Diseases and pests in ivy
The most common diseases and pests that afflict ivy are:
- Leaf spot disease
- Ivy crab
- Spider mites
- Scale insects
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Leaf spot disease and ivy cancer are fungal diseases that are triggered by fungal spores on the plant.
How to recognize fungal diseases on ivy
If brown or yellow leaves appear on the leaves of the ivy, you should pay attention. In this case, it is usually one of the dreaded fungal diseases.
The leaf spot disease is noticeable by brown spots, while with fungal cancer the initially brown spots turn black and then dry up. The spots fall off, leaving holes in the leaves.
Treat fungal infestation
If the ivy is infected with fungal spores, cut off all affected parts of the plant. Avoid watering the plants from above to prevent the spores from spreading further.
All plant remains must be destroyed. Don't throw them on the compost, put them in the household garbage can. Otherwise the fungi will spread throughout the garden.
In the case of fungal infections in particular, the cleanliness of garden tools is of crucial importance. Fungal spores are transferred through knives and scissors. Therefore, carefully clean all garden tools before and after use.
Effective control of ivy pests
Pests are a problem, especially in indoor plants. Therefore, you should watch these plants carefully. If spider mites appear, the leaves of the ivy first turn yellow and then turn brown. If the infestation is severe, they fall off. You can recognize scale insects by the fact that a sticky coating forms on the leaves. The leaves often turn brown later.
Examine the leaves on the underside. There the pests can usually be seen with the naked eye.
Cut off severely infected shoots immediately and dispose of them. Then spray the plant with a solution of detergent, water and alcohol to remove any remaining pests.
Prevent pest infestation
Pests primarily appear when the humidity is too low. Set up bowls of water. In principle, you should never place ivy in the house in close proximity to radiators so that the air does not get too dry.
Occasional spraying of the leaves also has a preventive effect against pest infestation.
Tips
If ivy leaves turn brown, poor maintenance may also be a cause. Make sure that the root ball never dries out completely. In any case, avoid waterlogging.
