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Diseases and pests of lilacs and the fight against them
Lilac diseases are less common than other ornamental trees and shrubs. Nevertheless, this picturesque plant can also lose its beauty for various reasons. To protect the health and attractive appearance of the shrub, you need to know about its diseases, pests and how to deal with them.
Infectious diseases of lilacs and the fight against them
The lilac beauty is susceptible to various types of diseases. Some of them are caused by microorganisms, while others are errors in agricultural technology or improper care of the plant. Knowing the enemies of the lilac will help weaken them and protect the bush.
Lilac diseases are preventable and treatable
Lilacs are ill with infectious diseases. Some of them can be prevented by preventive measures, and against others there are methods of treatment.
- Late blight. The causative agent is a late blight mushroom. Brown spots appear on the bark and leaves, and some buds also get sick. They turn black and fall off. Most often, the disease affects seedlings growing under protection. The bush is sprayed with Bordeaux liquid – 100 g of lime, 100 g of copper sulfate per bucket of water. Greenhouses are regularly ventilated.
- Bacterial rot. It manifests itself as brown spots on the shoots, affects the veins of the leaves, which is why they wrinkle. In the risk zone, young bushes up to 5 years old. The pathogen waits out the winter in leaves or in already infected shoots. Therefore, prevention is important. Fallen leaves and diseased shoots are immediately removed and burned.
- Mosaic. The causative agent is a virus. Leaves are affected. They become covered with spots of different colors and shapes. Prevention is important. If the disease is neglected, diseased branches are removed or even the entire plant is burned.
- Powdery mildew. The causative agent is a mushroom. A white bloom forms on the leaves – the mycelium, which later grows into the body of the fungus. Diseased branches are removed and burned. In order to prevent early spring, fungicidal preparations are used.
- Verticillary wilting. The culprit is the mushroom. The mycelium clogs the vessels of the trunk, the plant dies. The plant is burned, the planting site is disinfected.
- Bacterial burn. The tops of young shoots become burnt and wither. The bush is sprayed 2-3 times with Bordeaux liquid with a break of 2 weeks.
In most cases, pathogens persist in fallen leaves and diseased branches. Therefore, all suspicious parts of the plant are immediately removed and burned.
There are a lot of infectious diseases of lilacs. Fighting them will help eliminate them and carry out prevention in time.
Types of lilac diseases due to pests
Ticks, insects, rodents – only about 100 species of pests love to feast on lilacs. Here are the most harmful pests:
- Lilac bud mite. Eats up young kidneys. To get rid of it, the bush is sprayed with a solution of ground sulfur 50 g per 10 liters of water. To destroy the pest, the procedure is carried out three times – before bud break, when the lilac blooms, and 2 weeks after flowering. Severely affected branches are burned.
- The apple scale is comma-shaped. It sucks out juices from all parts of the plant. Spraying with Cymbush insecticide at the beginning and end of flowering helps.
- Lilac speckled moth. The larvae gnaw through the passages in the leaf plate, “mine” it. The plate is twisted, serving as a shelter for caterpillars. Therefore, diseased leaves are collected and burned. The earth is deeply loosened to destroy hibernating pupae. The Actellic insecticide is effective against this pest.
Each pest has its own remedy. If you can’t find the right one, seek the advice of experienced gardeners.
To preserve the health of lilac is to preserve its beautiful appearance and the wonderful smell of flowers.