What to do if a white coating appears on the dracaena

White coating on dracaena is a sign of mealybug infestation. But there are other parasitic diseases that are accompanied by a similar symptom. To save the plant from death, you should find out the cause of the disease and take the necessary measures.

Description of Dracaena

This tropical plant is a member of the Dracaena family and is represented by more than 50 species of evergreen plants, native to Australia, Asia, and Africa. The plant has gained popularity among gardeners due to its ease of care and exotic appearance, reminiscent of a palm tree.

The flower lives from 5 to 15 years, depending on the type it can reach a height of 20 meters, but in indoor conditions it has a compact size.

Symptoms of mealybug infestation on dracaena

If a white coating appears on the leaves or stem, the plant needs to be saved from mealybugs.

The main signs of damage to a flower by this pest:

• sticky mucus appears;
• the leaves become deformed, turn yellow and fall off, in places they are eaten away and covered with brown spots;
• the stem is curved;
• the plaque spreads to the flower pot;
• the plant withers and takes on an unhealthy appearance;
• During transplantation, white spots may be noticed on the rhizome.

A careful inspection of the dracaena reveals light-colored, furry pests.

Characteristics and types of mealybugs

The parasite is represented by 2200 species, of which 300 are found in Europe. Dracaena can be attacked by cactus, seaside, amaryllis, bristle and grape pests.

The size of an adult is 3-7 mm, sometimes there are specimens up to 9 mm.

The body is covered with a light mealy coating. In places where insects are concentrated, a thin layer resembling wax or cotton wool is found.

There are three types of mealybugs that can parasitize a houseplant:

1. Root – the largest type of parasite, affects the root and root collar.
2. Primorsky - is the most common, females lay eggs in a hard-to-reach place - in the axils of leaves.
3. The bristle bug is a large insect that lives on the underside of leaves.

Distinctive features of parasitism

The pest loves warmth and moisture, using stylets (sucking proboscis) it attaches itself to a flower and feeds on its juice. You can recognize the insect's egg laying by the appearance of cottony masses on the plant. Each female can lay up to 600 eggs.

The oviposition sites are located mainly in protected places (cracks in the stem, leaf axils, areas between shoots), so they are not easy to detect.

The eggs are not washed off with water and do not die under the influence of chemicals, because they are protected by a strong shell. Within 20 days, larvae appear, which at first have no plaque. Newborn individuals crawl along the plant, begin to feed, secreting a sticky liquid. Gradually, a white plaque forms on the larvae.

Mealybugs can destroy dracaena and create an environment favorable for the development of fungal diseases.

Causes of pest occurrence

There are several factors that provoke the appearance of the parasite:

• incorrect watering regime (insufficient or excess moisture);
• using contaminated soil during planting;
• unfavorable temperature and high humidity in the room;
• the presence of diseased foliage on the plant that was not removed in time;
• lack of regular water procedures;
• no quarantine after purchasing a new flower.

Methods of combating mealybugs

If several individuals are found on the plant, they can be removed with tweezers, after which the foliage and windowsill can be treated with a soap-alcohol solution.

Preparation process: dissolve 1 teaspoon of laundry soap in hot water, bring the amount of water to 1 liter, then pour in 1 tablespoon of alcohol.

Next, cover the soil in the pot and spray the plant with the resulting liquid. Inspect the flower for the presence of the pest and its larvae for 30 days. If a small number of parasites are found, they can be removed with cotton wool, pre-soaked in a soap solution.

If there are a lot of scale insects, then the dracaena needs to be treated. First, you should remove all the pests with a toothpick, tweezers or cotton wool, then treat the flower with a chemical:

• Aktara - the substance is added to the soil and sprayed on the leaves; to destroy insects, 2 procedures must be carried out;
• Actellic - one treatment is enough to destroy the mealybug.

You can also use such preparations as Intavir, Decis, Confidor, and treat the soil with Arrivo or Talstar.

In order not to harm the plant, before treatment, a sensitivity test is carried out by treating one leaf, after which its condition is observed for 1-2 days. Chemicals kill only adult individuals and do not affect larvae, so after a week it is necessary to repeat the procedure to get rid of new offspring.

