Fungi are one of the worst enemies of all plants. Often when we realize that there is something strange that is happening to them, these microorganisms have already advanced a lot. Too. Although there are some more common than others, the cause of the botrytis it is especially popular.
They cause a lot of problems for our cacti, succulents and plants with caudex. But calm / a: below I will explain how to detect botrytis in succulents and, also, how to fight it.
What is it?
Botrytis, also known as gray mold, is the name given to the disease caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. This is favored by the mild temperatures of spring and autumn and by humid environments. But this does not mean that it does not appear in summer; Furthermore, as it is a parasitic fungus (the correct term is endoparasitic fungus), it takes advantage of the slightest opportunity to enter the organism of plants to start multiplying.
What are your causes?
This disease is caused by only one thing: a wound. A simple and often invisible - to our eyes - wound, either to the stem and / or roots when transplanted, is all that botrytis needs to sneak into succulents.
For this reason it is very important not to prune them, and in case we want to make grafts or cuttings, always use tools previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol.
What symptoms and / or damage does it cause?
If our plants have botrytis we will see the following:
- Gray dust or mold in some area
- Rotting or necrotizing
- No growth
- Sometimes they flower out of time to try to leave seeds, or they produce suckers
How do you fight?
This disease is fought with fungicides. As it works very fast and we collectors or amateurs do not usually use succulents for consumption, I recommend the use of chemical fungicides that contain Cyprodinil and / or Fludioxonil. In the event that we are going to use them for consumption, we will treat them with copper or sulfur in spring and autumn. If it has advanced a lot, we will first cut the affected parts with a previously disinfected knife and then we will apply the treatment.
In addition, it is very important that we water when necessary (here you have all the information on watering these plants), avoiding leaving water in the dish, and never wet the succulents.
Do you have any questions? Don't leave them hanging. Ask. 