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Calico hearts
Adromischus trigynus
Calico hearts is a small succulent native to South Africa. It gets its name from the unique crinkled texture of its leaves, which can be green or reddish-brown. This plant is popular among succulent enthusiasts for its interesting leaf shape and texture, as well as its ease of care. It is a slow-growing plant that prefers bright, indirect sunlight and well-draining soil. As with many succulents, it is important not to overwater Adromischus trigynus, as it is prone to root rot.
Hardiness Zones
9 to 10
Care Guide for Calico hearts
Feedback
Watering Care
Drought-tolerant. Allow the soil to dry completely between watering.
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Calico hearts
Sunlight
Partial sun
Hardiness Zones
9 to 10
Questions About Calico hearts
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Pruning How can I prune my Calico hearts?
Pruning your Calico hearts is a fairly simple process. First, you will need a reliable set of hand pruners or hedge trimmers. You may use a clean pair of sharp scissors if you don’t have pruners or garden shears on hand. It’s important to always clean your gardening tools before and after using them to prevent the possibility of spreading disease or infection to other plants. To prune your Calico hearts simply allow your plant to go dormant over the Winter. Some time between late winter and early spring – or when new growth starts to appear – take your clean pruners or trimmers and cut away any dying, damaged, yellow or declining foliage. Repeat this process until you reach the base of the plant or until there are no dead pieces left to cut. When pruning, be careful not to damage the new growth that may be emerging near the base of your plant. These parts cannot be restored and pruning can increase the ventilation of the plants and facilitate their growth. Any pruning that is done to this plant should be cut straight across the blades or stems. No angled cuts are required. Diseased leaf blade foliage can be removed as it appears. This could be done anytime when your Calico hearts is growing.
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What should I do after pruning my Calico hearts?
Once you’ve pruned your plant, you should dispose of the stems and leaves either by composting the healthy ones or throwing out the diseased parts. You can also fertilize just before or after pruning, which gives Calico hearts a little vitamin boost that can provide it the nutrients needed to better protect itself from any nearby pathogens or diseases. Do not water the Calico hearts immediately after pruning as this can lead to fungal infestation of the plants through the wounds. You don’t need much after care when you’re done pruning. It might benefit from light watering and some liquid plant food to encourage new growth.
Read More ![more]()
How can I prune my Calico hearts during different seasons?
Early spring and late winter are the best times to prune your Calico hearts on a large scale. If you want to control the size of your Calico hearts, you can prune them as you wish, but be careful not to prune more than a third of the size of the plant. Yellow and diseased leaves may appear during the summer months when the Calico hearts is growing vigorously and these types of leaves need to be pruned back immediately. These parts of the Calico hearts cannot be restored and pruning increases the ventilation of the plant and facilitates its growth.
Read More ![more]()
When should I prune my Calico hearts through different stages of growth?
Strategic pruning is usually done at different times of the year or during certain stages of growth depending on the plant. However, knowing when to prune your Calico hearts depends on where you live and how established your plant is. For example, if your Calico hearts is a new resident, it’s a good idea to wait until the plant starts to grow back before you start pruning. On the other hand, if your plant is already established, you will want to prune the dry or dead parts in plant before new leafy growth appears in early spring or late winter. This is the time of year when plants are dormant and pruning causes the least damage to them. This is also the best time of year to do more extensive pruning. It’s important to note that if Calico hearts is pruned too late in the season, it can leave new growth at risk for damage or disease. However, if your Calico hearts is indoors this is not a problem and you can prune at any time. Since this can affect the long-term health and appearance of your plant, it’s important to keep this in mind when deciding when and how to prune. As your Calico hearts grows larger over time, you can trim it as needed after annual pruning. Dead, damaged, or diseased leaf blade foliage can be removed as it appears. This could be done anytime when your Calico hearts is growing.
Read More ![more]()
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Key Facts About Calico hearts
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Attributes of Calico hearts
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Succulent
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Plant Height
1 to 2.2 inches
Leaf Color
Green
Gray
Purple
Flower Color
Pink
Leaf type
Evergreen
Ideal Temperature
20 - 35 ℃
Scientific Classification of Calico hearts
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Common Pests & Diseases About Calico hearts
Feedback
Common issues for Calico hearts based on 10 million real cases
Low light
A lack of sunlight will cause the stems and leaves to elongate and appear lighter in color.
