Fungicide Safe For Succulents | DIY organic fungicide !!

Succulents are low maintenance plants that require very little attention and are very easy to grow in your garden. But that does not mean that you don’t have to take care of them at all, succulents need a bit of care and attention and if you are not able to do that then these tiny plants are prone to get affected by fungal infections.

Fungal infection is one of the common diseases in plants but fungal attacks are so dangerous that they might kill your succulents if not taken care of. Now the question arises how you should save them if the plant is already infected by fungi. 

“Yes, the obvious answer is to use fungicides of course to save succulents. Fungicides are used to treat the fungus and to stop the spread of infection but they cannot undo the damage.” 

What are the best fungicides for succulents? Should you use homemade fungicides or chemical fungicides? Let’s answer everything you are looking for in this article. 

Best Fungicide For Succulents:

Before getting in-depth let’s quickly get to know the best fungicides for succulents that will save your succulents from infection. These fungicides have the best results and are both homemade as well as chemical ones. 

1. Copper Fungicide 
2. Neem oil Fungicide
3. Sulfur Fungicide
4. Bonide Copper Fungicide Dust ( Buy it from Amazon )
5. Monterey Neem Oil  ( Buy it from Amazon )

These are the five best fungicides which I think are the best cure for infected succulents Although they will just cure the infected part it is always preferred to take care of the plant on regular basis.

Homemade Fungicide For Succulents

It is always good to use organic and homemade fungicide for succulents. I usually prefer these over chemical ones because of the obvious reasons that chemicals might harm these beautiful succulents that already are in trouble. I have found excellent results by using this I hope you might benefit from it too. So here is my DIY fungicide for succulents.

Things you need for preparing it.

1. Spray Bottle
2. Baking Soda
3. Oil (Cooking or Neem)
4. Dishwashing soap ( Eco Friendly)
5. Water (500 ml)
6. A mug

Now that you have gathered all of the required stuff let’s make a perfect homemade fungicide for succulents.

Step 1

Firstly take a mug and pour water into it make sure that you take 500 ml of water in a mug. 

Step 2

Now add 1 spoon of Baking soda (if the infection is only on the leaves) or take 2 spoons if the whole plant is infected and pour in the water. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate that fights infection and stops the spread.

Step 3

Now add 1 spoon of oil to the mixture. 

Take any oil be it cooking oil or neem oil you can take whichever you have. Generally, neem oil is the one that is the most expensive. But that does not matter cooking oil will also do the job. The oil will help to stick the baking soda n the leaves

Step 4

Add little dishwashing soap or detergent to the mixture

Make sure that it is eco-friendly because other dishwashing soap or detergent can harm the succulents as they contain harmful chemicals. Generally, as we know oil and water do not mix by adding dishwashing soap will help the oil and water to mix. 

Step 5

Now stir the mixture for 2-3 minutes and make sure everything gets dissolved properly.

Pour the mixture into the spray bottle and screw the cap tightly and shake well. Now your homemade fungicide is ready to use. Make sure to shake the fungicide every time before spraying them on plants.

It’s as simple and quick to try it by yourself. I never use any other fungicides that are purely organic and give the best possible results.

How To Apply Fungicides On Succulents?

Now that you have a fungicide be it a homemade or ready-made one the main question is how to apply them on succulents? Well, the answer is very simple. Just pour (homemade) the fungicide into a spray bottle and close the cap of the bottle tightly. And for copper fungicides mix 0.5 to 1.5 oz per gallon of water.

Then make sure to shake the bottle properly so that every ingredient is mixed properly. Then start directly spraying the fungicide on the succulents First spray it on the infected area once you are done with it then spray it all over the succulent.

Now that you have applied fungicides on the plants, place them in a certain area where you have proper air circulation and a good amount of sunlight. Apply fungicides once every 7 days to get the best results.

Why Do Fungal Infections Occur?

The main reason for fungal infection in succulents is that they are not taken care of properly. Succulents should be kept in ventilated spaces where there is a lot of air circulation. That will avoid humidity which is another factor that causes fungal infections.

