Growing ivy: Pests and diseases
Ivy pests
The main pests that affect ivy are:
Aphids: They constitute one of the main plagues of the plants. They develop especially with the rise in temperature, from the spring. The heat and the dryness favor their development.- Cochineal: insects that stick to plants, especially to young shoots. They live at the expense of them because they have sucking organs that are responsible for extracting the sap from the plants. They produce sticky secretions on which the sooty mold, a type of fungus is formed.
Aphids: They constitute one of the main plagues of the plants. They develop especially with the rise in temperature, from the spring. The heat and the dryness favor their development.They especially attack indoor plants, because the environmental conditions of the enclosed spaces (environmental dryness) favor their development. To eliminate them, we must remove them all with the help of a cloth soaked in alcohol. Later, we will apply a systemic insecticide and separate the contaminated plant from the rest of plants to prevent contamination.
- Red spiders: Among the main mites, there are red spiders, which, when they accumulate, give reddish or brown tones to the underside of the leaves and a kind of spider web between the nerves on the underside. If the attack progresses, it will finally produce leaves fall. They attack practically all plants, both garden plants and fruit trees.
The best way to control them is to apply mineral oil in winter, although it is appropriate to apply liquid insecticide in spring or summer combined with abundant watering and the water spray of the leaves to increase the humidity.
If we want to eliminate or control biologically mites, aphids or other insects, we can use other insects, such as ladybirds, that feed on them.
Diseases affecting ivy
The main diseases that affect ivy are:
- Anthracnose: They are brown or gray spots surrounded by a yellow halo that occur in the leaves. These spots usually grow and produce leaf fall. Other times the stained part is detached from the sheet and leaves holes or empty pieces in it.
- Sooty mold: These are the fungi that form on the secretions of aphids and mealybugs. They are characterized by their blackish color that gives name to this disease. Previous pests should be removed to avoid its occurrence.
More information on ivy plant