Solutions: Low light can only be addressed by increasing light availability, and these measures will only stop further etoliation; current distortion cannot be reversed. Move plant to a position where it receives more light. Check the requirements for specific species, as too much sunlight can cause a plant to burn. Introduce appropriate artificial lighting. Some people choose to prune the longest stems so the plant can concentrate on healthy new growth under the improved lighting.
Brown spot
This infection can cause brown spots or patches to appear on the plant.
Solutions: In minor cases of brown spot, there isn’t any need to treat the disease. However, if much of the foliage is affected and defoliation occurs, the plant will benefit from getting rid of the infection. It is recommended to start by applying organic treatment options, working up to the more potent synthetic, chemical fungicides if necessary. Organic options won’t kill the fungus, but will prevent it from spreading. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of liquid soap in a gallon of water. Using a spray bottle, spray on tops and bottoms of leaves until the mixture drips off. Repeat every two weeks until existing spots stop enlarging and new spots no longer appear. Spray a copper-based fungicidal soap on the leaves, coating the top and bottom leaf surfaces. Reapply as directed on the product label. Copper penetrates the leaf surface and prevents germination of spores so the fungus cannot spread. Apply an all-purpose fungicide to the entire plant, following the label instructions carefully.
Soft rot
Soft rot causes the entire plant to turn black and rot from the inside out.
Solutions: Once soft rot appears, it is difficult to control. For minor issues of soft rot where only a small area is affected: Reduce watering. Only water when the soil is completely dry. Prune away affected tissue. Remove all dead and/or rotting roots and leaves. Use sterile tools. Repot using new soil. If potted, repot the plant with new soil. Be sure to use a pot with proper drainage holes. For severe cases when a large amount of tissue is infected or black: Dispose of plant. Severely infected plants will not recover. Dispose of the plant so that other nearby plants are not infected. Do not compost the infected plant.
Leaf rot
This pathogen can cause the leaves to rot.
Solutions: Bacterial infections need to be treated quickly to prevent the spread to neighboring, healthy plants, potentially wiping out large sections of your indoor or outdoor garden. In mild cases: Use sterilized (10% bleach solution) pruning shears or scissors to remove any infected plant parts, making sure to dispose of them off site. Use a copper-based bactericide to treat the unaffected foliage, as well as the soil, and neighboring plants. Follow the manufacturer’s rate and timing directions found on the product label. In severe cases, where more than half the leaves are affected: Remove all of the infected plants from the garden, disposing of them off site. Treat the soil and neighboring plants using a copper-based bactericide. Follow the manufacturer’s rate and timing directions found on the product label.
Low light
A lack of sunlight will cause the stems and leaves to elongate and appear lighter in color.
Overview
All plants require light, and if they do not receive it in the quantities that they require this distorts their growth in a process known as etiolation. In essence, etiolated plants are diverting all of their energy to growing taller in a desperate attempt to reach a position where they can meet their light requirements. Many other growth factors are harmed by this, and so light-deprived plants can become weak and distorted until they are almost unrecognizable. Low light symptoms are most commonly seen in houseplants, but outdoor specimens can also be affected.
Symptom Analysis
Although symptoms will vary in different plants, the general symptoms of low light are easy to spot.
- Plant stems grow tall and lanky.
- There are less leaves, and both leaves and stems tend to be pale and insipid looking. This is due to a shortage of chlorophyll.
- All plant parts become weakened and may droop, as energy is diverted toward too-fast growth as the plant stretches itself toward any source of light.
Disease Cause
Plants need sunlight in varying amounts for photosynthesis – a process that produces energy for growth and fruit and flower production. Low light causes a plant to divert all energy to upward (apical) growth in order to find better light. Plant hormones called auxins are transported from the actively-growing tip of the plant downwards, to suppress lateral growth. A drop in cellular pH triggers expansins, nonenzymatic cell wall proteins, to loosen cell walls and allow them to elongate. This elongation results in the abnormal lengthening of stems, especially internodes, or plant "legginess" which is observed in etoliated plants.
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Brown spot
This infection can cause brown spots or patches to appear on the plant.
Overview
Discolored spots on the foliage of plants are one of the most common disease problems people observe. These spots are caused by fungal and bacterial diseases, with most infections related to a fungal pathogen.
