Spathiphyllum is a beautiful houseplant, which is often called "female happiness." This culture has excellent decorative properties of leaves and flowers. It is easy to care for. Moreover, sometimes when growing plants there are various problems. If spathiphyllum is grown, the leaves blacken at the edges, what should I do in this situation? This question worries a lot of inexperienced gardeners.
Signs of dry and wet blackening of leaves of spathiphyllum
Darkening of foliage is a process of the appearance of black or brown spots on its surface. Subsequently, they are deformed and dry. At first, the sheet plate may turn yellow. Then it gets a dark shade, blackens, dies.
Spathiphyllum is a beautiful ornamental plant
The sheet can be covered with dark spots evenly or randomly. If you do not take measures in time and start treating the bush, the leaves will completely blacken and die. Moreover, at the very beginning of this process, the whole decorative effect of "female happiness" is lost.
If the leaves of spathiphyllum turn black, this indicates a violation of the rules for caring for the crop. Outwardly, this symptom may look different:
- The ends of the leaves of spathiphyllum dry and darken. At the same time, a large brown area forms along the edges. After some time, these fragments dry and become more fragile. Affected leaves die off and crumble. If they do not fall away, the bush still becomes less decorative. In this case, we are talking about dry black.
- There is also a lingering or wetting darkening. In this case, black leaves acquire a moist consistency and become softer and slippery. They lose their density. This phenomenon often becomes very extensive and widespread. Spores, mold, fungi often form on the affected area.
It is worth considering that the ends of the leaves or the entire plate may darken in the plant. Also, the roots and flowers of the plant sometimes acquire a black color. Affected fragments grow rapidly depending on the provoking factor.
With improper care, the leaves of the spathiphyllum blacken
Why do the leaves of the flower “feminine happiness” dry and blacken
If dark spots, black tips or roots suddenly appear on a healthy bush, measures should be taken immediately. Such symptoms may be associated with any one cause or a whole range of factors.
If the spathiphyllum darkens due to improper care, it can very well be saved. In complex cases, rotting or the development of a fungal disease begins. If the plant is not treated in time, it will die. In advanced cases, the entire flower may blacken and dry. In this situation, nothing can be done, you have to throw it away, carefully disinfect the container or not use it at all anymore.
Important!In order for the plant treatment to be effective, it is necessary to establish the factor provoking the problem. The causes of darkening of individual fragments may be associated with improper care or development of the disease.
Insufficient humidity
In order for spathiphyllum to grow and develop normally, it needs optimal moisture parameters and timely watering. With moisture deficiency, dry tips of the leaves are often observed. For a plant to grow normally, it needs periodic spraying with water. The procedure should be carried out once a week. In the winter season, it is permissible to do this more often.
The cold season is considered a real test for the culture. The heat sources dry the air and cause burns to the root system. Therefore, the pot with spathiphyllum should not be placed on the windowsill, under which the battery is located.
To avoid problems when growing crops, you need to put a special shelf in the window opening. Thanks to this, the plant will not overheat and will be able to receive the required amount of sunlight. Near the culture, it is advisable to place a container of water. As the liquid evaporates, it will be possible to increase the air humidity in the room.
Stagnant moisture in the pot due to excessive watering or heavy soil
This is a complex problem that provokes increased dryness of foliage. Excess moisture denies a negative effect on the state of the root system. Therefore, in the bowl under the flower should not constantly remain water. After watering, it should be drained. The next time you need to water the plant as the top layer of soil dries.
Important!Water scarcity also negatively affects the development of culture. If the leaves of the bush become sluggish and drooping, this indicates stress for the plant.
For complete aeration of the root system and long-term preservation of moisture parameters during a flower transplant, the pot should be filled with expanded clay. The thickness of the drainage layer should be about 5 cm.
The cause of problems may be improper watering.
Culture requires the use of an appropriate substrate. Too heavy soil leads to stagnation of moisture at the roots of the plant. This provokes the development of decay processes. When choosing a soil for a culture, you should pay attention to its composition. It should include land, peat, tree bark and the remains of leaves.
If it was not possible to get the finished soil, you can do it yourself. To do this, sand, earth, peat, soil for orchids should be mixed in equal proportions. Stones or expanded clay should be poured onto the bottom of the container.
Sunburn
Spathiphyllum is considered a shade-loving culture. In saturated sunlight, a burn of the tips of the leaves is observed.
In this situation, the culture is sick and gradually dies. This is especially noticeable when the culture is located on the south side. The flower needs to be moved to the north window. This will help solve the problem.
Fungal infections
When infected with fungi, the leaves become covered with black spots. In this case, the damaged fragments acquire a weeping and friable structure. Often on the bushes spots and other brown elements appear. This is a very dangerous symptom that indicates root damage.
It is due to a glut of land with water or a strong decrease in temperature indicators in the room. Infections can quickly spread to nearby plants, as fungal spores spread easily through the air.
Drafts and sudden temperature changes
Sudden temperature fluctuations negatively affect the general condition of the culture. In this case, the leaves turn yellow and the tips of the leaves of spathiphyllum turn black. The plant is considered very thermophilic.
If drafts or a sharp decrease in temperature parameters are observed, the leaves immediately wither. With a slight hypothermia, the flower can restore its elasticity, however, dark dry ends remain.
Excess or lack of nutrients
Yellowing or blackening of the leaves may be due to a deficiency or excess of mineral fertilizers. After some time, soil depletion occurs. At the same time, the culture reacts sharply negatively to the deficit of useful elements.
