Causes and treatment of lily leaf diseases (yellowness, rust, variegation)

How to get away from these problems

For its beauty, the lily has long received the title of "royal flower". The shape and arrangement of its petals are compared to the crown, and the open pistil with stamens is compared to the symbols of royalty. However, not every plant has such an ability to bloom. Only competent, rational care can ensure its complete well-being and perfect flowering. You should start with preparing the soil.

Since it is a perennial plant, the site chosen to plant it must be carefully dug up. In this case, it is useful to add peat and humus. It is possible to provide good drainage properties if the soil has a lot of clay impurities by adding sand.

The judgment that lilies need to be watered a lot and often is wrong. Waterlogging of the soil is one of the serious factors in the onset of the disease. These are lovers of moderate humidity, however, when the flowering period begins, the amount of watering needs to be slightly increased. Water properly in dry weather with high air temperatures, directing water to the root. Then the correct growth of the bulbs is ensured and no overdrying occurs.

Before the appearance of new shoots on the plant, mainly in early spring, they begin to apply fertilizers. The amount of complex mineral mixtures is calculated from an indicator of 30 g per square meter. The second period for application should coincide with budding.

Unlike garden individuals, indoor, for example, the Amazon lily (eucharis) needs feeding throughout the growing season. It should be produced twice a month using liquid fertilizers of mineral composition (the nitrogen content should be reduced). Then the flowering will be rich and long lasting.

You can understand why lilies turn yellow by analyzing the ability of this species to winter. Asiatic lilies are winter-hardy species. White, tubular and oriental can freeze and even freeze completely.

Possible causes of yellowing

Lack of moisture

The tropics are considered the birthplace of lilies, where the climate is special and very different from our temperate one. A high level of humidity at a fairly high temperature is the most comfortable for a lily. Moreover, moisture should not only be in the air in sufficient quantity, but the lily should also be moistened according to the schedule.

It is important not to swamp the soil, but to maintain a balance.
If you have planted plants in the sun, then on especially hot summer days, the lily simply begins to "choke". Dry air and scorching rays are not quite the right decision

Growers recommend finding an area for these flowers with diffused lighting, bright, but not direct sunlight.
Recommended sides of the garden plot: east, west, southeast or southwest. It is there that the sun is sufficient, but it will not cause burns to the leaves and does not affect the lily destructively.
It is important to ensure that the soil is constantly moist, but you should not flood the plants. This can cause putrefaction in the root system, which will lead to disease. But dryness of the soil also causes a deficiency in nutrients and overheating of the root system.
Be sure to keep the gap between the holes when planting. Too thick planting deprives the lily of an equally important component for successful growth and development - fresh air. For this reason, the leaves can also turn yellow.
A special rule: when planting, make a drainage layer so that moisture does not stagnate in the roots. This can cause discoloration of the leaf plates. Check that the groundwater does not flow too close to the soil surface.

In order for the process of providing moisture to be under control, especially if there is no time to go to the dacha all the time, there will be shallow loosening of the soil around the flower and mulching. It helps to retain moisture for a longer period. A weed grass that takes away useful nutrients will not grow.

Important: moisten the soil with settled water, do not use ice cold water, especially in the hot summer period

Lack or excess of fertilizer

Iron deficiency

This element helps the lily participate in the critical process of photosynthesis. If it is not enough, then the leaves gradually lose their brightness, become light green, and then completely yellow and pale. Only vertical veins on the leaf surface remain green. There is not enough chlorophyll for brightness and a healthy state.
Salvation will be the treatment of the flower with a solution (spraying and watering): add 2 tsp to the previously settled water (3 liters). citric acid and 8 g of ferrous sulfate.

Lack or excess of nitrogen-containing drugs

One of the main mistakes of flower growers, usually beginners: the more fertilizers, the better. This is fundamentally wrong. There should be strict accounting in this matter.

