African fern pine: Diseases and Remedies (Explained for Everyone)

NOTE: The terms African fern pine and Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior are identical in this text; in reality, Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior is African fern pine’s biological word.

African fern pine is native to eastern Africa and has long, narrow leaves. In appropriate North American climates, it can be used as a landscape tree, but it also accepts hard pruning and is sometimes used for a hedge plant.

Why does my Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior roots have rot?

If left untreated, root rot on your African fern pine (Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior) can be fatal. For this reason, if the symptoms appear, we highly advise that you adhere to our recommendations to keep your plant alive: Blackened and softened roots.
African

Why does my African fern pine have gray mold spots?

A particular fungus that frequently affects flowers and spreads quickly is known as gray mold spots. This fungus is most likely to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. Don’t ignore these signs because doing so could cause your plant to die.

Our Solution

When you understand the root of the issue, the solution makes perfect sense. The majority of the time, it is caused by the Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior being overwatered. We urge you to cut off the infected roots and leaves, remove the affected sections of the plant, and then repot your plant in a fresh container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my African fern pine have leaf spots?

Leaf If your plants exhibit symptoms like rapid color changes in the leaves or leaves that wilt or droop, we give you all the information you need to recognize them and rescue your plants. For owners of African fern pine, this kind of illness is among the most distressing.

Why are my African fern pine leaves turning yellow?

In the world of horticulture, yellowing leaves are undoubtedly the most common problem. The two main causes of this problem are overwatering and a lack of nutrition.

Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:

Here are some signs of yellowing caused by the many deficiencies on the Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior in question:

  • Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
  • Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
  • Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
  • Insufficient potassium causes the leaf edges to turn brilliant yellow while the interior of the leaf stays green. Older leaves show the symptoms initially, and the leaf edges quickly darken.
  • Nitrogen deficiency shows up as a general yellowing. Older, inner leaves turn yellow first. As it progresses, yellowing moves outward, eventually reaching young leaves, too.

Our Solution

You only need to act in accordance with the symptoms listed above. You can address a potassium or nitrogen deficiency by buying a particular soil, and a gardening store consultant will be able to advise you on how to do that. Furthermore, you can also limit how frequently you water your plants.

Is my African fern pine sunburned?

It is quite easy to find out if your African fern pine (Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior) has been burned by the sun. Just like on us, your plant will change color in this case, it will start to turn yellow or white.

Sunburned

The leaves of your African fern pine can also change color in case it gets too much water or not enough light, as we saw above.

However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.

Why are my African fern pine leaves turning brown?

The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.

Should I leave my Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior in direct sunlight?

No! Don’t leave your Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior (or African fern pine) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.

Our Solution

The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s African fern pine out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.

Why are my Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior leaves drooping or wilting ?

In most cases, this happens when your Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior lacks water. This is especially the case for large plants, naturally they need more water than others.

Drooping

Whether your Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior plant’s pot appears light, the soil and roots are likely fairly dry and need water, so you can readily tell if it needs to be hydrated.

Our Solution

If the soil in your plant’s pot is completely dry, you will need to start by moistening it so that the roots will also benefit from the water. A common mistake is to drown the African fern pine right after a dry period thinking that it needs a lot of water.

This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior

Water Occasionally

Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.

The best way to know if your plant needs water or not is to touch the soil, if you feel it is still wet, it is probably a good idea to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

It’s also a good idea to keep your Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior at a constant temperature, especially if it’s kept indoors. In general, at GreenShack, we suggest booking a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, keep your Afrocarpus graciliororPodocarpus gracilior away from radiators, air conditioners, and other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your African fern pine Dust-Free

This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.

For your African fern pine, this would be a true descent into hell, and it would also appease the pests.

To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)

Keep drainage in mind

If you have a tendency to overwater, you should be mindful of your drainage, and if they don’t already have them, we suggest selecting a saucer and a pot with drainage holes.

In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)