Succulents mostly catch fungal infections in the rainy and humid climate. There are a variety of infections but mostly it starts when the succulent has mealybugs infestation on it. What mealybugs do is exhibit a sweet substance called honeydew which eventually results in a type of fungal infection called sooty mold. 

Therefore as soon as you notice mealybugs on your succulents take immediate action. If you want to know more about it visit How to save succulents from mealybugs?

Types Of Fungal Infections:

Generally, fungal infection is caused due to change in climatic conditions of succulents such as if the humidity increases then the moisture on the plant invites fungus. There are various types of infections as mentioned below I hope it will help you diagnose what kind of infection your plant has and then help you treat accordingly.

1. Sooty Mold

Sooty mold is a type of fungal infection that is caused due to the sweet substance called honeydew exhibited by insects such as mealybugs on the plants. That feeds the fungus and helps them to multiply and perform photosynthesis. Sooty mold is also called “Black mold”. 

This fungal infection is less harmful but still manages to damage the plant enough. It is essential to treat the infection with the help of fungicides as soon as you notice it.

2. Grey Mold

Grey mold is another type of infection that occurs due to wet and cold climates usually in spring. This occurs on the surface of the leaves and flowers therefore it is very easy to identify. The damage is mainly done on the old and dying part of the plant. 

Grey mold is also called “Botrytis cinerea” and it is found in a “greyish” color on the site. It spreads rapidly on the old damaged part of the plants so it is advised to take immediate action as soon as you spot it.

3.Root and Crown Rot

Root and Crown rot is one of the most difficult infections to identify. It does not have any specific symptoms and as it starts from the roots we can’t notice it. This infection starts from the soil to the roots and then moves upwards. 

The only solution for this infection is to place your succulents in well-drained soil and to water them frequently. Do not overwater your succulents as that may also lead to root rot. 

4. Leaf Spots

Leaf spots are the most harmless infections but once succulents catch them they spread very quickly to other plants and eventually will end up infecting your garden. It will have a very poor impact on the appearance of the succulents by leaving spots and stippling over the plant. 

5. Anthracnose

Anthracnose is a type of fungal infection that harms the succulents and spreads quite easily to other plants. This can be identified if a succulent gets moist rot in red-orange color and that spreads quite rapidly on the leaves and crowns. 

The cause of this infection can be contaminated soil and pot. To avoid this infection do not reuse potting soil and also use clean and sanitized pots for succulents.

6. Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium Wilt is a type of fungal infection that chokes your succulents to death. In this type of infection succulent stops absorbing water and due to this plants starts wilting and turns yellowish in color. 

This fungus starts with roots and eventually spread inside the plants and will block tissues. You can identify the fusarium wilt by cutting the leaves and checking if there are any brown streaks. 

How To Choose The Right Fungicide For Succulents?

Before you buy a fungicide it is very important to diagnose what kind of infection your succulent has. Once you know the type of fungal infection then it is important to take note of the plant can be saved by homemade fungicide or will it need a readymade fungicide.

Homemade fungicides are generally used for mild infections that do not cause much harm to succulents but if your plant catches harmful fungal infection then it is recommended to get chemical fungicides. 

Check Instructions:

While using chemical fungicides it is important to check all the instructions before using them. Take the fungicides as mentioned on the label and in proper proportion. Check the ingredients on the label remember do not use the fungicide that has too many chemicals as that will harm your beautiful succulents.

Final Words!

It is very important to take care of your beautiful succulents. They do not need much care but frequent checks are important. Fungicides are used just for stoping the infections they will not cure the damage caused by infection.

These tiny plants are very attractive and beautiful so we do not want them to get any type of spots to make sure to have proper spraying of fungicides to keep them healthy and beautiful.

Finally, I hope you got the answer you were looking for if you have any query make sure to comment below I will get back to you as soon as possible. Till then keep growing beautiful succulents.

Happy Planting!!

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