Mite damage and recovery

This is Mac's Southern Springtime. Let me walk you through this because I think is it a very good visual with one plant.

The yellow outer leave are what made me suspect something was wrong with this plant about a month or so ago. In addition to the yellowing leaves, the plant was very slow growing and the blossom did not last long. They drooped in about 3 or 4 days.

I applied a systemic and sprayed with neem oil. You can see the change on the next row of leaves that are mottled looking. The green is beginning to return.

Then I began using Murphy's oil soap and lysol with my fertilizer water as a preventative and you can see the new growth that is very green. There are also buds peaking under the new leaves as well. The plant is going to make it and within the year should be back to normal.

Hope this helps. This is my first experience with mites. I will always be suspect of yellowing leaves and drooping blooms in the future.

Thanks Nanna, did the oldest leaves droop as well?
Kenton.

Just curious...what type of mites did you have? Did you have fuzzy, distorted, tight centers on your plants also? Usually mites can't be eradicated unless you use a miticide (kelthane, for example). I'd heard that David Senk was trying an experiment with Neem Oil to see if it would eradicate his mites, but I've never heard anything further although I once again see his plants for sale on Ebay. I'm especially interested in the possibility of using Neem since miticides can be damaging to plants.

How did you see the mite? I know how paranoid I am about mites and I check suspect plants with my small microscope from Radio Shack. I've never seen a mite (keeping fingers crossed here) and my problems have generally turned out to be cultural. I've thrown a number of plants away because I was afraid there was a mite but I could never find any and didn't want to break out the miticide.

Anyhow, glad your plant is recovering.

Nanna
Why do you thnk you had mites ? Did you bring the plants to get them Mites ID ? Did you see them ?
I have always thought only Avid could get rid of Mites and it took several treaments ? I know even David Senk had Mites and he tried to kte wit natural stuf and he had to use Avid to get rid of them and it took several treaments and a few months .There are many causes of chlorosis .
Leaves Pale: Possible Causes

Jesse we were writing about the same thing same time. lol David had to use Avid.

Some good pictures of DISEASES&INSECT DAMAGE
http://groups.msn.com/TheVioletVoice/diseasesandinsectdamage.msnw?Page=1

http://groups.msn.com/TheVioletVoice/diseasesandinsectdamage.msnw?Page=2

When we see damage to our plants, what should we be looking for?
http://groups.msn.com/TheVioletVoice/mitechart.msnw

I never saw any bugs only symptons. The systemic I used said it was for mites and neem oil says it helps with mites. My garden supply place would not sell Avid to the general public and suggested the systemic I used. I also treated my entire collection including leaves and plantlets. And took everything off the shelves and washed with chlorine water. I also wiped down all the pots.

If it wasn't mites is was certainly a good imitation. I went to every site I could find and everything pointed to mites.

Yes I had tight hairy centers on some of the plants.

The oldest leaves did not droop. The yellow leaves you see are the leaves that were on the plant when I became suspicious.

If the problem was culture, I have no idea what it might have been. The only think I can think of is the room temperature has been a little colder this year. But the recovery began when the room temperature was still at 65 to 68 degrees. So I don't think it was temperature. Everything else was the same. No changes that I can think of.

I didn't mean to cause such a stir. I followed the suggestions in the Growing for Show Booklet. When I couldn't purchase the Avid I spoke to the owner of the garden store I go to and he suggested the systemic. He said he had used it on some of his house plants with good results.

Nanna, what systemic did you use?

Another sympton was elongated leaves. On some of the recovering plants you can see the longer leaves and the new leaves look regular.

It's called Houseplant Insect Control by BONIDE. It says specifically Spider mites, Thrips, and White Fly, Aphids, Lace Bugs, and Mealy Bugs.

Thanks! I isolated a few "suspect" pots last week, might be cultural but I wasn't quite sure, and I think I'll treat them to be on the safe side. I believe I already have the Bionide systemic on my plant supplies shelf.

