Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Blooming Brugs, 1 by bettydee

bettydee wrote:
Elizabeth,
It looks more like magnesium deficiency. Check magnesium deficiency in this link:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/quickref/fertili...
In the few times that my Brugs have gotten braodmites, the small leaves and the new growth tip get grossly distorted and thick. Twice, I've had 3 Brugs develop symptoms almost identical to broadmite damage, but I couldn't find any broadmites even with my loupe. Each time it turned out to be a pH and magnesium problem.

Since Forbid is so expensive and overuse can very quickly lead to its resistance by the mites, check the undersideof the affected leaves with a good 10X jeweler's loupe. If you don't find any broadmites, check the soil pH. It should be between 5.8 and 7.0 for good nutrient absorption. It does take a while to correct with additives. Leaching with lots of water helps if the problem is salt related.

What you want to avoid is mite resistance or you will have to go up to a different and possibly stronger miticide. If you have to use Forbid, be sure to repeat the application to get any eggs that hatch and before they have mated and produced more eggs.