Although the African violet is very undemanding and easy to care for, careless mistakes can mean the death of the houseplant. So react in time.
Pests are very common on African violets. The following animals in particular make it difficult for the popular houseplant:
- Aphids
- Leaflets
- meal lice
But that's not all. Mosaic disease is also very well known. So that your plant is not affected by it, there are a few things to consider, especially when watering. But more on that in a moment. Now let's take a close look at the pests.
Aphids on African violets
Aphids are green, sometimes black, red, or brown. They are about three millimeters long and are usually on the underside of the leaves. There they suck the plant juices of the flowers, leaving visible traces of honeydew and whitish skins. The leaves initially show yellowish spots and then quickly begin to wither.
How to fight aphids:
Isolate infested African violets, remove the infested parts of the plant and spray the leaves with lukewarm water. With a bit of luck, you can get rid of a small population immediately. In the case of advanced infestation, the use of predators such as parasitic wasps, lacewings and hoverflies is a good idea. Alternatively, you can spray your African violets with a mixture of canola oil and water every three days.
African violet leaves
Leaflets belong to the roundworm family and live in water. If your irrigation water is contaminated with the pests, the elms can penetrate the African violet via the rootstock. You can recognize an infestation by a glassy-looking surface of the leaves, paired with brownish spots. The spots are bordered by the leaf veins, so they are visibly sharply demarcated on at least one side.
How to recognize leaflets:
If you are in doubt as to whether leaflets are the cause of the mottled and glassy leaves, the water test provides a clear result: crushing shea suspected leaf and place it in a clear bowl of water on a light colored background. After a short time, the pests are visible to the naked eye.
How to combat leaflets:
You can save your African violet in the early stages of infestation by cutting off all infected parts of the plant. If the infestation is already advanced, unfortunately the only option is to dispose of it with household waste. Do not compost diseased plants. The leaflets can survive in the compost.
Mealybugs on African violets
Infestation of African violets with mealybugs is quite common. Depending on the species, the pests can be up to ten millimeters long. Typical signs of infestation are white webs and honeydew. Since mealybugs feed on plant sap, if left unchecked, leaves will quickly turn yellow and eventually die.
How to combat mealybugs:
Isolate the infested African violet and remove all visibly infested parts of the plant. Beneficial insects, especially ladybugs and the larvae of parasitic wasps and lacewings, are ideal for active control. Alternatively, you can also treat the flowers with a mixture of one liter of water and 10 milliliters each of paraffin oil, washing-up liquid and spirit. Spread the solution directly onto the leaves with a brush every two to three days.
Mosaic disease on African violets
The mosaic disease is also recognizable on the leaves. The leaves change color like a mosaic from light green to yellow. If this is observed, you can speak of chlorophyll damage. In most cases, the cause is water that is too cold and too much direct sunlight. If you fix these bad conditions, the African violet will bounce back.