Mid Atlantic Tropicals

Holly---

The Croton is such an overlooked plant for containers! Instant accent plant! Amazing color spectrum.

Inner Harbor here has them outside a couple of restaurants. All lined up with the green Sweet Potato Vine
around the edges. MAN! How awesomely that compliments the Crouton--and v. v.

ANYTHING goes with their colors!!!

Gita that sounds beautiful. I have been wanting to ask you about spraying Neem on your outside plants. Are the plants you spray in the shade or out in the sun? Do you have trouble with sunburn on the plants after spraying? If you spray in the evening would it be OK for them to be in the sun the next day?
Here is one of the Calla Lilies. They aren't very strong and have to be supported. I have about 4 blooms and they all need support. Is anyone else having this issue with their Callas?

Holy---

I am NOT one to ask about NEEM. We have been talking about it on the Epson Salts Thread.

Please go there. I just posted pictures of my chewed up Butterfly Bushes.
Overnight--or so it seems--the Spider Mites do their damage. I am so frustrated.....

Do you think sun or shade makes a difference??? I KNOW it has been dry and hot--the favorite
environment of Spider Mites. My Butterfly Bushes are destroyed!
They are at 2 corners of my "YUK" bed--so there is a lot of issues re health and thriving of any plants
in this bed. BUT--The Mites get then every year!!!!

Do Spider Mites overwinter in the soil? On the plants? How are they always "right there"
when the bushes are about to bloom???

I think I need some kind of massive spraying every 2 weeks or so to head these off.

Any suggestions from anyone?????? LOOK! This is pathetic!!!

Holy cow!! No idea how to help you though, sorry dear!

I see Gita, I knew you were spraying Neem and I would like to put it on a few of my tropicals. But Neem Oil should not be used in the sun it can cause sunburn on the plants. So I was wondering how you were applying it and how it was working for you. I was wondering if you applied it in the evening would it still be an issue the next day if sunny. I use it on my house plants but only on cloudy days or I pull the shades until the next day. Does anyone else use Neem on outside plants.

Anything with oil has to be used earlier in the season(or in the fall), can't be used in this sunny hot weather

FlowAjen, Is that true even if you don't spray during the middle of the day?

Oh Gita, my butterfly bush looks exactly like yours right now. I tried neem once but it didn't seem to help. I'm sure one application is not enough to do much, but it's just too hot to use it now.

I planted sweet potato vines with my tropicals because I love that look, but the SP is taking over! Do any of you have this issue? Can you be ruthless in trimming it away?

I'm trying out a dwarf meyer lemon tree. Is that considered a tropical?

Cut the ends of the swet potatos, they ought to just bush out. Sweet potato leaves are edible but I don't think the flavor is anything special.
I'd say yes for your lemon, what the heck. A friend had one going for some years against all odds I must say, and had fruit. I have a seedling from one of the fruits. It is thornless so I am hoping it came true to the parent. The flowers smell wonderful, I think all citrus do.
I have a Strelitzia that coleup generously gifted to me - or did she just get tired of the winter care? That's OK! I like trying different things. It's added a leaf.

Guilty as charged!
Glad you mentioned it. I was going to re-apply Neem again today....

I sprayed all the plants in the daytime...even my Brugs and tomatoes.
Now I just have to hope that they will be OK.
Since I have NEVER had any good luck with the B-Bushes---I really am not overly upset.
Will sprinkle a good amount of Systemic Granules around the base and water it in.
Should have done that in the spring....Next year.....

If, somewhere, it was discussed about NOT using NEEM in the hot and sunny weather-
I must have missed it.

Will get some liquid Sevin concentrate (on sale at HD this week) and use that.
Will that be OK?
Thank you all! Gita

With any of horticultural oils, it usually tells you right on the label that you shouldn't use it above certain temps....I would use BT, either Ortho or Bayer Advanced products. Sevin is REALLY strong, I've only used it on severe bagworm infestation and major ant problem
but to me the pics of your bb don't look like spider mite damage, have you actually seen them? You said the area is crowded, I think that is the problem

But I wonder, since Neem is diluted at a TB or two in a 2 qt bottle, if it still needs that concern...and maybe we can continue this elsewhere- we're wreaking havoc with this topic, lol
like here
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fr.php

I was surprised to find this when I was looking at my caladiums. I did not know that they bloomed.

