Dusty miller typically dies due to overwatering, underwatering, excessive heat, or root rot diseases. Maintain even soil moisture, provide some shade in hot climates, improve drainage, and treat disease issues promptly.
Dusty miller, also called the Silver ragwort is a beautiful plant with dusty leaves. The leaves look like they are covered in silver-colored dust, that’s why the name.
The blooms of the plant are yellow in color. This plant is a great addition to any garden owing to its silvery appearance.
Dusty miller is a hardy plant that can tolerate drought conditions. The plant is also highly resistant to many pests.
Dusty miller leaves curling
Dusty miller leaves curling can be caused by insufficient water, high temperatures, bright sunlight, pests, diseases, or age of the plant. Maintain even soil moisture, provide shade, control pests and diseases, and remove old growth.
Leaves on dusty miller curling under or becoming distorted is typically a sign of environmental stress. Insufficient water during hot, dry periods will cause foliage to shrivel and curl.
Allowing the soil to completely dry out between waterings can trigger this. Apply deep watering when the top inch of soil becomes dry.
Intense sunlight, especially in hot climates, can also cause leaf curling. Provide some shade from the afternoon sun or plant in part sun areas. High temperatures above 85°F will rapidly distort growth.
Pests like spider mites, aphids, or thrips can affect leaves as well. Check for signs of infestation and apply insecticidal soap if needed.
Fungal leaf spot diseases may also lead to curling. Remove and destroy affected foliage. Older inner leaves naturally curl and degrade over time. Prune these if unsightly while maintaining proper growing conditions.
Aphids on Dusty Miller
Aphids are the most common pests of Dusty miller, the plant is hardy to many other pests.
Aphids not only cause curling in the leaves of Dusty miller, a severe infestation may also lead to defoliation. Identifying aphids early is crucial.
Aphids suck the sap from the plant as a result the plant gets stunted. Aphids also carry other diseases with them, for ex. Powdery mildew.
How to get rid of aphids on Dusty miller
You need to get rid of aphids on Dusty miller as soon as possible. There are various ways to do it.
- Hand-pick these pests if there are only few on the plant. Rubbing them off with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol works wonders too.
- Spraying the infected plant parts with a water spray helps to get rid of the aphids too.
- AzaMax is a natural product that works effectively to control aphids. Neem oil and Insecticidal soap can get rid of aphid infestations too.
Why is my Dusty miller turning green?
Dusty miller turning green is usually caused by insufficient sunlight. The white foliage requires full sun exposure to maintain the desired silvery-gray color. Provide at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.
Does Dusty Miller need full sun?
Give your Dusty miller at least 5 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. Dusty miller also survives partial shade but they won’t tolerate shady conditions.
The plant turns gray-green in shade and will not reach its full height. The plant also turns green when the humidity is high.
The plant will come back to itself once the humidity returns to normal.
Dusty miller turning black
Dusty miller turns black when the temperatures rise wildly. This usually happens in the summer, the plant turns dark green/black.
This happens in the afternoon hours. Almost all the Dusty miller plants do this in the summer. They thrive only in the other seasons.
Your Dusty miller plant will come back to life once the temperatures fall. Prune your Dusty miller carefully and it will bounce right back.
Why is my Dusty Miller wilting?
Dusty Miller wilts due to improper watering. Both overwatering and underwatering cause wilting in the Dusty Miller plant.
Overwatering causes Phytophthora root rot in Dusty miller. Such root rotten plant’s leaves turn yellow and wilt. You need to avoid overwatering the plant.
Underwatering also causes wilting in Dusty miller plants but the leaves are dry and droopy. Overwatered plant’s leaves wilt too but are soft to touch.
Make sure the soil is well-draining. If the soil doesn’t drain excess water efficiently, it leads to waterlogged conditions.
How often should I water my Dusty Miller?
Water your Dusty miller only when the soil is dry up to 2-3 inches. Check the soil with your fingers if needed.
Watering once a week is enough for Dusty miller plants. If the plant is suffering from root rot, dispose of the plant carefully. Waterlogged conditions are the main cause of root rot.
Powdery layer on Dusty miller leaves
If you are seeing a powdery layer on your Dusty miller leaves, it is because of a fungal disease called Powdery mildew.
Powdery mildew disease infects those plants whose leaves are wet for a long time. Undersides of the infected plant leaves are covered in white, powdery spots.
Water your plants properly and do not wet the leaves when you water your Dusty miller. Wet leaves help the development of Powdery mildew.
Try to increase the air circulation around the plants. Plant the susceptible plants in a place with abundant sunlight.
To treat Powdery mildew in Dust miller
- Spraying Neem oil on the infected plant not only cures the disease but prevents future fungal infections.
- Milk spraying your plant helps to prevent this disease.
Happy Growing 🙂