Why do croton (codiaum) dry and fall leaves? Disease symptoms, pests

Hello! My croton's leaves dry and fall. I follow the watering, there is enough light. What could be the reason? What to do with it?

Hello! I would like more information about your houseplant, so you can give more accurate advice. Leaves can turn yellow in different ways (at the tips, spots, evenly, etc.), fall off at different rates. From such a general question, several general recommendations can be made.

Croton (the second name is codiaum) is a whimsical and demanding plant. Any violation of light, temperature or water conditions can lead to problems, in particular, falling foliage.

There are several main reasons why Croton's leaves dry and fall off:

• various diseases;
• pests;
• excessive or insufficient watering;
• too dry indoor air;
• violations of the light regime;
• during the period of adaptation to new conditions;
• too hot or cold in the room;
• natural leaf replacement process.

We will not dwell on the last point for a long time. It is worth noting that in this case the process goes gradually, smoothly, 1-2 leaves fall off. At the same time, new shoots always appear on the upper part of the plant, and the growth outstrips the fall, that is, the codiaum does not look "shabby". Symptoms indicating that something is wrong with Croton may include the following:

• there are few leaves on the stems, and this can be seen with the naked eye;
• weak growth of young foliage;
• young leaves turn yellow;
• the tips of the leaves dry up;
• yellowness appears in spots.

If you have recently acquired a plant, then it is quite possible that this is just a period of adaptation to new conditions. Even moving to another room is difficult. The flower acclimates and gets sick because of this. If suitable conditions are created for the culture, then after 1-2 weeks it will return to normal, the foliage will stop falling off, it will become bright.

In most cases, errors in the maintenance of the flower are to blame for the fact that croton sheds leaves.

Description of croton, or codiaum

Croton flower photo and how to care for a photo

Croton in indoor conditions is a bush. Its leathery leaves are diverse in shape: asymmetric, oblong-lanceolate, pointed or with a blunt end, whole-cut, three-lobed, notched, broadly ovate, etc.

Young leaves have a light yellow-green hue, and with age they become more saturated green and burgundy, so that the croton looks like an elegant autumn tree. All plant varieties and varieties have a pronounced venation on the leaves.

How croton blooms

How croton blooms photo

Croton bloom - nondescript cream flowers, collected in an axillary folded carpal inflorescence, bloom does not cause much delight.

Dangerous and effective

Home croton is considered one of the most capricious plants. Consider the following care features:

• All work with croton must be carried out strictly with gloves, because its juice is poisonous and causes contact dermatitis, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• At home, croton needs not only to spray the leaves, but to wipe them with a damp soft cloth or sponge. In summer, it is recommended to bathe monthly under a warm shower.
• The plant categorically does not tolerate drafts and cold watering.
• At the beginning of the growing season, sometimes croton leaves can take on the most bizarre shapes. This is most likely due to the high mutation ability. Thanks to such an amazing variability, many varieties and hybrids of Croton are bred, which differ only in the shape of the leaves.
• Peduncles and flower buds are recommended to be removed immediately, because they do not bring aesthetic pleasure and take a lot of energy from the plant.

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07.04.2019 admin Comments No comments

Good day! Recently presented with Croton. The leaves were lifted up, now the leaves are as if shoulder-width apart. ”And so it has been a month. I spray, watering is normal, I have not transplanted yet, I see the top leaves at the ends dry. I don’t understand what’s the matter. Valentine

Hello Valentine!

Croton (codiaeum) is very capricious in room culture; he loves very good lighting (it is shaded only from hot sunlight), warmth and proper watering (in autumn and winter - moderate), clean leaves, spraying, humid air. Croton sheds leaves in case of mistakes in care and a draft.

The leaves of the plants drop and become soft when the earthen coma dries out, but in such a situation, they cannot be watered strongly at once (the roots will rot). Lightly water the surface of the soil, sprinkle the croton leaves with water with the addition of Epin and after the leaves have dried, place the plant in a “mini-greenhouse”. The next day, you can water the soil a little more, sprinkle the leaves and, if necessary, put it back in the greenhouse until the leaves are restored to their normal state. The next watering of croton is done after slightly drying out the soil.