I always cut th e bloom off caladiums. Do you keep them? Doesn't it make the plant stop making leaves, or am I mistaken?

Spider mites, scale, mealy bugs... all seem much more inclined to attack plants that are stressed from too little water, tight quarters, etc. It can be March, with no mealy bugs in sight for months... I forget to water one weekend and don't realized it until I see some drooping leaves... then, kabam, spider mites everywhere and I'm spraying the plants down with alcohol.

Alcohol? rubbing or Vodka?

rubbing alcohol. I've sprayed straight 70% onto many plants and they haven't blinked. You can also apply it with a paper towel to rub off scale or dip a q-tip and touch it to mealy bugs on a more sensitive plant (like an african violet).

It seems to work best with little/no damage on plants that are succulent or have a waxy cuticle on the leaf (like citrus trees).

I know we've gone off topic, but it seems these tropicals we bring inside over winter are extra prone to pests. I'm sure part of the issue for me is that I cram a lot of plants inside over the winter, and I often try to "cure" a plant when I should just kick it out. Also, I don't use systemics because of the possibility that Eliot-kitty could munch a leaf or two.

I've given up on overwintering brugs, because they are just spider mite magnets... even if I give them their own little corner, I just can't keep the leaves on them... they grow out, mites appear, and before I can soap them away the leaves are toast... lather, rinse, repeat, and eventually the plant loses its will to continue the fight.

Brugs-- you gotta do with no leaves. Thats worked for me couple times anyway.

Sally--They WILL grow new ones.....I hope! They are tough!

They sure are, I've had good luck with no mites on my Brugs.
Now my Plumie--this winter I prepped her by putting her in the shed with the No Pest Strip (Ric's recommendation) and she went up till nearly spring before the mite attack. It really helped. Just as she was really losing it, she could go outside for spraying, and soon enough stay out for summer.

Even my tropicals are not happy with our current heat wave and severe lack of rain!

I feel sorry just looking at my 2 Epis.
The one is now done blooming--the other one has a lot of buds.

I think I better move them in a bit more shade--if i can find a spot.
I think they are a bit heat-stressed.

I do not like to hang to many things under trees--as the ants make their way into the
baskets and set up a colony at the bottom of them. One more reason I use the
Systemic Granules before bringing them in.

I have 3 HB of spiders hanging from my patio roof-edge. Think I will move those and put the
Epis along the roof edge. Definitely less sun...

I really hate it when everywhere I look--inside or out--I see things that need to be done
and I just do not get to them. Procrastination at large..........:o(

Ugh...the dreaded spider mites...hate them buggers too!! Alcohol is my quick fix...I keep little mister bottles filled. I know I use the neem mixes either earlier on in the day or right before dusk. Not sure that I remember whether I've used it during summer months or not. I've invited a dear DG friend JBerger aka 'JB' from NJ to join our discussion here since she grows many gardenia (non-hardy ones) etc. and fights the same buggies as we do. Please give her a warm welcome if she pops over here.

Hey you buggy group, Gita, Jen, Holly, Sally, all my friends here on this thread and of course Chantell, what a great group. Now I know where you have been hanging out. :)
I can just feel your frustration and share every second of it with you. This year has been so bad with bugs..not just mealy and white fly but ants and earwigs in the greenhouse to the point I had to have the exterminator in to spray. i could not send out plants with ants or bugs in them.

I agree about using the neems during the day on sunny days. I usually use that in the early morning or evening or late afternoon when the sun is not directly on them. Gita, what happened to those plants of yours, Gads, that is a shame. I mix it with the dawn and water and of course I do not make it too strong, the actual soap does as much to rid the plants of mealy but than anything. I do hose them down good too. I have to agree about drying out and then up pops mealy......they come out of nowhere. I get so frustrated with them. I do not have any in the GH or in the house just now. Of course, tomorrow may be another story. I sit on my deck with the plants and wash off the leaves with the hose before I spray them. They seem to like that extra attention. ...............I am really getting goofy with this heat. I must go make potato salad. Thanks for inviting me, I will pop in again if I may. Hugs. JB

Way back when before DG- I tried spraying PAM on a plant for insect control.