Nitrogen affects the development of the root part and the build-up of green mass. It is needed at the beginning of the growing season. Then a pause is made, since phosphorus and potassium supplements are in priority before and during flowering.
If there is not enough nitrogen, then the stems and leaves develop poorly. The plant is stunted and weak, the leaves are light, almost yellow in color.
However, when there is too much nitrogen, the reaction can be the same, if not worse. A brown-brown spot appears on the foliage. Spots also appear on the bulb. Then yellowing and dying off begins. It is almost impossible to save the plant. Usually such specimens are uprooted.

Useful Tips

Do not use fresh mullein or dung for fertilization. These are very aggressive fresh dressings. They can burn the root system. As a result, the disease of the root part and yellowing of the leaves.
Check the level of acidity (Ph) in the soil. For a lily, an acceptable indicator is 4.0 - 6.0 (neutral or slightly acidic).
Soil acidity has a detrimental effect on the development and condition of the leaves. If you are not sure about the composition of the soil in your area, then take the sample to the laboratory.
Indicators of increased acidity are good growth of sorrel and horsetail. To reduce acidity, liming the soil, add iron-containing preparations or dolomite flour before planting the bulbs.
Lack of magnesium and zinc can also lead to the appearance of yellowness on the leaves.

Therefore, it is important to fertilize lilies with complex mineral fertilizers according to the instructions.

Often contributes to the deformation and curvature of the stem, twisting and yellowing of leaves, residual spring frosts. Therefore, especially in regions with a temperate climate, where temperature changes and unpredictability in the off-season are not uncommon, take care of a garden lily shelter.

Lily leaves turn yellow: reasons

Lily leaves turn yellow for various reasons.

Lily leaves also turn yellow for reasons typical for other indoor plants.
Excessive watering. Overflow can inhibit growth.
Aging. Each indoor flower has its own life cycles. The lily begins to turn yellow after flowering. Don't worry - this is a natural process.
Incorrect temperature conditions. Lilia doesn't like drafts. During flowering, the room should be warm. Bulbs of faded plants are stored in the cold.
Bad light. The plant is light-requiring, prefers diffused lighting. In partial shade, flowers that are at rest are moved.
Lack of trace elements. Most often, the lily turns yellow due to a lack of potassium in the soil. The situation can be corrected with the help of Potassium Humate. Also, the problem may be associated with the use of hard water.

It sometimes happens that in the garden some lilies get sick, and are already sprouting with yellow foliage, growing and even blooming, but the leaves remain yellow. So in my garden with my home flowers, lilies, a similar thing happened. Seemingly not sick, without any damage, only some of them are stunted. What are they missing? Why do lily leaves turn yellow? Let's try to rummage in the scientific literature. According to the description, it looks like chlorosis.

“Plant chlorosis is a plant disease in which the formation of chlorophyll in leaves is disrupted and the activity of photosynthesis is reduced. Typical signs: premature yellowing and dropping of leaves, small leaves, drying of the tops of the shoots, dying off of active roots, etc. Of cultivated plants, fruit and berry and ornamental crops are more often affected. Reasons H. p. are different. Infectious H. p. caused by viruses (for example, apical chlorosis of tobacco and makhorka, chlorosis of raspberries), fungi and other microorganisms. The carriers of its pathogens are often pests (thrips, aphids).

Control measures: to prevent H. p. use organic and mineral fertilizers, carry out acidification of carbonate soils, mulching and sodding between rows of gardens, destroy pests - carriers of infection. In the treatment of non-infectious H. p. the missing nutrients are introduced into the soil near the active zone of the root system, foliar dressings and injections with solutions of micronutrients into the stems, branches and roots of fruit trees are used; plants with infectious chlorosis are removed "

In my case, it is a pity to remove the lilies, since the lilies are mostly second-year, after a cold winter, weakened and therefore probably sick. And oddly enough, lily diseases occur, although not so often, but still there.

The most important thing, in my opinion, is feeding with microelements. Not very many trace elements are needed for plants, 2 - 3 additional dressings are enough during the growing season. Here is a method for making a solution at home for houseplants. To prepare three liters of solution, fill the jar with cold boiled water (soft, distilled), put 12 grams of citric acid there, stir until the crystals are completely dissolved, then add 7.5 grams of ferrous sulfate to the solution. When mixing, there is a chemical reaction of the formation of a complex salt of ferrous iron and citric acid - an iron chelate of light orange color, readily soluble in water, suitable for spraying and feeding indoor plants, the concentration of which is 0.5 grams per 1 liter of water. Since it is not always possible to buy the "ferovit" or iron chelate we need, but this problem is easily solved with the help of citric acid and ferrous sulfate.

