Purple Waffle plant dies mainly due to underwatering. Purple Waffle plants could also die due to Downy Mildew. The leaves of the Purple Waffle plant wilt when it doesn’t get adequate water.
Purple waffle plants are unique plants. The plant is also called Red Ivy. The leaves are deeply puckered and thus have increased surface area.
With this increased surface area it’s able to purify a lot of air indoors. That’s why it is popular as an indoor plant.
Many indoor gardeners reach out to me, they say their purple waffle is dying and they can’t help it.
There are many issues that bother a Purple waffle plant. Leaf drooping and yellowing are the two common diseases/disorders that are seen in purple waffles.
Why is my Purple Waffle plant wilting(drooping)?
Purple Waffle plant leaves wilt when it doesn’t get adequate water. Overfertilizing also leads to a droopy Purple Waffle plant.
Watering
Your purple waffle plant is wise. It communicates well with the gardener. It will let you know when it needs some water.
Don’t panic if it looks completely limp and wilted. Water it well and it will be back in shape in no time!
Solution: Water it once in a couple of days. Check the top inch of the soil and make sure it’s moist enough. Keep the soil around your purple waffle plant moist(not soggy), and mist the plant often.
Overfertilizing
This is the most common reason why the plant droops. Make sure you fertilize the plant only when needed.
Overfertilizing causes the plant to become weak, and grow slowly. The plant will lose its beauty and fails to blossom. Sometimes white spots are seen on the leaves of this plant.
Solution: Use demineralized water if you don’t wanna see white spots on the leaves.
Ceramic pots
If the plant is grown in ceramic pots, this might be the reason why the plant becomes weak.
Purple waffle plant loves moisture. Ceramic pots fail to retain water. This is probably the reason why this happens.
Solution: Move the plant to a regular pot from the ceramic pot.
Pests
Insects like Scale, Whiteflies, and Mealybugs can infest Purple Waffle plants. These pests suck the plant sap through the leaves.
Solutions
- Scale insects need to be scraped off the Purple Waffle Plant.
- Use a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol to wipe Mealybugs off the plant.
- Whiteflies can be eliminated by rinsing the affected branches of the plant.
Are your Purple waffle plant leaves turning yellow?
Purple Waffle plant leaves turn yellow when the plant suffers from Downy Mildew. Purple Waffle leaves also turn yellow due to sun scorching.
Downy mildew
Downy mildew is commonly found in plants that are grown in greenhouses. It can also be seen in indoor plants or garden plants.
The disease spreads to other plants rapidly so it’s crucial to identify the disease early. You may then isolate the plants that show the symptoms.
It is seen in cold, wet conditions. The symptoms of Downy mildew are the yellowing of leaves, mottled appearance, stunted growth, and loss of flowers and fruits.
Stunted growth
Plants affected with Downy mildew become very weak and susceptible to other diseases. The plant will eventually die if left untreated.
Downy mildew may often be confused with other infections. However, it is named after the symptom so it wouldn’t be that hard to diagnose the disease.
Plants infected with Downy mildew have grey, brown, or purple fungus on the underside of the foliage. This disease spreads via wind, insects, and water.
How to deal with Downy Mildew?
Preventing Downy mildew is ideal. You wouldn’t want to deal with it.
It is caused when there is excess moisture in the plant’s environment. So, make sure you are not overwatering your purple waffles.
Prevention
Ensure the soil or the containers of the plants offer good drainage. Water the base of the plant instead of showering the leaves.
Give the plant enough air circulation by spacing them well apart and pruning them when needed.
Gardeners should keep the garden beds clean and devoid of any dead leaves. Dead leaves harbor fungus.
Using an organic mulch prevents Downy mildew disease as it ventilates the soil but prevents the water from splashing onto other plants.
Treatment
You can spray fungicides to prevent a fungal infection. Fungicides can also be used to treat the infection if it’s spotted early.
If the infection is severe, it’s better to dispose of the infected plants. Do not add these infected plant parts into your compost mix.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are commonly seen in plants that are grown in greenhouses. But, they can also be seen in indoor plants in some cases.
These flightless bugs are white, cream, tan, or brown in color and appear like specks of cotton.
Affected plants have curled leaves or yellow coloration is seen in the foliage. Areas, where insects are feeding, may become sticky.
Damage caused by these pesky pests may seem minimal, but it can prove fatal to the plant.
How to get rid of Mealybugs?
Getting rid of Mealybugs is crucial if you want your plant to thrive. There are various ways to successfully get rid of Mealybugs.
Manual & Biological Control
Gardeners can adopt biological control methods and treat the affected plants with predators such as ladybugs, lacewings, and mealybug destroyers.
The second method is, shooting water at the affected plants to dislodge the mealybugs. This is effective if done a couple of times.
You can wipe the remaining insects off using a Q-tip dipped in Rubbing Alcohol.
Organic Spray
Mealybugs can be killed efficiently by spraying Neem oil or Horticulture oils. You can make Neem oil at home if you follow this method.
Take a liter of warm water, three to four drops of dish soap, and 1 teaspoon of Neem oil and mix them well.
Spray this mixture twice a week. You’ll see visible results in a couple of weeks depending on the severity of the infection.
Caution: Be careful when spraying this mixture on the plants as this mixture would also kill beneficial insects.
How do you revive a purple waffle plant?
Even if you get rid of any infection, your purple waffle becomes very weak due to the infestation. You need to take extra care of it.
- Water it regularly, once in a couple of days. Check the top inch of the soil for moisture.
- Don’t grow the plant in a ceramic pot.
- Keep your garden beds/pots clean and devoid of dead leaves. This paves the way for infestations.
- Watch out for pests and if you see any signs, act immediately, and try to deter the pests’ growth.
- Make sure the plant gets abundant indirect light, light is very important for the coloration of the leaves. Do not put it in direct sunlight, it may get sun-stressed.
That’s all folks!
Happy gardening 🙂