Brown spot can occurs on all houseplants, flowering ornamentals, vegetable plants, and leaves of trees, bushes, and shrubs. No plants are resistant to it, and the problem is worse in warm, wet environments. It can occur at any point in the life stage as long as leaves are present.
Small brownish spots appear on the foliage and enlarge as the disease progresses. In severe cases, the plant or tree is weakened when the lesions interrupt photosynthesis or cause defoliation.
Symptom Analysis
In most cases, brown spot only affects a small percentage of the whole plant, appearing on a small amount of the leaves. A small infection only puts minor stress on the plant. However, if left untreated and the disease progresses over numerous seasons, it will severely impact the health and productivity of the infected specimen.
- Sporulation begins (reproduction of the fungal spores), and tiny spots appear on leaves.
- Placement is often random and scattered as diseases are spread through raindrops.
- May appear on lower leaves and the interior of the plant where humidity is higher.
- Brown spots enlarge and grow large enough to touch neighboring spots to form a more prominent blotch.
- Leaf margins may turn yellow.
- Tiny black dots (fruiting bodies of the fungi) appear in the dead spots.
- Blotches grow in size until the entire leaf is brown.
- The leaf falls off the plant.
Severe Symptoms
- Partial or complete premature defoliation
- Reduced growth
- Increased susceptibility to pests and other diseases
Disease Cause
Brown spot, or leaf spot, is a common descriptive term given to several diseases affecting the leaves of plants and trees. Around 85% of diseases exhibiting leaf spots are due to fungus or fungus-like organisms. Sometimes brown spot is caused by a bacterial infection, or insect activity with similar symptoms.
When conditions are warm and the leaf surfaces are wet, fungal spores being transported by wind or rain land on the surface and cling to it. They do not rupture the cell walls but grow in the space between the plant plasma membrane and the plant cell wall. As the spores reproduce, they release toxins and enzymes that cause necrotic spots (i.e., dead tissue) on the leaves, allowing the fungi to consume the products released when the cells degrade.
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Soft rot
Soft rot causes the entire plant to turn black and rot from the inside out.
Overview
Soft rot is a common disease affecting mostly fruits and vegetables. It can occur while plants are growing but is more common once the produce has been harvested. The most susceptible plants are fleshy vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, sweet potato, capsicum, bananas, eggplants, squash, cucumber, avocados, and potatoes.
Many succulents are also susceptible to soft rot. This is especially the case when the plant has received some damage, as bacteria enters the succulent through the open wound.
Symptom Analysis
Initially, the disease is spotted in the form of soft, wet, cream-to-tan necrotic spots. These may appear on fruits and vegetables, including tubers, or succulent leaves and stems. The spots are surrounded by a dark brown to black ring.
As the disease progresses, the plant part becomes infected with a soft and slimy rot that has a foul odor. A dark discoloration can be seen internally. Potatoes, sweet potatoes and other tubers will have evidence of this rot under the skin. Fruits like avocados exhibit a dark metallic sheen on the outside and the flesh is grey to black. The flesh also has a putrid odor.
Succulents with soft rot will have watery-looking scabs on the stems or leaves. As the disease progresses, the spots will turn brown to black and they may have a foul-smelling discharge. For succulents with shorter stems, it may be more difficult to notice the earliest symptoms, and soft rot may not be noticed until the plant has already begun rotting from the center.
Disease Cause
Soft rot is caused by the bacteria Erwinia cartovorum. This bacteria secretes enzymes that decompose the cell wall structure of the plant. This destroys the plant tissue and causes the plant or its fruit to rot.
The bacteria lives in crop debris as well as soil and water, including the ocean. It infects plants through open wounds, including those caused by overwatering in succulents. It is normally spread by splashing water, insects, and wind. Infection is worse in hot and humid weather.
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Leaf rot
This pathogen can cause the leaves to rot.
Overview
Leaf rot is very common among both house plants and garden plants. It affects foliage and occurs mainly when the leaves become wet due to rain or misting by the gardener. The cause is fungal disease and this is facilitated by the fungal spores adhering to wet leaves then penetrating the leaf and expanding rapidly. Damp conditions and poor air circulation will increase chances of infection taking place. Another factor are leaves that are damaged or have been penetrated by sap sucking insects that facilitate plant penetration.
