Root rot is the leading cause of death in cultivated aloes. It is not a single disease but a collective term for infections caused by several different soil-borne organisms — primarily the oomycetes (water moulds) Pythium and Phytophthora, and the true fungi Fusarium and Rhizoctonia — that attack and destroy the root system of a… Continue reading Aloe Root Rot: Pathogens, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention
Category: pests
Aloe Thrips (Hercinothrips dimidiatus): An Emerging Pest of Aloes in Europe — Identification, Damage and Control
Hercinothrips dimidiatus Hood is a tiny thrips of South African origin that has emerged in the last decade as a serious and spreading pest of cultivated aloes across southern Europe. First detected in Portugal in 2012 on Aloe arborescens, it has since been recorded in Italy (Sicily, 2021), France (Corsica, 2018), the Netherlands (in a… Continue reading Aloe Thrips (Hercinothrips dimidiatus): An Emerging Pest of Aloes in Europe — Identification, Damage and Control
Overwatered Aloe: How to Recognise the Signs, Rescue the Plant and Prevent It from Happening Again
Overwatering kills more aloe plants than drought, frost and pests combined. This is not an exaggeration — aloes evolved in the semi-arid savannas and rocky hillsides of southern and eastern Africa, where their roots experience weeks or months of completely dry soil between infrequent rain events. Their thick, gel-filled leaves are biological water tanks designed… Continue reading Overwatered Aloe: How to Recognise the Signs, Rescue the Plant and Prevent It from Happening Again
Aloe Mite (Aceria aloinis): How to Identify, Treat and Prevent the Most Destructive Alooid Pest
The aloe mite, Aceria aloinis Keifer, is a microscopic eriophyid mite that causes disfiguring gall-like growths on aloes and related succulents — a condition widely known among growers as “aloe cancer.” Unlike mealybugs, scale insects or spider mites, which are visible to the naked eye and attack the surface of the plant, aloe mites are… Continue reading Aloe Mite (Aceria aloinis): How to Identify, Treat and Prevent the Most Destructive Alooid Pest
Jade Plant Dropping Leaves — Why It Happens and How to Fix It
A healthy Crassula ovata (jade plant) should not drop its leaves. When it does, it is telling you something — and the cause is almost always one of six problems, each with a distinct pattern of symptoms that makes diagnosis straightforward once you know what to look for. This guide walks through every common reason a jade… Continue reading Jade Plant Dropping Leaves — Why It Happens and How to Fix It
Cycas Leaves Turning Yellow? How to Fix Iron Chlorosis with Chelated Iron (EDDHA)
Your Cycas is pushing a new flush of leaves — but instead of the deep, glossy green you expected, the fronds emerge pale yellow with only the midribs retaining a faint green. This textbook pattern has a name: iron chlorosis. Widespread wherever cycads meet alkaline soil or hard tap water, this nutrient disorder is entirely correctable — provided… Continue reading Cycas Leaves Turning Yellow? How to Fix Iron Chlorosis with Chelated Iron (EDDHA)
My Pachypodium Is Losing Its Leaves: Causes, Decision Tree & Solutions
You walk past your Pachypodium one morning and notice a leaf on the floor. The next day, two more. By the end of the week, the crown is thinning visibly and you are convinced the plant is dying. This is the single most common moment of panic in Pachypodium ownership — and in the vast majority of cases, the plant… Continue reading My Pachypodium Is Losing Its Leaves: Causes, Decision Tree & Solutions
Pachypodium Pests and Diseases: Diagnosis, Treatment & Rescue Protocols
Pachypodium is a remarkably tough genus. In Madagascar, these plants survive extreme heat, months of total drought, poor soil, and intense UV radiation on bare rock. In your living room, the threats are completely different — and almost all of them come from the grower, not from nature. Overwatering kills more Pachypodium than every pest and pathogen combined.… Continue reading Pachypodium Pests and Diseases: Diagnosis, Treatment & Rescue Protocols
Aphids on yuccas: how to protect and treat your plant
Aphids are among the most common pests found on yuccas grown in the ground or in containers. These small sap-sucking insects congregate on flower stalks, where the soft, nutrient-rich tissues provide ideal feeding conditions. Yucca filamentosa (USDA zones 4–9), Yucca pallida (USDA zones 5–10), Yucca gloriosa (USDA zones 6–11) and Yucca elephantipes (USDA zones 9–12) are the species most commonly affected — their… Continue reading Aphids on yuccas: how to protect and treat your plant
Aloe vera Turning Brown or Yellow? A Complete Diagnosis Guide
Your Aloe vera was green yesterday. Today, something has changed — a leaf is turning yellow, the tips are going brown, or the whole plant looks pale, soft and wrong. You want to know what happened and whether it can be fixed. The good news: colour change in Aloe vera is always a symptom, not a disease. It is the… Continue reading Aloe vera Turning Brown or Yellow? A Complete Diagnosis Guide