Croton should be watered, sprayed and the leaves should be washed at least once a week. For the spring-autumn period, when the plant receives a sufficient amount of sunlight, Croton needs care with especially abundant wet "injections" - abundant watering (every day or every other day). Make sure the soil dries out a little between watering. The plant does not like sudden changes in temperature, drafts and very cold water. Watering can be replaced with abundant spraying (they can be alternated). Croton needs different care depending on the season. In winter, choose a location with adequate lighting for the plant. Watering must be reduced (once every two to three days).

With good care, Croton can bloom regularly, but the inflorescences are small and the flowers are inconspicuous.

It is advisable to transplant in the spring. It is recommended not to break the earthen ball with the root system, but to transplant the roots "as is". Do not under any circumstances start transplanting if the plant is weakened. Since this procedure is very painful for Croton. It is also advisable to feed the plant only in the spring-autumn period.

One of the main enemies of croton is the spider mite. These arachnids can also participate in harvesting your pet's leaves. Signs of the appearance of a spider mite on croton - the leaves lose their color, fade, a white fluffy bloom forms on the back of the leaf along the central vein.

How to care for croton at home

Croton flower home care photo

Lighting and temperature

Croton needs a bright light. It can be placed in direct sunlight in the morning or before sunset. In summer, expose to the north window, and in winter, when the sun is shining, but not very warm, to the south. If possible, take the plant out in the summer to fresh air under bright, diffused light. The most comfortable air temperature in summer will be 20-22 ºC, and in winter - at least 16 ºC.

Watering

Croton should be watered so that the soil is constantly wet, but moisture should not stagnate at the roots and create a risk of rotting. The water must be warm, it must be filtered or at least defended during the day. Air humidity is also of great importance.You need to regularly spray the plant, wipe its beautiful leaves with a damp sponge, once a month in the summer, bathe under a warm shower, but the water should not flow into the pot.

Top dressing

The plant is fed with complex mineral fertilizers for decorative deciduous. The soil must be pre-moistened and top dressing must be applied in a dissolved form during the period of April-November - twice a month, in winter - once a month.

Crown formation: pinching and pruning

To form a beautiful bush, young crotons are pinched, and older plants need to be cut off. Pinch the plant as soon as it reaches 15 cm, and then every time the shoots stretch 20 cm.

How to cut a croton peduncle, we look at the video:

After pruning adult plants, the cut sites should be treated with charcoal or sulfur powder. The flowering of croton will only take away his strength and affect his healthy appearance - it is also better to remove flower stalks and flower buds immediately.

Transfer

How to transplant Croton photo

Young crotons should be transplanted twice a year (preferably in spring and autumn), and mature crotons once every two years, each time the pot must be increased in diameter by 2 cm from the previous one. When your croton grows to a pot with a diameter of 25 cm, you no longer need to transplant it, but simply replace the top layer of the substrate from the pot with a new one every year.

Select the soil of approximately the following composition: mix turf, peat, leafy soil in equal proportions and add a little sand. During transplantation, it is better not to disturb the earthen lump, but to transfer it into a new container. The drainage layer should take up about a quarter of the pot's volume.

How to transplant Croton after purchase, we look at the video:

Change of color of the plant

Why do croton leaves turn yellow? If the flower has changed color, this may indicate about insufficient lighting

.

Croton demands quite a lot of light

, but still in direct sunlight
better not to bet
, since due to burning of the leaves, the plant also loses its former color and begins to turn unnaturally yellow.

How to determine that the codiaum has an excess of light? On the leaves of the flowerpot will begin to appear brown spots.

If the plant does not turn yellow

, but simply grows dull, which means most likely it lacks trace elements in the soil, especially nitrogen.

Why does croton have green leaves? This may be due to the fact that the plant is young.