Symptom Analysis
- Spores are able to cling to a damp leaf and penetrate, often through an existing wound.
- A small dark brown mark appears which expands rapidly as sporulation starts to take place.
- Quite quickly these bull's eye like circles can link together and the whole leaf turns dark and loses texture.
- Leaf drop occurs.
Disease Cause
These symptoms are caused by a bacterial infection invading the plant. Bacteria from many sources in the environment (air, water, soil, diseased plants) enter a plant through wounds, or in some cases the stomata when they are open. Once inside the leaf tissue, the bacteria feed and reproduce quickly, breaking down healthy leaves.
Bacterial infections threaten most plant species, and are more prominent in wet weather that more easily transfers the bacteria from plant to plant, or from soil to plant.
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Distribution of Calico hearts
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Distribution Map of Calico hearts
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
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About
Care Guide
Care FAQ
More Info
Pests & Diseases
Distribution
Calico hearts
Adromischus trigynus
Calico hearts is a small succulent native to South Africa. It gets its name from the unique crinkled texture of its leaves, which can be green or reddish-brown. This plant is popular among succulent enthusiasts for its interesting leaf shape and texture, as well as its ease of care. It is a slow-growing plant that prefers bright, indirect sunlight and well-draining soil. As with many succulents, it is important not to overwater Adromischus trigynus, as it is prone to root rot.
Hardiness Zones
9 to 10
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Care Guide for Calico hearts
Feedback
Watering Care
Drought-tolerant. Allow the soil to dry completely between watering.
Fertilizing Care
Fertilization once a month during the growing season.
Pruning
Deadhead (or remove) withered flowers after flowering.
Ideal Lighting
Partial sun
Ideal Temperature
9 to 10
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Download
Questions About Calico hearts
Feedback
Pruning How can I prune my Calico hearts?
What should I do after pruning my Calico hearts?
How can I prune my Calico hearts during different seasons?
When should I prune my Calico hearts through different stages of growth?
Get tips and tricks for your plants.
Keep your plants happy and healthy with our guide to watering, lighting, feeding and more.
Download the App for Free
Key Facts About Calico hearts
Feedback
Attributes of Calico hearts
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Succulent
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Plant Height
1 to 2.2 inches
Leaf Color
Green
Gray
Purple
Flower Color
Pink
Leaf type
Evergreen
Ideal Temperature
20 - 35 ℃
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Scientific Classification of Calico hearts
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Common Pests & Diseases About Calico hearts
Feedback
Common issues for Calico hearts based on 10 million real cases
Low light
A lack of sunlight will cause the stems and leaves to elongate and appear lighter in color.
Solutions: Low light can only be addressed by increasing light availability, and these measures will only stop further etoliation; current distortion cannot be reversed. Move plant to a position where it receives more light. Check the requirements for specific species, as too much sunlight can cause a plant to burn. Introduce appropriate artificial lighting. Some people choose to prune the longest stems so the plant can concentrate on healthy new growth under the improved lighting.
Learn More About the Low light ![more]()
Brown spot
This infection can cause brown spots or patches to appear on the plant.
Solutions: In minor cases of brown spot, there isn’t any need to treat the disease. However, if much of the foliage is affected and defoliation occurs, the plant will benefit from getting rid of the infection. It is recommended to start by applying organic treatment options, working up to the more potent synthetic, chemical fungicides if necessary. Organic options won’t kill the fungus, but will prevent it from spreading. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of liquid soap in a gallon of water. Using a spray bottle, spray on tops and bottoms of leaves until the mixture drips off. Repeat every two weeks until existing spots stop enlarging and new spots no longer appear. Spray a copper-based fungicidal soap on the leaves, coating the top and bottom leaf surfaces. Reapply as directed on the product label. Copper penetrates the leaf surface and prevents germination of spores so the fungus cannot spread. Apply an all-purpose fungicide to the entire plant, following the label instructions carefully.
Learn More About the Brown spot ![more]()
Soft rot
Soft rot causes the entire plant to turn black and rot from the inside out.
