Pests and diseases of bromeliad and their control methods

Diseases and prevention methods of bromeliad

Diseases

Diseases of bromeliads include anthracnose, gray mold, center spot, stem rot and wilt.

Prevention and treatment methods

For anthracnose, control should be carried out with 500 times diluted 25% Carbon Trane wettable powder or 600 times diluted 27% Copper Noble suspension in a 1:1:160 ratio Bordeaux mixture. Do it once every half a month, for a total of 2-3 times.

To treat gray mold, the indoor humidity should be lowered. Watering is best done in the morning on a sunny day. Avoid watering on rainy days. At the same time, ventilate the plants late in the morning on sunny days to ensure indoor air circulation.

For stem rot, spray 1000 times solution of 38% cypermethrin, 800 times solution of 30% carbendazim/carbendazim, or 500 times solution of thiram on the bromeliad from mid-May to the early stage of the disease in July.

Pests and control methods of bromeliad

Pests

The most serious insect pests of bromeliads are mealybugs and scale insects.

Mealybugs are small sap-sucking insects with white sticky powder on their bodies. They can harm crops, fruit trees, gardens, forests and pastures.

Scale insects will suck the sap of plants, which can cause the death of the entire plant in severe cases. Their secretions may also induce sooty mold disease, which is extremely harmful.

Prevention and treatment methods

For mealybugs, if the infection is not particularly serious, you can remove them manually, or spray them with a strong stream of water (be careful not to damage the bromeliad), or rinse the plants with a 1:1 solution of clean water and methylated alcohol. This will not only flush away the insects, but also kill those that cannot be flushed away.

During the cultivation process of bromeliads, if scale insects are found on individual leaves, they can be gently brushed off with a soft brush, or combined with pruning, cutting off the insect-infested branches and leaves. They must be brushed clean, cut clean, and burned in a centralized manner; do not throw them away randomly.