Swerfer Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 (edited) I have a Cephalotus where brown spots are forming on some leaves. These brown spots are very slowly progressing. Yesterday I saw something that looked like mold. On some brown spots, some wooly hairs were being formed. A long time ago, I read somewhere that when brown spots are forming on the leaves, the plant is suffering from mildew. Is this true? I first thought that the browning was heat spots from the sun, but it is looking like a trail. Meaning that the browning is progressing in the form of a snailtrail or like something inside the leaf is eating it. I have this Cephalotus since last winter, and during Spring I transplanted the plant. It is in a bigger pot with very aerated soil. So I know there isn’t a visual sign of fungus. The only visable is the browning spots of some leaves, and the disappearance of leaf glossy, where the leaf is turning into dull matt green. What do you think is wrong with my Cephalotus, and what can I do about it. I was thinking on using an antifungal spray, but I don’t know what brand/ingredient of anti fungal, is safe for Cephalotus. I live in the Netherlands, and the only brand we have for hand is from Bayern. Please help me, Youri PS, this above mentioned plant is also flowering this year, so maybe it is shooting its reserves. link to reference pictures http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/download/file.php?id=9986 http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/download/file.php?id=9985 http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/download/file.php?id=9987 Edited July 28, 2011 by Swerfer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 I'm not sure if it's fungus or not, as your description could be fungus or insect damage. Could you post a picture to the thread? I've had mildew on Cephalotus and the spots were red. Putting it outside during warmer weather soon got rid off it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcello catalano Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 hi mate, yes it's mildew, you should expose the plant to more hours of direct sunlight... I tried at home many years ago (my plants were growing with outside in the sun, but getting full sun only for half day), and the strenght of the light was not as important as the length of the photoperiod... my clone was also prone to mildew though, because the clones I got later never had this problem even in a simple terrarium with artificial lights (where the problematic clone was also getting mildew)... if your plant is used to the soft conditions of a terrarium, increase the number of lamps (I use 8 neon bars and that's good but it's a lot, 4 are a good number, less than 4 are really not much) or the photoperiod (should be around 15 hours). Or get the plant slowly used to harsher conditions but GRADUALLY. If your plant is already growing in low humidity, just leave it in full sun 1 more hour per day, until reaching an exposition all day long (first day 1 hour, second day 2 hours etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimitar Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 From what I see in the pics this definitely is NOT mildew or some kind of fungus! This more looks like a sunburn or it is caused by small insect or something.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcello catalano Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 pictures seen, I confirm it's mildew, seen that TOO many times on these plants :) As you say, the purple spot is the effect, but looking closer you can see the powdery and whitish mould over it, and it's not the plant's hair... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 Look fungal to me. Where do you grow the plant, i.e. greenhouse, terrarium, windowsill etc? Do you know what the active ingredient in 'Bayern' is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 yes, it's powdery mildew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus B Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 (edited) From what I see in the pics this definitely is NOT mildew or some kind of fungus! This more looks like a sunburn or it is caused by small insect or something.... I can't say that I have ever seen sunburn in such small distinct spots before. Normally if a leaf is responding to sun, the shape of the damage is a patch that corresponds to the area of leaf exposed to the sun, such as half a leaf if there is a leaf above it sheltering it. The upper leaves then usually cop complete damage, not little spots, unless something else is sheltering them. In this case, sunlight is most likely the best cure, along with air movement, not the cause of the problem. Mildew does not like sunlight and air movement reduces the chance of spores settling and getting high enough humidity to grow. Edited July 28, 2011 by Marcus B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimitar Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 Ok guys you scared me. From what I read I should worry for this plant too on the pic below. Is this powdery mildew? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 Ok guys you scared me. From what I read I should worry for this plant too on the pic below. Is this powdery mildew? Looks like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus B Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 Ok guys you scared me. From what I read I should worry for this plant too on the pic below. Is this powdery mildew? I would clear away the moss sporophytes to let the light and the air get to it, and wash the fungus off. Don't stress too much, as the mildew does not normally kill the plant, just the leaves, unless you leave it too long. Even after improviing conditions it may linger in small amounts without doing much damage. Drier conditions will normally clear it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel G Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 I had powdery mildew on a Ceph once. It was alot paler, and much morw widespread... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 I have had mildew on a couple of my windowsill Cephalotus and have tried two different fungicides (different active components), neither of which cleared it. The 'cure' I found was to put them outside for the summer. Within a couple of days the mildew had visibly reduced and within a week it had gone. There is damage to some of the leaves and pitchers caused by the mildew but the plant is growing well. As an added bonus, the plants are colouring up nicely. My plants were used to lower humidity levels, so they didn't need acclimatising to outdoor conditions, but had the plants grown in high humidity levels then I would have needed to acclimatised them first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m.a.x Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 is fungal attack... In Italy is call it "Oidio", the cure is.. sun, or spray it bayer sulphur (melted in water) but the plant suffers ..... I use trichoderma in order to prevent every fungal attack, and I have a good success to grow my ceph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 fungicides with penconazole or myclobutanil can be effective, but as said by many above lots of sun and ventilation can help. I grow my Cephs in full sun in a greenhouse, but have a small fan blowing air over the top of them. I also use Trichoderma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 fungicides with penconazole or myclobutanil That's the two I have. Short term they seems to suppress the fungus but ultimately it always came back within a few weeks on my two affected Cephalotus. I even went to the extreme of spraying one plant and pouring the remaining penconazole solution through the growing medium in case the fungus was growing in there but again this only had a short term affect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus B Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 That's the two I have. Short term they seems to suppress the fungus but ultimately it always came back within a few weeks on my two affected Cephalotus. I even went to the extreme of spraying one plant and pouring the remaining penconazole solution through the growing medium in case the fungus was growing in there but again this only had a short term affect. I have to say that I have had similiar experiences. Sun and air being the only cure for the problem. Never had a problem when I could get Trichoderma easily and back then my plants were in wetter, stiller conditions that they are now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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