Platycerium (Staghorn) Ferns As Epiphytes
Home Intro. 18 Species Site Search About Links Of Interest Site Map Epiphytes Contact Nursery Forum Cultivating Site Map Platycerium Ferns Catalogue USA Catalogue International Platycerium Cultivation Platycerium Fern Pest Site/Catalogue Update Copyright Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions
Pest Home Scale Pest Human Pest Ant Pest Natures Forces Pest Miscellaneous Pest
Prehistoric Platycerium Fern , Fungus And Mold Pest
Black Sooty Mold Pest
This Type Of Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Pest Is Not Harmful To Your Platycerium Ferns , But Is Very Unsightly And Will Not Require The Use Of A Fungicide To Control . This Fungus Mold Is Always Present , Within The Air And Cultivates On The Sweet Sticky Solution Secreted By Scale Insects .
As Scale Pest Releases Its Sweet Sticky Solution The Mold Pest , Within The Air Begins Settling Upon It Within A Few Hours And Begins Cultivating . You Are Unable To See This Mold With The Naked Eye , When Its First Forming But After The Mold Has Cultivated For Awhile And Matured At That Time The Mold Turns A Black Sooty Color And Can Be Noticed .
Control Solution - Remove All Scale Insects With The Scale Removal Solution For Removing Scale Insects . Wet The Infected Area With Fresh Water , Wait A Minute Or Two For The Water To Soak Into The Mold And Wipe The Black Sooty Mold Off With An Old Wash Cloth And Allow To Dry .
Putting A Control Solution In Place , For Scale , Will Also Control This Black Sooty Mold Which Attacks Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns . The Less Scale That Is Present Means Less Black Sooty Mold .
Fungus Pest
Fungus Usually Attacks The Growing Medium That A Platycerium Fern Is Mounted With . There Are Usually (Two) Types A Light Green Color Of Fungus And A Dark Green Almost Black Colored Fungus .
Light Green Fungus - This Light Green Colored Fungus Causes No Harm To Your Prehistoric Platycerium Fern . The Species Enjoys This Fungus Because It Draws Nutrients From It For Its Survival Which Can Not Be Received , From Man Made Products .
Dark Green Fungus - This Type Of Fungus Is Not Good For Prehistoric Platycerium Fern And Also Produces Another Pest . With This Fungus A Fungicide Must Be Used Along With Fresh Air For Its Control .
The Fungus Cultivates Within The Growing Medium Of Platycerium Ferns That Do Not Have Good Or Excellent Air Circulation Around Them , Not Being Able To Dry Back Fast Enough Or The Humidity Being To High Which Causes A Slow Dry Back Time For The Species . When This Platycerium Fern Pest Arrives It Also Brings Along With It Another Pest Known As (Fungus Nat's) . These Pest Make A Nest Or Home Within The Growing Medium And Begin Laying Their Eggs . Then The Pest Begin Feeding At A Built In Grocery Store , Which Is The Young Tender Roots Of The Species .
Control Solution - The Platycerium Fern Species Must Be Isolated From All Other Species . Moving The Species Outside Is Best If It Is Located Within A Greenhouse , Because This Allows The Species To Receive Fresh Natural Air To Dry Back . Fungus Nat's Will Die When There Is Nothing Around That Is Damp For Them To Survive In . To Control The Dark Green Fungus And Also (Kill) The Fungus Nat's And Their Eggs , While Wearing Chemical Gloves , Mix A Solution Of Fungicide At (1/2) Teaspoon Per (1) Gallon Of Water . Then Find A Pale Large Enough To Submerge The Species In , If Small Or Pour The Solution On The Growing Medium If Large . Make Sure The Growing Medium Is Completely Wet , Not Just Damp , With The Solution And Allow The Medium To Dry Back . The Fresh Air And Drying Back (Kills) The Fungus Nat's And The Fungicide Solution (Kills) The Fungus .
This Task Must Be Repeated (5) To (6) Times Or Until The Dark Green Fungus Is No Longer Active . Take A Look At The Cultivating Area Where The Infected Species Was Found And See If It Requires More Air Movement If So Add Another Fan For , That Area . Also Check Your Humidity Level , Because High Humidity With A Small Amount Of Air Movement Is Not Good For Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns . There Must Be A Balance Between These Two Cultivating Needs , So One Can Not Out Weigh The Other .
Madagascar Tropicals A Platycerium Fern Nursery
Altadena , California - Los Angeles County , USA (626)-791-3600
© Madagascar Tropicals