Hi all,
I just discovered that there are weird marks on the underside of the plant's leaves. Only two are afflicted while the rest have strange black marks.
I however did not catch it til the top of the leaf turned yellow, much like a Pothos leaf variegation..
Looks like you have some form of aphid or spider mite infestation, these suck the sap out of the leaf and it eventually turns yellow and dies off, spider mites are normally not noticed toll there are tell tale signs of very fine webs appear, by then you have a full blown infestation, and it is a real job to get under control, there is not an easy answer for the problem except to try prevent the mites form breeding at the rate of lightning. The mites like dry hot environments and I have found IF I mist the who;le plant, under side of foliage also with help slow down the breeding and as they dont like damp or humid air this is a chemical free way of helping rid the plants of the Mites.
If it's other types of aphids, then you need to try identify what these are as one thing for sure, you will struggle if you treat say (example) greenfly and you have earwigs,
Once you know what your battle is with, it's easier to treat.
I find the best way to start is to look behind the leaves using a hand held Magnifying glass as things like red spider mites are so small (pin head) that it's difficult to pick them up with the naked eye, by the way, red spider mites are not red most of the time, they are red when breeding but are like grey or white spots that move fast.
green fly, black fly white fly ect are all easy to see as they are small fat flies but not so fast moving, white fly, if you shake the plant they puff out from the plant like mist,
I have been known to use the nozzle on the Vaccum cleaner as I shake and this helps suck some flies off but for the others mentioned, make a mix up using washing up soap (liquid). warm water and mist this onto the whole plant underside of leaves as well as stems ect, there is an oil in the soap (to keep our hands/skin from drying up) and this sticks to the flies and they suffocate and die,.
Other things to look for is nutrient deficiency as this can cause yellowing of the leaves but not the dark colour, My strongest bet is infestation as above.
Good luck and kindest regards. WeeNel.
This could be some type of pest, or just leaves being naturally discarded. The 2nd leaf looks like it may be sunburned. Is that possible? Do you have a pic of the whole plant?
Hi, thanks for the replies.
Come to think of it there has been fine webbing on the single surviving spathe which I had dismissed as coming from a spider. I had previously found several tiny spiders as well as the jumping variety hiding between flower pots.
I live in a hot and humid tropical country so I never really expected Spider mites :/
attaching pics of entire plant...
the leaves are wet cause I just sprayed white oil on the foliage...
This message was edited Jul 13, 2013 2:51 AM
When I find spider mites, I wipe them off with a cotton ball damp with rubbing alcohol. Your plant looks great!
The Fittonia too. What a temperamental plant that is. Barely survived being inside for winter here, really a humidity lover.
