When growing eggplant, a gardener may encounter difficulties in caring for this vegetable crop. A common problem is white spots on eggplant seedlings. Such symptoms may result from improper care or infection with garden diseases and pests.
Why white spots appeared on eggplant seedlings
Causes of white spots
Stains on the leaves of eggplant seedlings appear for various reasons. Often, such signs are the result of errors in the care of the plant. Unnatural light formation on the foliage can occur due to the activity of the sun or the incorrect location of the ultraviolet lamp.
Another reason is improper feeding of the culture. It is important that light formations can be a consequence of both a lack of nutrients and their excess. Plant temperature is also affected by the temperature of the water (it can be cold) and the temperature regime of the plant.
It will be more difficult to cope with the problem if the cause of white formations on the leaves is disease. You can detect infection by the following signs:
- With powdery mildew, infected areas of foliage are covered with a white film, which gradually grows, passing to the stem.
- White spotting is characterized by the appearance of white formations with a dark border.
- Phomosis (dry rot) is characterized by the appearance of small white formations with dark inclusions.
A common cause is plant damage by pests. Whiteflies, aphids, spider mites and thrips can be dangerous.
If white spots on the eggplant have already appeared, it is important to assess the degree of damage to the plant. When only one leaf is affected in seedlings, it can be removed. But if the whole germ is damaged, the whole plant can be removed. In the treatment of white spotting, time is limited. It is important to isolate diseased seedlings until the fungus has infected other plants. And the sooner this is done, the more chances there are to save the culture.
How to get rid of a problem
White spots on the leaves of eggplant can appear for various reasons, identifying which one or another measure can be taken. So, if light formations on the foliage were the result of sunburn, you will have to shade the plant with improvised materials (stretch the fabric, use a newspaper, etc.). And if the cause was garden diseases and pests, you will have to use personal therapy with specialized or folk remedies.
The appearance of bright formations requires decisive action from the gardener. The first thing that is important to do is to inspect the plant for damage. Use a magnifier. There is a risk that the foliage will turn white due to pests.
If there are no signs of pests, remember whether fertilizers were used with mineral compounds. If so, it is important to wash the foliage of seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and diseased leaves with a solution of citric acid and copper sulfate.
Eggplant needs care and timely top dressing
Correction of errors in care
If white spots appear on the eggplant seedlings, this may indicate perfect mistakes in the daily care of the plant. Eliminate the problem only if the quality of agricultural activities is restored. It will be possible to get rid of the arisen problems if:
- Shade the plant or move it to a dark place. Such actions are necessary if transparent or white formations appear due to the activity of the sun.
- Normalize temperature conditions. The problem is peculiar to regions with a changing climate. It will require the construction of a mini greenhouse or greenhouse.
- Monitor the temperature of water for irrigation. It should not be cold. The most effective use of water is at a temperature of 22-23 ° C.
- Get rid of excess moisture (when growing a crop in a greenhouse) by airing.
- Treat the plant with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This method is effective in case of over-saturation of plantings with top dressing.
The appearance of formations on the foliage due to a lack of potassium is compensated by the introduction of top dressing with an increased content of this element. Specialized formulations such as ground banana peel or wood ash can be used.
You can also use a folk remedy. The resulting spots can be removed by spraying the infected culture with a serum solution (100 ml of the product is diluted with 1 liter of water).
Stain treatment for diseases
If white spots appear on eggplant seedlings from being blocked by garden diseases, proceed as follows:
- Powdery Mildew A 0.5% solution of soda ash (1 g of substance per 1 liter of water) is used. Spraying is carried out 1 time per week for a month. Another option is to use the specialized drug Fundazole.
- White spotting. Isolation of a diseased plant, drying of the soil, and treatment with fungicides (Fanos, etc.) are required. If there is no result, the infected part of the stands can be removed.
- Dry rot. The disease is not treatable. Infected stands should be removed.
With the right treatment, the likelihood of a vegetable crop recovering is high. You can not only return the natural color of the foliage of seedlings, but also preserve its growth and development, which will affect the quantity of the future crop.
Stain Treatment for Pests
If white spots appear on the surface of eggplant leaves, the parasitic effect of pests may be the cause of this phenomenon. Some of their varieties can be viewed through a magnifying glass, but more often they are not visible to the human eye. As a result, eating the juice of the plant, the leaves become dry. Transparent formations may also form.
When white spots appear on the leaves of eggplant, universal specialized preparations can be used:
- Actarra
- Actellik;
- Confidor;
- Tanrek.
Most of the products available on the shelves of specialized stores are sold in the form of chemical solutions and concentrates. They are used for spraying and watering vegetable crops infected with pests, taking into account the available recommendations for use.
Prevention and helpful recommendations
So that spots on the foliage of the plant do not bother the gardener and do not interfere with the planted culture to grow and develop, it is important when choosing seeds to pay attention to varieties resistant to garden diseases. The most popular are:
- Epic F1;
- King of the North F1;
- Dream Gardener.
Dry white spots are often a sign of errors in care, so it is important to pay attention to disinfecting the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and the accuracy of irrigation. Even a few drops of water falling on the leaves of the plant can leave burns on them in the summer. Water the plants should be defended water at room temperature. Fill the plantations only at the root. The frequency of events is determined by the state of the soil.
Special attention is paid to the preparation of soil substrate. If the soil is suitable for the culture, and it feels good in it, this will also affect its resistance to diseases and pests. Possible problems can be avoided by mixing turf soil (3 parts), humus (2 parts) and sand (1 part). To exclude the option of introducing infection, the soil should first be calcined.
Top dressing is carried out every 2 weeks, after the formation of leaves. Used root dressing with a solution of ammonium nitrate (25 g of substance per bucket of water). Mineral compounds are necessary only before flowering. It is also important and proper to organize lighting. It should not be direct. Daylight hours - 12 hours.
Conclusion
The leaves of a fruit crop turn white for various reasons. Such signs appear due to infection of the plant with garden diseases (dry rot, white spotting, etc.) or pests (whiteflies, aphids, etc.), as well as through the gardener's fault. It is possible to cure infected plantations, knowing the cause of the appearance of white formations. In case of problems with care, normalization of agricultural measures will be required, with diseases and pests - the use of specialized tools. With timely assistance to the crop, the chances of saving planted plants are great.