Solutions: Once soft rot appears, it is difficult to control. For minor issues of soft rot where only a small area is affected: Reduce watering. Only water when the soil is completely dry. Prune away affected tissue. Remove all dead and/or rotting roots and leaves. Use sterile tools. Repot using new soil. If potted, repot the plant with new soil. Be sure to use a pot with proper drainage holes. For severe cases when a large amount of tissue is infected or black: Dispose of plant. Severely infected plants will not recover. Dispose of the plant so that other nearby plants are not infected. Do not compost the infected plant.
Learn More About the Soft rot ![more]()
Leaf rot
This pathogen can cause the leaves to rot.
Solutions: Bacterial infections need to be treated quickly to prevent the spread to neighboring, healthy plants, potentially wiping out large sections of your indoor or outdoor garden. In mild cases: Use sterilized (10% bleach solution) pruning shears or scissors to remove any infected plant parts, making sure to dispose of them off site. Use a copper-based bactericide to treat the unaffected foliage, as well as the soil, and neighboring plants. Follow the manufacturer’s rate and timing directions found on the product label. In severe cases, where more than half the leaves are affected: Remove all of the infected plants from the garden, disposing of them off site. Treat the soil and neighboring plants using a copper-based bactericide. Follow the manufacturer’s rate and timing directions found on the product label.
Learn More About the Leaf rot ![more]()
Low light
A lack of sunlight will cause the stems and leaves to elongate and appear lighter in color.
Overview
All plants require light, and if they do not receive it in the quantities that they require this distorts their growth in a process known as etiolation. In essence, etiolated plants are diverting all of their energy to growing taller in a desperate attempt to reach a position where they can meet their light requirements. Many other growth factors are harmed by this, and so light-deprived plants can become weak and distorted until they are almost unrecognizable. Low light symptoms are most commonly seen in houseplants, but outdoor specimens can also be affected.
Symptom Analysis
Although symptoms will vary in different plants, the general symptoms of low light are easy to spot.
- Plant stems grow tall and lanky.
- There are less leaves, and both leaves and stems tend to be pale and insipid looking. This is due to a shortage of chlorophyll.
- All plant parts become weakened and may droop, as energy is diverted toward too-fast growth as the plant stretches itself toward any source of light.
Disease Cause
Plants need sunlight in varying amounts for photosynthesis – a process that produces energy for growth and fruit and flower production. Low light causes a plant to divert all energy to upward (apical) growth in order to find better light. Plant hormones called auxins are transported from the actively-growing tip of the plant downwards, to suppress lateral growth. A drop in cellular pH triggers expansins, nonenzymatic cell wall proteins, to loosen cell walls and allow them to elongate. This elongation results in the abnormal lengthening of stems, especially internodes, or plant "legginess" which is observed in etoliated plants.
Solutions
Low light can only be addressed by increasing light availability, and these measures will only stop further etoliation; current distortion cannot be reversed.
- Move plant to a position where it receives more light. Check the requirements for specific species, as too much sunlight can cause a plant to burn.
- Introduce appropriate artificial lighting.
- Some people choose to prune the longest stems so the plant can concentrate on healthy new growth under the improved lighting.
Prevention
To avoid etiolation, provide an adequate amount of light from the beginning.
- Choose a location that matches each plant's ideal light needs. Many indoor plants do best in or near a south-facing window, which will provide the longest hours of sunlight. Flowering plants and those with colored leaves typically need more light than purely-green plants, as photosynthesis occurs in the green portions of leaves.
- Select plants with light needs that match a location's conditions. Some cultivars and varieties require less light than others.
- Use a grow light. Darker locations may require artificial illumination. A grow light may also become more necessary during winter, when sunlit hours are at their shortest.
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Brown spot
This infection can cause brown spots or patches to appear on the plant.
Overview
Discolored spots on the foliage of plants are one of the most common disease problems people observe. These spots are caused by fungal and bacterial diseases, with most infections related to a fungal pathogen.
Brown spot can occurs on all houseplants, flowering ornamentals, vegetable plants, and leaves of trees, bushes, and shrubs. No plants are resistant to it, and the problem is worse in warm, wet environments. It can occur at any point in the life stage as long as leaves are present.
Small brownish spots appear on the foliage and enlarge as the disease progresses. In severe cases, the plant or tree is weakened when the lesions interrupt photosynthesis or cause defoliation.
Symptom Analysis
In most cases, brown spot only affects a small percentage of the whole plant, appearing on a small amount of the leaves. A small infection only puts minor stress on the plant. However, if left untreated and the disease progresses over numerous seasons, it will severely impact the health and productivity of the infected specimen.
