From our perspective, fungal infections are a primary concern as they attack our very foundation. The pathogen *Stagonospora curtisii* causes Red Blotch (or Leaf Scorch). It manifests as red, spots, or elongated streaks on our leaves, flower stalks, and even our bulbs. These lesions can weaken us, causing our leaves to become deformed and our flower stalks to bend or break. Bulb Rot, often caused by overwatering, is even more dire. It attacks our bulb, our storage organ, turning it soft, brown, and mushy. This rot can quickly become fatal if it reaches our basal plate, the core of our being from which our roots grow.
We find sap-sucking insects particularly draining. Mealybugs appear as small, white, cottony masses in the crevices between our leaves and at our base. They pierce our tissues to feed, stealing our vital sap and excreting sticky honeydew. This honeydew then encourages sooty mold to grow, which further blocks sunlight from our leaves, hindering our photosynthesis. Similarly, Aphids, often green or black, cluster on the undersides of our young leaves and emerging flower buds. Their feeding can stunt our growth and cause our leaves to curl and yellow, depleting our energy reserves.
Our first plea is for proper cultural care, as prevention is the best medicine. Ensure we are planted in well-draining soil and a pot with drainage holes to prevent water from pooling around our bulb, which invites fungal diseases. Water us at the soil level, keeping our leaves and neck dry. If you spot pests, immediate physical removal is highly effective. For mealybugs, dabbing them with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol dissolves their protective waxy coating. A strong spray of water can dislodge aphids from our leaves. Always remove and destroy any severely infected or rotting plant material to prevent the spread of disease.
When infestations or infections are severe, we may require further intervention. For persistent pest problems, insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils are effective treatments that suffocate the insects without causing us excessive harm. For a fungal outbreak like Red Blotch, a systemic fungicide containing thiophanate-methyl can be applied according to label instructions; it is absorbed by our system to protect us from the inside out. In cases of Bulb Rot, you must act surgically. Unpot us, remove all the soft, affected tissue with a sterile knife, and dust the wounds with a fungicide powder before repotting us in fresh, dry medium.