Hey, its edible what can hurt? ROFL

PAM is for frying, and ya don't need a pan.

ROFL and at my age that is hard to do, but PAM, that is hysterical. I love it. Someone else in this world is my kind of person. LOL

Hiya--JB--Old Pal!!!

I do not have any Mealy Bugs--just a lot of Spiser Mites on several things this summer.
As you said--the heat and the dryness is like hanging out a "Welcome to here" sign for them.

My Butterfly Bushes go through this every year. This year is just more awful.
Your Gardenia is Status Quo. hasn't done anything.....The top leaves seem to be getting a bit pale green. No bugs!
Would that be because of too much sun?

I already moved the pot back to where it only gets some AM sun. See if that helps....
I have sprayed it once or twice--as a preventative with a Pyrethrin kind of insect spray.
Still keeping it well watered......
How come it hasn't grown any? No new flower buds? No real new leaf growth? WHY?????

I hate to even go out there to do anything......I get drenched in just 15 minutes...

Stay cool--don't do anything stupid, JB.
JB--Did you see my Red Epi? It was amazing--all covered in blooms!
Gita
--Red Epi in bloom
--Easter cactus blooming again. The first sparse bloom was when it was still inside.
--ME--and my Margarita at Inner harbor out to dinner with Sally (Donner).

Well if 'they' hate dry then they should be runnin' after tonight!!!! I should have known when I took the time to water everything (should've seen all the potted ones looking utterly pathetic) - that we'd get rain....whew and how!!! Bet my 'tropicals' felt like they were 'home.' I ran out to pull all the pots off the deck rail before they went flying...realized some were missing - grabbed the flashlight and headed down into the back yard when I heard a 'creaking' sound...realized it was from the tree line directly up the bitty hill behind my house!! I do not scare easily but let me tell you my townhouse is in the direct flight path (or fall path) of those very tall willowy trees. I RAN up the stairs and inside just as Christine was coming to yell get in the house. Whew...that'll wake you right up. Hmmmm....hope those plants are ok that fell off the deck....ugh!! Still got boomers going on out there... MOST importantly hoping this finds everyone ok...I know some are w/o power.

wow chante ll hope your e still ok there
Happy typ haver rain here to o, anf yes spent some time watering today to o

I had planned to water first thing this morning but thanks to the rain we got in that storm, I don't have to. In the flowerbed by living room window, all my larkspur, gladiolas and coneflowers are laying flat in the bed from the high winds, yet other flowerbeds were not bothered. Must have been the way the wind was blowing. I poured out 2 in. of rain from the rain gauge this morning. I have a really heavy birdbath that I have beautiful colored stones in it, I'm surprized those stones weren't lifted up and scatter all over the place and thankful they didn't get tossed onto my glass top coffee table. It is full of water though. The sun is going to have to evaporate that water. To remove the top of the birdbath takes both of us and it is a struggle as it is all concrete. We bought it years ago from pumpkin world in Hummelstown, Pa. near where the cemetery where my in-laws are buried. It does not get moved. It is beautiful but still wished we had never bought it. Wished I had a scale or could lift it to put it on a scale to see how much it weighs.. Guess I'll be cutting the coneflowers back today or maybe see if they'll pop back up when the sun comes out. I can always upright them and tie garden twine around them to hold them together.

If I cut those coneflowers back, will they grow back this summer and bloom again? I had tied garden twine around them yesterday morning because they were starting to lean over from being top heavy. Maybe I will try several of those single plant stakes around them. The green garden twine isn't that visible but I'm sure that piece I put around it yesterday is stretched from force of the wind.

Gita, what is that beautiful tropical plant in the pictures with you with your margarita?
I didn't know mandevilla's grow that tall. It must be your magic touch. (the one by your back/side door.)