Nanna you did not make a stir. Just learning your symptoms and traments and if you saw mites or had them localy checked . Some people ship them out.
I know it took David Send months and months to get rid of his. As he tried other methods first. I can imagine his collection is expensive and he lost some of it.
I had just bought two plants from him. Springtime Wasp, and Alchemy Gold . Both for about $107.00. The day after I paid he told me he could not ship he had mites. So I waited about 4-5 months for my plants. I was looking for the interview with him but could not find it. I know they had to be treated several times for months every 7-10 days.
Wether you had them or not the treament you used worked and your plants are doing great so this is wonderful !
I was just thinking of different casues . Like me I'm always spilling water on the crowns.
Or
Chlorosis: Condition describing the yellowing of leaves. Typically caused by either insufficient light or an imbalance of essential elements
Though it could have been Cyclamen Mites but also several other things for examples like;
Fertilizer - Calcium Deficiency , Fertilizer - Manganese Deficiency , Potting Soil - pH Imbalance , Pythium ( which I know was not your problem).
Just other symptoms for future people with the symptoms of yellow leaves.... i
Nanna I'm happy your plants are all doing great. You did wonderful with them, treating them. Your the Best !

I have something herre called Green Light Neem Ready To Use

It is Neem oil plus pyrethrins.

It is an inseticide, fungicide and miticide.

Allison provided a lot of great information! There are several types of mites. Neem works on some of them. For any one interested, you can get Avid from John at Cape Cod Violetry. I purchased Kelthane from a local nursery. I have heard that mites can build a resistance to a miticide, so I keep both on my shelf (just in case--fingers crossed again).

Thanks Jesse . I'm just trying to give wide viewsof info.
I MIGHT Bs some stuff from John at Cape Cod Violetry I heard itis a good place o buy needed items.
I think I will buy more Knock out gnats from Gardens Alive I know it works. Neem oil does not seem to bother them at all. I have yellow stickeys.
I hate bugs. I'd drench a plant in poison killing it before I let a bug kill it. lol Most times If I have a plan and don't like how it is growing I throw it away. Then it grows outside !
Jessee you use that stuff that begin with " D"' ? In the shaker ? It does not kill your gnats ? Maybe as they have so many cycles ? Do you have to use gloves using this product ?
Thanks, Allison

Allison, you can handle diatomaceous earth with your bare hands, but be careful not to breathe it in. It's like fine talcum powder in texture, and it shouldn't bother your skin, unless you just rolled in it for hours... but it's made up of microscopic diatom "skeletons" that are made of silicon (glass) with all sorts of teeny sharp edges... that's why it's harsh on soft-bodied insects (and why it would be bad for lungs).

Diatoms are a unicellular brown algae that are common in plankton... I've seen them in plankton samples, and it's amazing what delicate and intricate shapes they come in... Hmm, I've never put DE under a microscope... I wonder if the individual diatoms are still visible or if they're all broken & pulverized... I may have a 20X magnifying lens somewhere, but I'm not sure that would be powerful enough to get a good look. Ah, well. Some days I miss having laboratory access! :-)

Great discussion. I'm glad I brought it up. I never dreamed there would be so many different causes for the same problem.


It's almost time for an Irish wish. Let's see

May your violets thrive, May your hearts be filled, and May the bugs stay away from the things you love.

An absolutely lovely wish!

ditto stephnie :))

Nanna i could be totaly off the wall but that plant does not look like a plant that had mites. Also what you used to treat them would not get rid of Mites, and not that fast.

Good. I treated them 3 times at 5 day intervals. And washed everything with chlorox like crazy. I really hope it wasn't mites. What ever it was is also gone.

I know David Senk told me he tried lots of things for Mites and of course nothing worked so he had to use Avid being the only thing to kill mites and it took over 4 months.
two mites living in optimum condition when temputures reach 80 degrees will produce 13 million offspring in 30 days.
Do you have any kind of chemical gas in your home, heat or cook with gas ? Have you painted latly in the past several months ?
~ In a household setting, the most common source of chemical gas exposure is natural gas, i.e., from a gas stove or other gas-operated appliance. However, African Violets have also been known to react adversely to paint fumes, even when the paint is dry.~
There are so many symptoms
here are more for jill and Lorry too having simular problems
Chemical Gas Exposure
Fertilizer - Boron Deficiency
Fertilizer - Nitrogen Overload
Natural Cycle of Plant
Pot - Inadequate Drainage
Potting Soil - pH Imbalance
Potting Soil - Too Heavy
Powdery Mildew
Temperature - Too Warm
Water - Too Much