Diagnosis of chlorosis by leaf color: signs

Algorithm for diagnosing chlorosis by changing leaf color

Changes in leaf color - yellowing, whitening, provided that the color of the veins contrasts with the color of the rest of the leaf plate, a decrease in the size and weakened growth of young leaves, shedding of flowers and buds, twisting of leaves and drying of plant tops, death of roots and other symptoms should alert the attentive gardener.

A change in the color of the leaf plates of the plant signals you about health problems. The algorithm for determining the type of chlorosis is shown in Fig. 1.

Iron chlorosis is a plant disease caused by a severe lack of iron in the soil. The upper leaves of the plants turn white or yellow, while the veins of the leaves remain bright green. Most often, plants growing on calcareous soils suffer from iron chlorosis.

Sulfur chlorosis is a plant disease, the symptom of which is the yellowing of the veins of the upper, young, leaves, followed by yellowing of the entire leaf area, if the lack of sulfur lasts a long time.

Magnesium deficiency causes magnesium chlorosis - lower, old, leaves turn yellow, and veins remain green.In advanced cases, the leaves turn yellow entirely. Magnesium chlorosis occurs on plants growing in sandy soil. Depending on the type of plant, the color of the leaves with a lack of magnesium can change to orange or red.

If the lower leaves of the plants (old) turn yellow - first the veins, and then the entire area of the leaves of the lower tiers, then the cause is nitrogen chlorosis. Lack of nitrogen is most common in plants growing in acidic soil.

Zinc chlorosis occurs due to an excess of nitrogen in the soil - the lower, old, leaves turn yellow, and the veins remain bright green. Also, orange, red or yellow dots may appear on the leaves.

For all types of chlorosis, plants have a hard time: the leaves curl, shrink and fall off, plant growth stops, the fruits dry out, and the flowers and ovaries fall off.

In any case, before diagnosing a plant for chlorosis, it is necessary to exclude plant damage by pests, viral mosaic, spotting and scab.

Diseases and treatment

Leaves turned yellow

Why do the leaves of the room lily turn yellow:

dry indoor air. Lily is a tropical guest. Warm and humid air - that's a comfortable microclimate for her. It is necessary to place a flowerpot with a flower on a pallet filled with damp pebbles, or better with expanded clay (it is able to retain moisture longer). A good option would be to buy a household air humidifier that will maintain the percentage of humidity at the desired level;

sunburn. Direct rays of the sun can expose a pampered plant to real temperature stress. The request of a flower to change its location to a more shaded one can be understood if the leaves on one side of the lily, which the sun bakes, turn yellow. Light is necessary, but only very soft, diffused.

Therefore, it is better to choose the eastern or western sides of the room as a habitat for a lily;

insufficient nutrient soil. The lack of iron and potassium in the substrate also contributes to yellowing and wilting of lily leaves. It is urgent to feed her. The plant especially needs feeding during the growing season. You can prepare the nutrient mixture yourself. To do this, you need to take 9 grams of ferrous sulfate and 2 teaspoons of citric acid, dissolve this mixture in 3 liters of water. You can use this solution for root feeding and for spraying the entire plant;

the onset of autumn. For this time of year, yellow leaves on your exotic princess are completely normal. You need to give the flower a rest in a cool place without watering (about a month).

Shredding

Three reasons why the leaves are shrinking:

lack of light. The lily does not like direct sunlight, but it does not tolerate darkness either. It is desirable that there is enough light, but the light is diffused, dim;
the soil has become scarce. In the period from March to October, the tropical beauty must be fed with fertilizers. Preferably liquid. Ornamental flowering plant food can be purchased at any flower shop.