In this case, you should provide croton good feeding

.

Growing croton from seeds

Croton seeds photo

Seed propagation is often used to grow croton. Seeds lose their germination very quickly, so only freshly harvested seeds are recommended to sow. Please note that the growing process will take a long time, plus the varietal characteristics of the plant will most likely not persist if the seeds are harvested from a hybrid.

• Codiaum seeds are very large, before planting they must be kept for about half an hour in water with a temperature of 60 ºC and left for a day to swell.
• The seeding depth is 1 cm, it is better to plant it immediately in separate cups, but it is also possible to plant it in a common container at a distance of 3-5 cm.
• For seed germination, maintain an air temperature of 22 ºC and apply bottom watering until germination appears.
• Plants can be planted in separate cups with a diameter of 7 cm, when 3 leaves appear on them. Take care of it further as an adult plant, and then transfer to permanent pots.

Prevention measures

Preventive measures are to follow the rules of flower care. Monitor the humidity, place in a warm and well-lit place, avoid direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Provide good ventilation for the plant, but avoid drafts. Water the flower (without flooding), make sure that the potted substrate is always moist. Avoid sudden changes in temperature.By observing all these conditions, you will be able to avoid the troubles associated with pest attacks. And if the leaves suddenly begin to wither, with the normalization of care they will be like new.

Croton propagation by cuttings

Croton stalk how to root a photo

For vegetative propagation, apical cuttings 6-10 cm long are used. If you want to get several cuttings, you can open the shoot into pieces so that each piece contains one internode with one healthy leaf. Semi-lignified and lignified cuttings root best of all.

The poisonous milky juice flowing out of the slices should be washed off with water and allowed to dry for three hours in the air. Then treat the cut with a root root (growth stimulant) and place the cutting in water and heat it to a temperature of 23-30 ºC (so that the planting material does not rot).

Lighting needs bright and diffused. When roots about 2 cm long appear on the handle, transplant it into a substrate for codiaum (croton). During the first 15 days after transplanting, it is necessary to frequently spray the plant in order to create increased moisture. When the leaf regains its elasticity, then the cutting has begun.

Red spider mite

The problem you can face growing croton is pests.

Cobwebs on a plant are a clear sign that the codiaum is affected red spider mite.

The thing is that with normal growth the plant secretes a special milky juice, which serves as protection against this pest.

But if the conditions for its growth too dry, this juice is secreted in insufficient quantities and the plant endangered.

In order to get rid of Croton from such a sore, you need carry out triple processing means like Neoron, Aktellik, etc. with a break of 7 days.

Croton diseases and pests

Croton can infect such pests as mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects, nematodes. Spider mites appear most often. This happens if you did not spray or wash Croton, watering was irregular. To overcome pests, you need to wipe the ground parts of the croton with a soap or tobacco solution, which is washed off after an hour with water, avoiding it getting into the ground.

Why do Croton's leaves dry and fall

Croton dropped the leaves what to do

• If Croton has dropped the leaves, it means he cannot "drink". This happens from hypothermia of the roots. The plant needs to be rearranged in a warm place, let the earthy coma dry out a few cm deep, stop feeding, reduce watering, spray the leaves well and put a transparent bag on the plant.
• Don't worry if the lower leaves of the croton dry out - exposing the bottom of the stem is a natural process.
• If only the tips of the leaves dry up, then the air humidity is low, you need to maintain the humidity of about 70% by regular spraying and rubbing the leaves with a damp sponge.
• When the edges of the leaves dry and brown spots appear on the leaf, it means that the croton is not warm enough.
• Croton sheds leaves for a number of reasons: from chronic insufficient watering, low humidity, from sudden changes in temperature and drafts. You need to identify exactly your cause and eliminate it.

