Sap-sucking mealybugs can infest agapanthus, the first signs being distorted and dying leaves. Mealybugs are small insects that are covered in a powdery substance that looks like a fungus. They will hide deep down in the base of the plant which can make them difficult to treat.
Also known as Botrytis blight, the dreaded gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) is a potentially devastating disease, typically appearing when the weather is cool and humid. It usually only affects agapanthus plants that are in shady locations and those that are overwatered, or planted in soil that doesn't drain well.
spray with eco-neem or eco-oil making sure the spray gets into the crevices and leaf folds where mealybugs congregate. A follow up spray is usually required a week later. release Linda (cryptolaemus ladybeetle) onto infested plants and watch the mealybugs get eaten up!
Although agapanthus do well here and are popular, they do not like it when temperatures reach the 90s. This causes dieback of the leaves – the tips of the leaves turn yellow, then brown. It doesn't look good, but they will recover. Other plants and even shrubs and trees may show scorched leaf edges.
Agapanthus gall midge is a tiny fly that lays eggs on the developing flower buds of Agapanthus. The feeding activities of the larvae inside the buds cause abnormal bud development and infested buds usually fail to open.
When you see dead leaves, dormant stems, or brown parts of leaves, cut them away. It's fine to pluck dead leaves or stems with your hands when possible, just don't pull too hard, or you may damage the healthy part of your plant. For tougher stems or to remove brown leaf tips and edges, use scissors or pruning shears.
Fertilizer. Since agapanthus plants are frequent bloomers, it's a good idea to fertilize them twice a year—in early spring and again two months later. Give them a balanced granular fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or one slightly higher in phosphorus than nitrogen to keep the blooms going all season long.
Avoid fertilizing your Agapanthus plants with high nitrogen fertilizers - use instead a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 5-5-5, or slightly higher in phosphorus than nitrogen. Suspend any fertilizer to either potted or in-ground plants by late summer.
If you want the best success with fertilizing your agapanthus then use several different kinds. Rotate these fertilizers throughout the year for the best success. If you would like to use alternatives to commercial fertilizer then purchase Kelp Meal, Alfalfa Meal, or Epsom Salt.
Take 1 ounce of apple cider vinegar and mix it with 2-3 ounces of water. Pour this liquid into a garden sprayer and spray in the evening. Apple cider vinegar stops the molting process of mealybugs, and will also help to kill the majority of pests on the plants.
Homemade dish soap spray - Soap will suffocate mealybugs. Combine 1 tablespoon of dish soap with a quart of water and spray down your plant. Test the spray on one leaf before applying to the rest, and repeat every few days as needed.
Mealybugs have pinkish-purple bodies but often appear white or light gray once they cover themselves in a cotton-like wax. They vary in size from 1/20 - 1/5 of an inch long. Their oval-shaped bodies look like they have many legs around them, but this is actually part of their protective waxy coating.
The best method to remove the mold is to soak affected plants in a water and detergent mixture. Use 1 tablespoon of household liquid detergent per gallon of water and spray it on the plants. Wait 15 minutes, then wash the detergent solution off with a strong stream of water.
Agapanthus plants benefit from regular deadheading, which helps them conserve energy. Simply remove the entire flower stem once the blooms have faded.
Once honeydew-producing insect numbers are reduced, honeydew production will lessen, and sooty mold will gradually decrease. It can be difficult to eliminate the fungal disease, but sooty mold can be washed off plants and surfaces with a strong stream of water or soap and water.
Give agapanthus lots of sun, plus extra water when its really hot and dry and they'll bloom abundantly. Agapanthus plants that fail to flower are usually growing in too much shade. While they grow with little care, agapanthus plants respond to an application of fertiliser or composted manure in spring.
It is a perennial plant that can live for up to 75 years. Its evergreen leaves are 2 cm wide and 50 cm long. Its inflorescence is an umbel. The flowers are blue, purple or white and bloom from late spring to summer, followed by capsules filled with black seeds.
Water: Benefits from regular watering. Soil: Well-drained soil. Improve soil with soil conditioner or cow manure when planting.
Feeding Agapanthus
As a general rule of thumb, use liquid fertilisers in Autumn and slow release fertilisers in Spring. Many agapanthus cultivars do not grow much over winter and fertilising at this time of year would be less effective.
Fertilizer. Being such a hardy plant, Agapanthus need minimal amounts of fertilizer for general growth. Applying some dynamic lifter or manure around the base of the plant will encourage strong growth and longer flowering.
When plants have too little water, leaves turn brown and wilt. This also occurs when plants have too much water. The biggest difference between the two is that too little water will result in your plant's leaves feeling dry and crispy to the touch while too much water results in soft and limp leaves.
The brown leaf tips will not turn back to green but you can trim the brown edges to get the plant back to looking healthy. Find out more here. If your are noticing brown patches all over the leaves, this could also be a sign of overwatering.
Although browning on the foliage can happen for a number of reasons, the most likely causes are the way you're watering, the amount of humidity around the plant, and too much fertilizer in the potting soil.