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| I bought this nice little Dracaena Refelxa Anita from Lowe's last week, and have noticed it has a few sparse spots on the leaves here and there. Before purchasing, I asked the guys in the garden department what they were, and they said it was from the windows reflecting light off of the leaves like a magnifying glass.
I thought I'd try to see if anyone knew what they were and what to do about it.
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| First, the explanation you got from the guys in the garden department isn't correct. It has the typical bulls eye pattern common to any one of a number of fungal leaf-spot infections. It's not uncommon for infections like this to occur after wet foliage has provided a suitable incubation period for spores to reproduce & get a hold. Sometimes conditions with humidity at or near 100% are enough, and other times misting or wetting the foliage when watering provides the moist conditions required for the fungi to multiply. I see marginal and tip necrosis on some of the other foliage in the background, which, if you bet based on odds, would likely be a symptom of over/under-watering or a high level of soluble salts in the soil. If it was my plant, and this is important to plant vitality, I would make sure it was in a soil that is durable and well-aerated (drains very well), and I would get them into containers that facilitate copious watering every time you water, or at least allow you to easily flush the soil frequently and regularly. Al |
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| Thanks for all the info Al. I put the plant into a mixture of cactus soil, vermiculite and small rocks/pebbles. The container it's in allows for quick drainage; after I water, I empty the bottom tray. I'm going to start watering them with distlled water rather than my tap water which contains a lot of minerals. Should I avoid purchasing a fungacide such as Daconil and spraying it? Thanks again... |
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| If I can suggest that you totally isolate the soil from any effluent when you water? IOW, it's better to water over the sink and wait until the pot stops draining, or to set the pot up on blocks so the soil and effluent are clearly separated. If you don't do this, you are considerably reducing the effectiveness of watering until the soil is saturated and a good amount of water drains from the soil. What happens is, all the salt in the effluent you flush from the container very quickly tries to reach a state of isotonicity with the soil solution (equal amounts of salt in the effluent and soil solution); whereas, if you had not allowed the effluent any sort of continuity with the soil solution, the equalization of salt levels won't take place. You prolly don't need to use distilled water (unless you want to). Fertilizing with low doses of an appropriate formulation and making sure the soil gets flushed is prolly adequate. I only use distilled water on 1 planting, a saikei landscape planting that is in a tray with no drain holes. It's also the only planting I own that I fertilize organically - using no chemical fertilizers on that particular planting other than a dose of STEM twice yearly.
If you contact me off forum, I'll help you with the fungal issue. I'm generally reluctant to make suggestions here, but I can say that a topical fungicide like Daconil wouldn't be my first choice - and you prolly wouldn't appreciate the white spots it leaves on foliage, either. ;o) Best luck! Al
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- Posted by Mona-on-Wheels none (My Page) on Sun, Sep 11, 11 at 14:25
| My 1st post. I read here alot. Just wanted to say thank you! I bought the same plant at WalMart last week & was googling here for care instructions when I saw this post. Looked at my plant closely & mine has the same spots. Small world. I usually drown my plants at the sink & leave alone till they are dry several inches down. I found this online. Would you agree? Direct sun when growing indoors. Use a potting mix that is perlite-free and contains at least one-quarter peat moss. Water the Anita plant with rainwater or bottled water, as it is sensitive to fluoride. Thank you very much. :) Mona |
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