Why do rhubarb leaves turn red: diseases and pests and their control measures

Rhubarb is a plant that does not require special care and can adapt well to various conditions. Therefore, it can be found not only in gardens and orchards, but also in natural conditions. Of course, a cultivated plant is different from its "wild" counterpart. It has a more pronounced taste, grows better. But at the same time, it suffers much more from pests. Gardeners even identify individual diseases typical of rhubarb.

Rhubarb diseases

Like all crops of the buckwheat family, rhubarb thrives in soils of varying composition and is largely unmaintained.

Some unfavorable conditions - high air and soil humidity, frequent lawn mowing - can cause it to slow down its growth and even lead to disease.

The two most common rhubarb diseases identified.

Ascochitosis buckwheat

Ascochitosis damaged leaves are easily recognizable by large ocher spots. They dry out the mass of the plant, destroy its structure. As a result, previously he althy shoots begin to crumble and fade prematurely.

Rhubarb ramulariasis

You can recognize this disease by the following symptoms:

Brick red spots form on leaves;
Affected areas increase in size, spread over the surface of the leaves. Inside they turn gray, while their border becomes brightly colored;
The dried parts of the plant die off, and the petioles become stiff and covered with an inconspicuous gray coating.

Rhubarb pests

Rhubarb is not only planted by gardeners on their plots. Gardeners also appreciate this plant, for its juicy, bright color, pleasant leaf shape, forming a neat rosette.

Unfortunately, many garden pests tend to spoil their appearance:

sorrel leaf beetle;
potato scoop;
weevil.

How to deal with diseases and pests?

To combat the causative agent of ascochitosis, fungicides are effectively used: Bordeaux liquid 1%. Sometimes treatment requires re-treatment after one and a half to two weeks.

Severely affected leaves and cuttings are recommended to be removed, and the places where they are cut should be treated with crushed coal.

It makes sense to fight against ramulariasis only at the very beginning of its development. To do this, growing leaves are treated with a solution of an Energen-type agent that can prevent the reproduction of pathogenic flora.

If the disease has a progressive form, then it is impossible to fight it. It remains only to save what is left. To do this, diseased leaves and cuttings are removed, the earth is well loosened and wood ash and top dressing are introduced.

Many gardeners offer extremely radical solutions as a pest control measure: removing the leaves of the plant and loosening the soil extensively. Others advise not to rush to "weeding" and to start with a treatment with 40% phosphamide. It should be done twice: before flowering and after it.

What to do if rhubarb leaves turn red?

Change in the natural color of any representative of the flora indicates that its development is not going as it should. In the case of rhubarb, redness of its shoots and leaf surface indicates the appearance of fungal microorganisms. And if you do not give them a fight in a timely manner, the plant will dry out, and the soil under it will be infected for a long time.

In order to prevent pathogenic flora from multiplying, it is necessary to act boldly and quickly. To begin with, the bush can be treated with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Phytosporin is also suitable.

If this does not help, the affected parts of the plant must be removed and burned. The land under planting must be well loosened and fertilized.

Why do rhubarb leaves turn yellow?

Changing the color of rhubarb leaves from green to yellow or red does not necessarily indicate fungal infection. The reason may be the lack of useful elements caused by the following factors:

Unfavorable weather conditions such as cold or excessively wet spring.
Crop growth too fast due to over-fertilization or natural events.
Weakness, insufficient development of the rhizome.

In any case, the situation can be corrected if nitrogen fertilizers are applied in time. You can also use a solution of ammonium nitrate. To prepare 10 liters of top dressing, 2 matchboxes of the substance are enough.