Croton dry leaves what to do photo

A plant in such a deplorable state requires urgent resuscitation: put a humidifier next to it, spray the leaves more often, make sure that the room is free from bumps and is warm enough (20-22 ° C). Water for irrigation should only be warm, and the soil should be moisture-permeable. If the earthen lump has hardened too much, transplantation into new loose soil will be required; garden soil with a high clay content will not work. It is better to purchase a special soil for ficuses.

Overflow is also fraught with dropping leaves. If you notice signs of stagnant water, you need to reduce the frequency of watering.

In order to prevent putrefactive diseases, treat the plant with phytosporin.

Signs and superstitions about Croton in the video:

Possible reasons

The exotic exotic owner should be wary if:

• Croton is rapidly losing foliage;
• even young leaves turn yellow and dry;
• the tips of the leaves dry;
• leaves turn yellow and wither in the center of the leaf plate;
• the flower sheds more leaves than it forms.

The reason must be sought in the conditions of detention. The crop can be attacked by pests. Perhaps the irrigation regime is disrupted or the plant is under stress (for example, due to transfer to another room). All these points of care must be taken into account so that the exotic always feels good.

Irrigation regime is violated

If your croton has lowered its beautiful leaves, then you are watering it incorrectly. The soil in the flowerpot should always be moist, especially during the summer months. It is impossible to allow the earthen coma to dry completely even in winter. The point is not to often water the codiaum, as croton growers often call it, but to soak the soil to the very bottom with water. Croton leaves dry if moisture does not reach the rhizome.

The leaf is a kind of "signal flag". Observing the standing of the main decoration of the plant, you can understand whether you are giving enough care to your green pet.

Despite the fact that the earth should not be allowed to dry out, excess moisture is also dangerous for codiaum, especially in winter. If the roots stay in a wet substrate for a long time, they begin to rot. As a result, the trunk receives insufficient nutrition, which immediately affects the state of the foliage.

You can save the plant from waterlogging as follows: 30 minutes after each watering, put the flowerpot in the pan so that excess water flows through the drainage holes, after which the liquid must be drained. Do not forget that in the cold season, watering is reduced.

The root provides the plant with nutrients, so it must be healthy, which largely depends on the watering regime. If, after you have established watering, the situation has not changed, then the plant needs a transplant. Pre-inspect the rhizomes and remove all processes that are severely damaged.

Air is too dry

Dry air is another reason why Croton sheds its leaves. The overseas visitor is accustomed to the humid climate. The plant especially suffers during the heating season, when the radiators are working. In order to bring the living conditions as close as possible to natural conditions at this time, you can arrange a warm shower for the codiaum. Just make sure that no water gets on the ground.

The air can be humidified using special devices or simply put the flowerpot in a tray with wet moss. In summer, a warm shower is not necessary, but it is worth wiping the leaves with a damp cloth.

If high humidity is maintained in the room, then the leaves of the croton will not fall prematurely. But staying in a dry climate will weaken the codiaum and provoke an attack by a spider mite. If these two conditions of care are met, and the foliage of your croton falls off not only from the lower tiers, then the problem lies in other reasons, which we will discuss below.

Drastic changes

It should be remembered that when the weather conditions change outside the window, then the house plants react to them. When asking why croton leaves fall, houseplant owners should, first of all, pay attention to temperature changes during the maintenance of the flower. If the thermometer in the room shows +14 ° C, then all the processes in the plant's body are inhibited, and the tips of the leaf plates dry, later the plant may even "become bare". And at a temperature of +24 ° C, the leaves can fall. Croton can also lower the leaves by placing the flower pot in direct sunlight.

Moreover, the leaf plates can get sunburn.If it was not for long, then by returning the plant to the shade, you can quickly revive it. But if the plant stays in direct sunlight for a long time, then the leaves begin to fall off.

It is possible that the flower lacks nutrition. Dropped leaves are a sign that a crop needs fertilization or needs a transplant. In addition, Croton does not tolerate drafts, which can cause him to throw off the leaves. If the plant has sluggish leaves, then hypothermia of the roots is possible and therefore the flower cannot receive moisture. It should be urgently moved to a warm place, stop fertilizing, reduce watering so that the earthen lump dries well. Spray the leaves all the time, and put on the bag, creating a greenhouse environment.