Does not bloom

The reasons why the lily does not bloom:

REFERENCE! The pot should be chosen small, about 15-18 cm in diameter. If the flowerpot is wide, the lily will actively explore the space, forming daughter bulbs. She has no strength left for the flowering.

lack of light and fresh air. The flower is located far from the window, the room is poorly ventilated;
the plant resting regime is incorrectly observed. On vacation, it is better to send the flower to a cool shady place with a complete lack of watering. If the place is very warm and well lit, the lily will no longer bloom;

If you've gotten started with growing lilies, learn how to grow them at home and outdoors. It will also be useful for you to learn how to plant and transplant a lily, propagate a flower, achieve its correct flowering and care for it in the spring.

Other common diseases

gray and red bulb rot. Most often it appears due to excessive watering and insufficiently loose substrate (stagnant moisture, soil acidification). It is necessary to remove damaged parts of the bulb. Having previously cleaned them from the earth layer (move away part of the soil and expose the bulbs), and also cut out diseased roots, sprinkle the slices with activated carbon or treat with fungicide. After this procedure, the bulbs are dried for 3 days. Watering is reduced;
fungus Botrytis. May appear in hot and humid conditions. Yellow spots appear on the leaves affected by the fungus, the disease spreads very quickly to the stems and buds of the flower. There is no cure for this disease of lilies and it is almost impossible to get rid of it. The flower usually dies;
fusarium. This type of fungus usually infects the bulb. At first, the bulb changes color, turns dark brown, and then falls apart. In case of infection, the first sign is often yellowing and falling of the leaves. It is impossible to save the plant, the lily will soon die. As a prophylaxis of this disease, the bulbs are etched for 30 minutes in a solution of foundationol before planting.

We comply with the conditions for growing lilies

The condition of the soil can have a serious impact on garden lilies. The plant reacts to the acidity index pH and trace elements contained in the soil.

Soil acidity

Garden lily thrives on neutral soils. If a flower grows in a soil with high acidity, this will affect its appearance and development.

When the owner of the daylily sees that the leaves are constantly yellowing, and the green veins remain, this becomes a hint: it is necessary to change the composition of the soil and affect its acidity. The easiest way to deoxidize is to apply a foliar fertilizer containing iron to the soil.

Read How to determine the acidity of the soil

Lack of iron

The yellowness of the leaves, which increases every day, with the remaining green veins, indicates that the flower lacks iron obtained from the soil.

What can be done to fill this gap? In this case, a plant feed is prepared. Its basis is settled water (3 l), to which iron vitriol (8 g) and citric acid (2 tsp) are added. After thoroughly mixing the aqueous solution, it is used for processing by leaves, as well as for foliar irrigation.

Lack of nitrogen

A weakened pale plant with yellow leaves, which also slowly gains in growth, is a sign of a lack of nitrogen.

In this case, you can use any fertilizer containing nitrogen. Care should be taken when fertilizing, as excess nitrogen intake will also not benefit the plant. Strict adherence to the instructions for use of the fertilizer will help provide the lily with nitrogen without harming.

Proper watering

Garden lily is a plant that requires careful attention to watering. Tropical in origin, the flower is still sensitive to sufficient soil moisture. With long breaks in watering, the lily leaves begin to turn yellow, the flower dries. So, the soil is dry, the lilies turn yellow, what to do? In no case should you overdo it with watering, do not overfill! Excessive watering, stagnation of moisture with poor drainage of the soil is undesirable. Root rot caused by waterlogging also leads to yellowing of the lily leaf.

Systematic watering will be correct, which is carried out as the soil dries up; in hot dry weather, the lily will be grateful if it will be watered every evening.

Prevention measures

To prevent the development of such undesirable phenomena, it is very important to observe all preventive measures. They will reduce the likelihood that the flower can dry out and crumble without starting to open.

The main preventive measures are reduced to three components:

compliance with all agrotechnical rules for growing lilies;
crop rotation of flowering plants.
regular inspection and irrigation of plants with fungicides, insecticides or decoctions prepared according to folk recipes.

Many flower lovers start to panic and do not know what to do. This problem is quite common, so it will not be difficult to solve it. It is enough to reconsider your approach to care and, if necessary, use chemicals.