeosporoides. This will make your Anthurium lose its flowers if you don’t catch it in time.
At first, flowers will have a small brown spot on the spadix. With humidity, those spots will grow and it will also seem as if that part is very wet. At the same time, it will make the leaves start to feel sticky and orange spores will appear on the brown spots.
The solution? give him a fungicide before it is too late.
As you can see, there are many Anthurium diseases to take into account, in addition to pests. Knowing them often gives you the power to fix them before you lose the plant. Has it ever happened to you? How did you act?