Well, if the lower leaves die, then you should not worry, since this is a natural process.

Sometimes the leaves begin to turn black. In this case, the flower does not have enough potassium, it needs fertilization.

Diseases and pests

Why else leaves at home codiaum fall, read on.

If you notice that the leaves dry up and die off, then you should carefully examine the plant for pests. The cobwebs on the plant indicate that the flower is affected by the red spider mite. If a spider mite is found, you should clean the plant from the pest with a cotton swab, having previously moistened it with alcohol. At the end of the process of dealing with an uninvited guest (tick), treat the flower with systemic insecticides. You can make a garlic solution from minced garlic and soap and treat the leaves with it. After an hour, the solution is washed off. Most often, spider mites appear when the plant is irregularly watered, not washed or sprayed, since under normal conditions, croton secretes a poisonous juice that protects it from pests. Therefore, if you follow the rules of care, you will avoid visiting harmful insects.

The scabbard rarely infects the plant, but if it does, then it is removed by hand.

If the air is dry, then the plant can infect the tick. Its presence can be judged by the white bloom on the lower part of the sheet. Treatment is as follows: normalize care, move the plant to a warm place with good lighting, provide good ventilation and take a warm shower. Treatment with acaricide "Neoron" will help in the treatment of the disease (treat the plant 4 times with an interval of 10 days).

Croton species with photos and names

In indoor conditions, motley croton is grown, which, depending on the conditions of existence, can change the color and shape of the leaves. Thanks to this quality, it has become the basis for the development of new varieties, hybrids and varieties.

Croton variegated or variegatum Codiaeum variegatum

Croton variegated or variegatum Codiaeum variegatum photo

In natural conditions, it is found in Pakistan and China, can reach a height of three meters. Short-petiolate leaves are colored green-brown. This species has several forms, differing in the outlines of the leaves, which can be appendage, lobed, flat-leaved, ornamented.

Shield

Shield aphid infrequently affects codiaum, but you must always be ready.

As a rule, you can get rid of the scale insects by simply deleting them manually.

For complete disinfection, treat the flower soapy water, for 1 liter of water, add 2 tablespoons of vodka and rub a little soap.

Wipe the leaves and stems of the plant with this solution.

Then leave it like this for 2-3 hours, then rinse under the shower faucet.

Watering

In spring and summer, Croton needs regular abundant watering - the soil should dry out no more than 1 cm in depth.

To maintain high humidity, you need to spray the leaves from a spray bottle every day, regularly wipe them on both sides and 2 times a month arrange a shower for the plant, having previously covered the ground in the pot with a film.

In winter, watering is reduced about 1 time per week, the main thing is to prevent the soil from drying out.

For watering and spraying, use only settled water at room temperature.

Other features

Croton has certain nuances in life and care that you need to know about.

1. The plant blooms regularly, abundantly, but ugly. In this case, the forces are taken away from the whole plant: the leaves become smaller, and growth slows down. So the ovaries should be torn off.
2. Transplantation of young plants is carried out every spring in low pots by transferring them. Old plants need to be transplanted no more than once every three years. More frequent relocations harm them.
3. Homemade has poisonous juice. It is difficult for them to become seriously poisoned, even if you chew the stalk, but the irritation is removed with difficulty. So after all the manipulations with the plant, it is better to proactively wash your hands, and with soap and water.

By the way, the last factor explains why indoor croton is rarely affected by pests. They just don't like the poison produced by plants. However, if the leaves are rarely rubbed and sprayed, the flower can be infested with spider mites or scabies. The most reliable way to remove both types of pests is to wash the leaves with tobacco infusion with household soap diluted in it, or with the addition of kerosene. Most attention is paid to the underside. In this case, the earth is closed from the penetration of the "medicine" with polyethylene, and after a couple of hours the plant must be rinsed with clean water.