The flower must be systematically fed. At the same time, the frequency of depositing funds depends on the seasonal factor and the state of the culture.
Important!Sometimes you need to feed the culture with a complex of minerals. This helps to normalize the balance of substances in the earth and protect the plant from starvation.
Leaves turn black due to deficiency or excess fertilizer
Blackening localization and treatment
A healthy crop should have bright green leaves with a dense structure. They should not have yellow, brown or black elements. Depending on the location of the problems, it will be possible to choose the right treatment.
How to save spathiphyllum if the sheets turn black completely
With the appearance of dark spots on the leaves, one can suspect the influence of various factors. First of all, fungal infections should be attributed to them. The cause of the problems is primarily considered black rot.
Favorable conditions for the development of such pathologies are humid cold air and excessive watering. When symptoms of the disease appear, immediate action is required.
Attention! First of all, the infected culture must be isolated from other plants.
Then pull the bush out of the pot and examine its roots.
- Dried, rotten or black fragments must be cut with a sharp knife.
- Damaged areas should be sprinkled with crushed activated carbon or cinnamon powder.
- Then treat the culture with a solution of Topsin or Fundazole concentration of 0.2%. Immersion in the chemical composition will help to achieve excellent results.
- Then the flower needs to be transplanted into new soil and change the pot.
Fungi often become the cause of complete darkening of leaves.
Subsequently, it is necessary to normalize the amount of watering. After a couple of weeks, the bush must be treated again with a fungicidal preparation.
What to do if only the tips of the leaves darken
Darkening of the tips of the leaves of an indoor plant can be due to a variety of factors. The main reason is considered an excessive amount of mineral fertilizers. Many flower growers actively feed the bush in the hope of getting juicy foliage and beautiful flowering. However, instead, the edges of the leaves turn black and become drier.
To cope with the problem, the plant is transplanted
To cope with the problem, you need to remove the plant from the tank and clean it from excess soil. After that, rinse the roots under a stream of warm water and replace the soil. Add a small amount of vermiculite or perlite to the finished substrate. This will help make it lighter and more loose. After that, you can transplant spathiphyllum.
Important! Within 2 months, feeding the plant is not recommended. Subsequently, non-concentrated fertilizer solutions can be added.
How to treat "female happiness" if both leaves and flowers turn black
Such problems appear in spathiphyllum quite rarely. The plant hardly tolerates excess moisture. In such a situation, there is a risk of blackening of the center and the edges of the flowers.
To cope with this problem, you need to control the irrigation system. It is not recommended to allow fluid stagnation in the soil. A quarter of an hour after hydration, you need to get rid of excess fluid. In a critical situation, spathiphyllum needs to be transplanted.
Prevention of wet and dry blackening
To cope with the blackening of leaf plates is quite easy if you properly care for the crop. In this case, a number of recommendations must be observed. With excessive soil moisture, it is worth reducing the number of irrigations.
If this does not produce results and the foliage continues to blacken, this indicates rotting of the root system. In this situation, the plant needs a transplant. In this case, the bush must be pulled out of the pot and get rid of the remnants of the old soil from the roots. Then they should be examined and removed sick and rotten fragments.
After that, spathiphyllum can be moved to a new soil. It is important to ensure that the soil is not too heavy. Equally important is the quality drainage to remove excess moisture.
If the leaves become dark due to lack of fluid, it is worth making adjustments to the watering regime and systematically spraying the crop. This helps to increase air humidity.
It is useful to place the pot with the plant in a pan filled with wet sand or pebbles. This helps maintain optimal moisture conditions near the plant.
When caring for the crop, fertilizers should be applied periodically. It should be borne in mind that she hardly perceives a shortage and an excess of fertilizing. Therefore, they should be applied very carefully.
In order for the bush to have beautiful green foliage, it needs stable temperature indicators. The plant requires parameters at the level of + 22-25 degrees. The bush barely tolerates the heat. Therefore, it must be systematically sprayed and watered abundantly.
In winter, the temperature should not be less than +17 degrees. In this case, it is advisable to place spathiphyllum away from sources of heating. The bush should be in places with minimal air movement.
Important!After purchase, the plant must be transplanted immediately and provide it with quality care. At the same time, blooming spathiphyllum should not be moved to a new place.
The plant needs bright and diffused lighting. However, spathiphyllum is considered a shade-tolerant plant. It can be grown in partial shade and even placed on the northern windowsills.
In order for the plant to develop normally and bloom, it requires quality care
Watering the bush should be systematic. Drying of the soil negatively affects the development of the bush. But to fill the plant is strictly prohibited. Stagnation of moisture provokes the development of root rot. Usually, the bush should be watered when the top layer of soil dries by 1 cm. The plant needs high humidity. It must be sprayed every day with warm water.
Culture needs to be fed regularly. To do this, use combined mineral fertilizers. Such funds are used from March to the end of September. In early spring, fertilizing should be used for foliage. In mid-May, fertilizers should be used for flowering plants. Nutrients should be added every 2 weeks. In autumn and winter, feeding bushes is not recommended.
Every year, young plants need to be replanted. Adult bushes can be moved to a new place with an interval of 2-3 years. For the culture should be selected slightly acidic soil. Moreover, it should not be lime.
Darkening of the leaves of spathiphyllum is considered a rather serious problem. To cope with this violation, you need to establish a provoking factor and choose an effective treatment.