- Sporulation begins (reproduction of the fungal spores), and tiny spots appear on leaves.
- Placement is often random and scattered as diseases are spread through raindrops.
- May appear on lower leaves and the interior of the plant where humidity is higher.
- Brown spots enlarge and grow large enough to touch neighboring spots to form a more prominent blotch.
- Leaf margins may turn yellow.
- Tiny black dots (fruiting bodies of the fungi) appear in the dead spots.
- Blotches grow in size until the entire leaf is brown.
- The leaf falls off the plant.
Severe Symptoms
- Partial or complete premature defoliation
- Reduced growth
- Increased susceptibility to pests and other diseases
Disease Cause
Brown spot, or leaf spot, is a common descriptive term given to several diseases affecting the leaves of plants and trees. Around 85% of diseases exhibiting leaf spots are due to fungus or fungus-like organisms. Sometimes brown spot is caused by a bacterial infection, or insect activity with similar symptoms.
When conditions are warm and the leaf surfaces are wet, fungal spores being transported by wind or rain land on the surface and cling to it. They do not rupture the cell walls but grow in the space between the plant plasma membrane and the plant cell wall. As the spores reproduce, they release toxins and enzymes that cause necrotic spots (i.e., dead tissue) on the leaves, allowing the fungi to consume the products released when the cells degrade.
Solutions
In minor cases of brown spot, there isn’t any need to treat the disease. However, if much of the foliage is affected and defoliation occurs, the plant will benefit from getting rid of the infection. It is recommended to start by applying organic treatment options, working up to the more potent synthetic, chemical fungicides if necessary.
Organic options won’t kill the fungus, but will prevent it from spreading.
- Dissolve ½ teaspoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of liquid soap in a gallon of water. Using a spray bottle, spray on tops and bottoms of leaves until the mixture drips off. Repeat every two weeks until existing spots stop enlarging and new spots no longer appear.
- Spray a copper-based fungicidal soap on the leaves, coating the top and bottom leaf surfaces. Reapply as directed on the product label. Copper penetrates the leaf surface and prevents germination of spores so the fungus cannot spread.
- Apply an all-purpose fungicide to the entire plant, following the label instructions carefully.
Prevention
Like many other diseases, it is easier to prevent brown spot than cure it, and this is done through cultural practices.
- Clear fall leaves from the ground before winter to minimize places where fungi and bacteria can overwinter.
- Maintain good air movement between plants through proper plant spacing.
- Increase air circulation through the center of plants through pruning.
- Thoroughly clean all pruning tools after working with diseased plants.
- Never dispose of disease plant material in a compost pile.
- Avoid overhead watering to keep moisture off of the foliage.
- Keep plants healthy by providing adequate sunlight, water, and fertilizer.
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Soft rot
Soft rot causes the entire plant to turn black and rot from the inside out.
Overview
Soft rot is a common disease affecting mostly fruits and vegetables. It can occur while plants are growing but is more common once the produce has been harvested. The most susceptible plants are fleshy vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, sweet potato, capsicum, bananas, eggplants, squash, cucumber, avocados, and potatoes.
Many succulents are also susceptible to soft rot. This is especially the case when the plant has received some damage, as bacteria enters the succulent through the open wound.
Symptom Analysis
Initially, the disease is spotted in the form of soft, wet, cream-to-tan necrotic spots. These may appear on fruits and vegetables, including tubers, or succulent leaves and stems. The spots are surrounded by a dark brown to black ring.
As the disease progresses, the plant part becomes infected with a soft and slimy rot that has a foul odor. A dark discoloration can be seen internally. Potatoes, sweet potatoes and other tubers will have evidence of this rot under the skin. Fruits like avocados exhibit a dark metallic sheen on the outside and the flesh is grey to black. The flesh also has a putrid odor.
Succulents with soft rot will have watery-looking scabs on the stems or leaves. As the disease progresses, the spots will turn brown to black and they may have a foul-smelling discharge. For succulents with shorter stems, it may be more difficult to notice the earliest symptoms, and soft rot may not be noticed until the plant has already begun rotting from the center.
Disease Cause
Soft rot is caused by the bacteria Erwinia cartovorum. This bacteria secretes enzymes that decompose the cell wall structure of the plant. This destroys the plant tissue and causes the plant or its fruit to rot.
