For a long time it just looked beautiful with its sunny yellow flower balls. Now its appearance is losing its vitality as brown spots have spread on the leaves. What could be behind it and how can we help the ranunculus bush now?
What causes brown spots on the ranunculus bush and how can you fix it?
Brown spots on ranunculus leaves can be caused by disease, poor location or improper care. This can be remedied by removing affected areas, adjusting the location, substrate or nutrient balance, and avoiding moisture in the root area.
Possible cause 1: Diseases
Ranunculus bushes are considered robust and not very susceptible to diseases. However, these trees are not 100% immune to fungal and viral diseases. For example, leaf spot disease can occur. This manifests itself in brown spots on the leaves.
If you can trace the brown spots to a fungal pathogen, you should cut off the affected areas with clean wood scissors and dispose of them. Any discolored leaves are also discarded. If necessary, you can use an appropriate fungicide if cutting does not help.
Possible cause 2: Adverse location
Too strong sunlight, especially at midday, can be bad for a ranunculus bush. It is therefore advisable to plant this tree in a sunny location, ideally in a protected location.
The wrong substrate can also be the cause of brown spots on the leaves. Is it too wet? Too condensed? Too chalky? It should have the following features to prevent stains:
- permeable
- slightly sour to neutral
- calcareous
- sandy-loamy
- moderately humid
Possible cause 3: Poor care
Have you perhaps overfertilized your ranunculus bush? Or could it be that it is lacking nutrients? Brown spots can be an indication of an unsuitable nutrient balance. If there is a nutrient deficiency, you can act quickly by providing the ranunculus bush with compost or another organic fertilizer. If you over-fertilize, you should move the plant before it dies completely!
Even if the shrub suffers from moisture, its leaves can change color and acquire brown spots. The wetness in the root area often leads to rot. The roots slowly die off, the leaves are no longer properly supplied with nutrients, change color, dry out and eventually fall off.
Tip
Watch your ranunculus bush! Brown spots on the leaves are often just a temporary phenomenon caused by moving or stress.