Pippi--

The first picture? It is one of my Red Epis. It has NEVER bloomed this fabulously!
I think it produced one or two blooms a couple of times before...

Makes me wonder if it is the plant's "Swan Song"...

The 2nd picture is my Easter Cactus----blooming at the wrong time....

Gita

Mosquitoes are another tropical species and probably happy today after the rain!

Oh Gita, and everyone else , I am so glad to see you are o.k. I was awake from about 12:30 to 1:45 watching the storm go south of us, thanking God it did because I did not put my Jeep in the barn last night since I was not expecting a storm. The Barn swallows poop every 15 seconds and there must be 50 of them in the barn. My jeep looks like a birdie outhouse. LOL So, I leave it sit out when there is no storm in the forecast. I can not believe how quickly they are coming. The other day one came up so suddenly that I did not get anything put away when the hail came down and just raised havoc with some plants. I did get my awning up and the greenhouse fan off but that was it. I ran inside and stayed there.

Today it is hotter than you know what. its 94 out there and the sun is just scorching. I cut glads for the stand this morning about 9:00 a.m. and I was soaking wet when I came in. I rehydrated and stayed inside until I just closed the stand and have one bunch that did not sell, but I can not see it out there in the hot sun. I would rather put it in the house and enjoy it.

Gita, I think the gardenia must be getting too much sun and maybe it is pot bound. I would doubt it is, but I know they grow fast and I am amazed it did not so more blooming. Mine, that are your little ones age bloomed only once also. I have them behind the feedbarn and they get only morning sun just now. I had to move them because they were getting burned. The big ones are also in an place beside my deck where they get only morning sun.
I'm telling you, that sun is hotter than I ever remember it being and I am a sun worshiper.

Stay safe and cool. I am not doing anything much less something stupid. LOL I am just lazy today and do not feel like doing a thing. I need to do some bookwork, sewing and make some plant tags and here I sit doing this.
Oh well. Hugs. JB

God I wish we would get some rain (horrible winds, no). THe only upside to this heat blast is that the slugs seem to be in hiding.

If I looked like a slug I would hide all the time.

Here we got less that1/4 inch rain from last nights storm though it did wet the leaves. We have had less than a half inch of rain here and are in "moderate drought" Next category up is 'severe drought'. and it is only the beginnining of high heat. So, tomorrow I will move my tropicals into as much shade as possible and set them in two kiddie swimming pools and let them dream of the tropics whence they came.

I agree with you JB, that the sun does seem more intense than I remember .

We were at my son's in Annapolis last night. They lost power and lots of damage in their neighborhood. Still w/o power when we left at 2. Hoping they have it back by now. It was starting to get pretty warm when we left.

Very tropically for sure.

Our thermostat is set at 83, so its not much cooler inside here LOL Well, we notch it down to sleep. If we lost the AC we'd have to sleep in the basement I think. Today was more humid and less breezy.

GINGERS- another tropical heard from.
I got one of the variegated gingers, clearance, back in February. I love the leaves but it is taking a long time to grow out new, undamaged ones. And I have a sprout from the one Chantell gave me last year.

Glad it was less humid today but it was HOT

no storm here but friends from church got HAMMERED, trees down and still no power 2 kids died in South Jersey from a tree falling on their tent

Good to see you all o.k. Storms missed us again last night. So, today I have to water again. I closed the road stand because the heat just kills the flowers if they do not sell right away. I would rather see them in the field and enjoy their beauty longer. Not that many left. It is just too hot to be out there cutting and bunching. I am not completely crazy. Just old.

Atlantic County and a few other South Jersey Counties really got hit by those winds Friday night. It will be a week before they have electric. And another week of 90s. I saw in TV NJ was only in the 80s. I wonder where he was looking. I can at least function in the 80s but when it gets above 90 forget it. I can not imagine going camping in this heat with little kids and then, having a tree fall on the tent. I do understand the rangers were telling all the people in tents to get to their cars. Wow, how awful, and how do you live with that the rest of your lives. Awful things happen every day but when it is so close it just seems impossible it could really be happening.

I hope you all have a good day and watch the sky for those pop up storms. JB