My pots were lush and full of foliage and blooms, 'tho I noticed more and more leaves falling off. Finally, several plants that were against the porch showed webby infestation, and I sprayed everything with Neem. But last week we had a 99 and a 94 degree day, and I could see damage on nearly all of them - vers orange, with 16 blossoms has one wilting branch, and my sau var are suffering from thick, curled leaves - what's left of them. Nothing has disturbed the blooming - I have seven in good flushes
This has all come on so fast!
What to do?
I THINK its Spider mites - can we recover?
Mites do damage fast. You can spray them early morning or late in the evening with a good blast of hose water from the underside as well as from above. Mites don't like it wet. Keep doing that for a while and maybe purchase an Ortho product that is systemic and good for controling mites and give them the recommended sprays. I have used what is called Systemic Insect Killer from Ortho and had good results. Lately I've received Avid and Floramite to do the trick, but they are quite expensive. Just make sure you do the spraying of water or insecticide when the sun is down or before coming up. If they are in shade, you won't have a problem. Mites like lots of plants, so if you spray, I would spray the other plants around your brugs too, so that the control works better. Leaving them on one or two plants to eventually move back to the brugs doesn't solve the problem. I hope you get them real quick. They sure can cause lots of trouble. I've also found that potted brugs setting on cement were more susceptible to mites here. They seemed to like it because of the heat and dryness, maybe. Once I moved the pots onto the grass, I've not had much trouble at all. Maybe just luck.
This message was edited Jun 19, 2005 10:18 AM
Thanks Brugie.
sidney
You must be so sad. I hate mites. Your brugs can come back though even better. I have been using that Rose food with a systemic insecticide from Bayer. It is granules. I put it in all my pots that are near a mited brug. Prophylactically. I am careful with it for it can burn your plants if used with a heavy hand and also on too dry a plant.
The other thing I do if I am going to spray is take off lots of the leaves. I have such a hard time hitting the backs of everyone. Easier to just strip the plant of lots of them. Then the rose systemic seems to help those growing back.
I almost wonder if you have broad mites with your description of thick and curled leaves. They are just terrible. Good luck!!!
Thanks so much - I was so thrilled with my beautiful Brugs, especially as I made ready for my DH's 80th July 4th. The fact that they are all blooming in full now, and half eaten besides is pretty discouraging in my hope to have them at their best for then.
Brugie, the ones attacked are on my flagstone patio; the ones in the garden seem little infested.
Isn't that interesting!
Do the many damaged leaves ever recover, or do we await new growth?
Once damaged the leaves stay pretty much ruined. But you would be shocked how fast a brug refoliates. Give it a good dose of food and off it will go once the mites are gone.
What a shame. They would have been the hit of the party I am sure. You still may have time for some leaves to grow back.
GOOD LUCK and have fun at such an important birthday party!
Here is a picture of a Brug hybrid cutting - it was totally lush i0 days ago; it has been in full sun - is that a problem, too?
aAnd here is sau var today:
Here it was 10 days ago:
Polly,
So sorry, why don't you sent Brugie or Monika an email telling them you have posted these pictures and ask that they give their opinion.
Oops these are the ones with Spider Mites or other ones?????
Judy
This message was edited Jun 19, 2005 1:02 PM
Looks like mites to me.I got them last year. I finally stripped all the leaves, sprayed with a systemic. Sprayed everything with a systemic. Repeated it on a regular basis and finally licked the problem. Now I use ortho on a regular basis as a preventative. And everything gets it.
I think if you get right after them with a water hose and then the systemic spray, if you can find it, you will soon see a big difference. My Ortho came from WallyWorld. I nearly lost a plant my first year because I didn't know spider mites from Adam. I kept at them and the next year the plant was beautiful. All that first summer I waited on that ugly thing to bloom. Had I know from the beginning, what was going on, I think I would have had lots of blooms that year instead of one or two.
Kell,
How much of the bayer systemic do you use in say a 5 inch,1 gallon or 5 gallon pot. I use it also but I am afraid to use to much in the pots. It doesn't seem to mater if I overdose the ones in the ground they just seem to grow twice as fast.
Connie