The bacteria lives in crop debris as well as soil and water, including the ocean. It infects plants through open wounds, including those caused by overwatering in succulents. It is normally spread by splashing water, insects, and wind. Infection is worse in hot and humid weather.
Solutions
Once soft rot appears, it is difficult to control.
For minor issues of soft rot where only a small area is affected:
- Reduce watering. Only water when the soil is completely dry.
- Prune away affected tissue. Remove all dead and/or rotting roots and leaves. Use sterile tools.
- Repot using new soil. If potted, repot the plant with new soil. Be sure to use a pot with proper drainage holes.
For severe cases when a large amount of tissue is infected or black:
- Dispose of plant. Severely infected plants will not recover. Dispose of the plant so that other nearby plants are not infected. Do not compost the infected plant.
Prevention
To prevent soft rot, do the following:
- Avoid overwatering. Only water succulents when soil is almost dry. Make sure potted plants are in containers with drainage holes.
- Ensure proper airflow. Do not crowd plants together. Make sure there is adequate space between plants to allow for airflow.
- Source healthy plants. Avoid introducing plants with soft rot into your garden or home. Buy plants for a reliable source and check for signs of soft rot.
- Sterilize pruning tools. Soft rot bacteria enter plants where tissue is cut. Make sure to sterilize pruning tools before using.
- Control pests. Pests can spread soft rot bacteria when they feed on plants. Controlling pests will help stop the spread of soft rot.
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
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Leaf rot
This pathogen can cause the leaves to rot.
Overview
Leaf rot is very common among both house plants and garden plants. It affects foliage and occurs mainly when the leaves become wet due to rain or misting by the gardener. The cause is fungal disease and this is facilitated by the fungal spores adhering to wet leaves then penetrating the leaf and expanding rapidly. Damp conditions and poor air circulation will increase chances of infection taking place. Another factor are leaves that are damaged or have been penetrated by sap sucking insects that facilitate plant penetration.
Symptom Analysis
- Spores are able to cling to a damp leaf and penetrate, often through an existing wound.
- A small dark brown mark appears which expands rapidly as sporulation starts to take place.
- Quite quickly these bull's eye like circles can link together and the whole leaf turns dark and loses texture.
- Leaf drop occurs.
Disease Cause
These symptoms are caused by a bacterial infection invading the plant. Bacteria from many sources in the environment (air, water, soil, diseased plants) enter a plant through wounds, or in some cases the stomata when they are open. Once inside the leaf tissue, the bacteria feed and reproduce quickly, breaking down healthy leaves.
Bacterial infections threaten most plant species, and are more prominent in wet weather that more easily transfers the bacteria from plant to plant, or from soil to plant.
Solutions
Bacterial infections need to be treated quickly to prevent the spread to neighboring, healthy plants, potentially wiping out large sections of your indoor or outdoor garden.
In mild cases: Use sterilized (10% bleach solution) pruning shears or scissors to remove any infected plant parts, making sure to dispose of them off site. Use a copper-based bactericide to treat the unaffected foliage, as well as the soil, and neighboring plants. Follow the manufacturer’s rate and timing directions found on the product label.
In severe cases, where more than half the leaves are affected: Remove all of the infected plants from the garden, disposing of them off site. Treat the soil and neighboring plants using a copper-based bactericide. Follow the manufacturer’s rate and timing directions found on the product label.
Prevention
- Clean up garden debris at the end of the season, especially if it contains any diseased plant tissue. Diseases can overwinter from season to season and infect new plants.
- Avoid overhead watering to prevent transferring pathogens from one plant to another, and to keep foliage dry.
- Mulch around the base of plants to prevent soil-borne bacteria from splashing up onto uninfected plants.
- Sterilize cutting tools using a 10% bleach solution when gardening and moving from one plant to another.
- Do not work in your garden when it is wet.
- Rotate crops to prevent the buildup of bacteria in one site due to continuous cropping.
- Use a copper or streptomycin-containing bactericide in early spring to prevent infection. Read label directions carefully as they are not suitable for all plants.
- Ensure plants are well spaced and thin leaves on densely leaved plants so that air circulation is maximised.
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Distribution of Calico hearts
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Distribution Map of Calico hearts
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