Folk remedies against mealybugs

If there is no desire or opportunity to use a purchased chemical agent, then you can resort to folk methods:

1. Antiparasitic shampoo for animals, which contains permethrin (1-2 tsp), is mixed with 5 liters of water and sprayed on the plant.
2. Take 5 cloves of garlic, pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 4 hours, strain. Apply the solution to the entire flower with cotton wool or a brush.
3. Citrus peel (50 g) is poured with warm water (1 l), infused for 24 hours and used for spraying.
4. To wipe the leaves, take a calendula infusion: pour 100 g of flowers into 1 liter of water and leave for 24 hours.

Methods of Controlling Root Bugs

If a root parasite has appeared on the dracaena, the plant must be replanted, after disinfecting the soil and the pot. The flower should be removed from the old pot, the roots should be washed under running water and placed in a container with an insecticide solution for 20 minutes.

For watering, use settled water. 7 days after transplanting, add an insecticide solution to the soil to prevent re-infection.

Mealybug Prevention on Dracaena

The parasite loves waterlogged soil, so watering should be moderate.

When planting, use drainage to prevent water stagnation in the root area.

You shouldn't take the plant outside, because after this procedure, pests often appear on it.

To avoid mealybug infestation, you must:

1. Keep the flower clean and wash the leaves regularly.
2. Do not over-water the soil.
3. Do not place the plant in a draft.
4. Ensure optimal temperature conditions.
5. Remove diseased and dried leaves in a timely manner.
6. Plant dracaena in purchased soil. If the soil is taken from the garden, it must be disinfected.

Mistakes in the fight against mealybugs

Often gardeners make the following mistakes in the fight against the parasite:

1. They fight the mealybug only after adult insects appear on the plant. However, the larvae are no less dangerous for the plant. When they are discovered, do not wait for the offspring to appear; control measures must be taken immediately.
2. Use only folk remedies. These remedies can be effective in case of a single infestation. If there are many pests, it is better to use chemicals, and they need to be changed, because the parasite adapts to such preparations and loses sensitivity to them.
3. Removing adult insects, which are too numerous on the plant. This procedure is ineffective. Egg clutches remain in inconspicuous places, from which new insects will soon hatch.

Caution should be exercised when using the chemical Actellic. This preparation has a strong odor that can lead to poisoning. Because of this, dracaena must be treated outdoors or on a balcony.

Other causes of white plaque and ways to eliminate them

Many pests do not kill dracaena even in large quantities. But such insects should be fought, because they can worsen the appearance of the flower.

False scale insect

The insect's body looks like round brown plaques, they can be found on the underside of leaves. The longer the pest is on the plant, the more its body swells, becoming covered with a yellow-red coating.

When scale insects are detected, they are lubricated with such agents as acetic acid or alcohol. After 1-2 days, the insects are removed, and the leaves are wiped with soapy foam, which is then washed off with water.

The plant can be treated with chemicals: Fufan, Aktara. The procedure is repeated several times with a break of a week.

Spider mite

Signs of damage are:

• formation of thin threads on the petioles;
• the appearance of brown dots surrounded by yellow or pale spots (on the underside of the leaf).

To combat the parasite, wipe the leaves with alcohol and then, after 15 minutes, with a damp sponge.

The plant is generously sprayed with water and watered, and covered with a plastic bag for several days. You can put a bowl of turpentine, chopped onion or garlic under the bag.

If the above methods do not help, the plant is treated with Apollo, Neoron, Sanmite. Up to 4 procedures are carried out with a break of 7-11 days.

Lime salts

When watering and spraying with hard water, lime salts may appear on the plant. To get rid of such a coating, you should soften the water - by boiling, settling, freezing.

Several times a month, citric acid (0.2 g per 1 liter of water) or vinegar (1 teaspoon of vinegar per 1 liter of water) are added to the water for irrigation. After this, the water is left to settle so that the salts precipitate.

To remove limescale, use water with lemon juice - squeeze the juice of one lemon into 1 glass of water. You can also mix egg yolk and water in equal proportions and wipe the leaves. After this procedure, they will shine and repel dust.

If the dracaena disease is detected in time and the necessary procedures are carried out immediately, the flower will not die. After eliminating the pest, you should carefully monitor the condition of the plant and strictly follow all the rules of care.