they just arnt flurishing like usual and they are only getting small leaves that turn yellow and drop. I water and fertilize a lot. They are in pretty big pots. one is so big i dont even know how i could transplant it. Im longing for my big green leaves and huge flushes I have had in the past.
whats wrong with my brugs
Gee post a picture. And did you check the roots? My growth slows down right about now so I slow down on the watering and ferliizer to let them rest. But soon our rains will begin and they will be flooded. No mites??
Sure sounds like mites to me.
Its always mites.
ok here is one. I never had a problem like this before.
here is another. They havnt flourished at all and this one is one a started from the other last summer it should be fourishing. Our weather has been a lot hotter this year though. Both have huge huge pots.
what signs are signs of mites? I know on rose but i always thought mites were low to the ground. I havnt seen anything webby
Spider Mite damage looks like this: Yours doesn't look like that.
Broad Mites make the leaves look cabbage-like texture.Someone will come along with a good picture of that.
Just for laughs - caterpillar damage looks like this:
Root clusters look like this, and they'll suck the life right out of your plant. They're not that common .... but have you checked the root area?
LOL Ted I am so laughing.
Oh Steph, that first one does look ill to me. The second one looks better. But Ted is right, check carefully for mites. They will show on the back of the leaves esp by the leaf ribs. They will be tiny white granules, almost like dotted powder. If you do not see well, feel the underside with your fingers. It will feel rough, grainy. Hold up a leaf to light, it will have pinpoints where the green color is gone.
How much are you watering? Since less leaves, it needs less water. Only water when the soil is almost dry or you can get root rot. Also if you give it too much fertilizer and never flush out the pot, salts build up and damage the roots.
I see some odd looking leaves that are yellow rimmed. That could be a nutritional deficiency. I think it is magnesium that can cause that symptom. Do you feed your plant with a fertilizer with minors? Plants in pots for a long time tend to need a minors supplement. Epsom salts is a good source of magnesium.
If no mites, I personally would then check the roots. Tip the pot over and pull the plant out. There should be lots of tiny white feeder roots. If there is not or if the roots are black and looking like they are dying, cut them off till you get to good root. I would even wash off the old soil. I would repot in a pot not much bigger than the root ball. Then I would reduce the plant size to reduce the stress on the smaller root system. You can cut the side branches back and leave the strongest one with the Y so you still get flowers or just cut the whole thing back some. The general rule is you cut the canopy back approx the same amount as you cut the the roots.
I would then place it in shade and only water when dry, no fertilizer till it recovers and you are getting good new growth.
When I see lots of yellow leaves I generally think it's either too much or too little of something. Burnt by fertilizer, or severely lacking some minor. I've only got a few years experience though, so someone may come along that will have a sure-fire answer.
Mary
Great mite picture, Mary! I didn't know those root growths were harmful. I have a few and I just leave them on. One stayed on for a couple of years then died back on its own. I wonder what causes them.
Opps, I was typing while you were posting. LOL
Root clusters will slow down the growth of a plant. There have been some where the cluster is bigger than the normal root. I lifted the plant out and cut off all the root cluster and then replanted. The plant took off happy as could be after a day of shock. I've been told that root clusters won't come back if you get it all, but stem clusters will. I heard that they are more likely to happen in winter quarters where the growing conditions aren't ideal. Brugs do keep things interesting. I could do without so much excitement though.....
I didn't know there were 2 kinds! So what kind do I have? Mine grow on the stem just at the soil line.
If it's attached to the stem they're stem clusters. They look ugly. They're more likely to happen in winter in brugs with aurea background. If they keep coming back I'd start considering the compost pile ..... but that's just me.
Thanks for the education. I had bought a Brug
off ebay that had those 'stem cancers',
It would not grow anything but those hideous lumps
croaked within a few months.
Is it virus related?
Mites are a pain in the butt, just ask me I fought them all last winter, was ready to give brugs up alltogether but here I am still got lots of them and trying to figure out which ones to get rid of, and still want some of kells. LOL
Stem clusters aren't virus related. Don't worry, your others won't catch it.