Well, I don't know that I have completely fixed the problem... some do it and some don't. No new growth seems to be curling..
I have treated for mites and will continue, just to be on the safe side. I did introduce some new plants nearby maby a bit too soon. I remember last year, I got hit with broad mites inside on about 80 seedlings.. what a nighmare! Nothing this year looks like it did last year.. yet.
The seedlings are getting too big to be close to the lights anymore, so it wasn't that, moving them didn't change anything.
They were only fertilized once, so I don't think that was it. I watered them with clear water very well just in case... it's time to start fertilizing again, so we will see if I hit em too hard.
The Ph issue was another subject.. I learned a lot about Sphagnum peat and see that it's a major ingredient in all my potting soil. Everything in pots tested okay for now cause it's new... it's the long term I'm afraid of.
Thanks to Tonny's input, Now I know why Isabella did what she did. The Sphagnum peat moss in the mixes we purchase is treated with lime to make the ph acceptable when we purchase the potting soil.. that's why it's so great at first.. but after leaching constantly with water, the original Ph of the peat returns (around 4..) that's what happened to Isabella.
So thank you everyone for your input.. I took everyone's advice and tried this n that.. No seedlings are as curly as the few in the picture above, so something worked!
What makes leaves curl like this?
I've seen leaf curl like that from the actual pests then the plants that weren't infested curled up due to my preventive spraying on the pesticide. I couldn't win! I'll never use those heavy systemics again, it curled up leaves on most every variety of plant in the garden, especially brugs and hibiscus.
PH is a MAJOR biggie IMO many people over look. You get whats called "nutrient lock up" when the PH swings 1 way or the other too far. I tried keeping a constant PH then I decided allowing it to slightly flucuate 1 point or so in either direction alternating around nuetral. The results of this practice made the plants able to take up more of the different nutients that are more readily available at differing PH levels. It seemed to work the best for me over all.
I've had the worst season ever this past summer which in turn ruined my wintering efforts indoors from mites and white flies. I've lost all of my brugs, 1/2 my passion flowers and my hibiscus are hanging in there luckily. We've had back to back mild winters that didn't get cold enough to kill off the pests outdoors. Last summer, I had white flies in SPRING and that has never happened ever. I'm praying this horribly cold weather we've been experiencing will make all the difference.
It's going to be a very odd and sad spring w/o my usual array of brugs and other cuttings to over populate the yard with. I'm thinking this will force me to go thin out and spread all of my bulbs and other plants that are over due. I have so many that I should of divided a long time ago.
Keep up the pics guy's! I'm living vicariously through your experiments;)
JD
JD, I'm sure there's some members here that has some extra's that will be glad to help you get started again. I think it was a bad year for most everybody especailly with brugs.
Ditto on Ada's comments. D-mail me in spring for some brugs.
Kay
I have the seedling curly leaf problem figured out... it took forever, but I am positive it was the PEROXIDE!
The soil is fresh and has a neutral Ph. I haven't used any fertilizer at all on the new batch of seedlings, no spray other than Neem, and no systemics. I had a few fungus gnats, so I used peroxide in the water every couple of weeks or so. (it kills the larvae in the soil).. I used a stronger solution of peroxide to spray the flying gnats.. as it will knock em down better than anything! BUT.. being on the prowl for flying gnats to protect my new seeds.. I would use the spray too often.. it got on the soil and leaves too often.
I bought some scanmask and quit using peroxide.. The older seedlings that are outside have completely pulled out of it.. cause they aren't getting peroxide at all now.
All my seedlings last year never had this problem once.. I didn't use peroxide in the water at all last year.. except to soak the seeds. Geez.. it shouldn't have been so hard to figure out!!!
It can sometimes be a detectives work to trace the source of plant problems, ZZ. I am glad that found out. Besides pH, injuries from the use of herbicides, pesticides is quite common and now use of peroxide can be added to a possible check list :) There are also another category of plant health problems which also occur from excessive heat, cold, light defiency and sun scald, plus over- and underwatering. These are called environmental stresses and even if the soil pH is okay and the plants are fertilized with balanced nutrition, the environment can put the plant in a position, where it is unable to uptake certain nutrititious elements.
Thanks ZZ for letting us know what the problem was. I think I may turn my flower beds into pea gravel and have a little peace and rest. Joan
Well, I have to clarify.. it was too much peroxide.. not just using it. I've used it safely for a long time.. I think I just got a little "over protective" with the fungus gnat issue and overdid it.. trying to protect this batch of seedlings I cherished so much!
The "big kids" outside are doing great.. I'm so jazzed.. I know the rain isn't over yet.. but I'm dying to plant!!
Thank you Tonny.. Youv'e been such a big help to me.. I really appreciate it.
Oh Joan.. I hope not... those kind of "slumps" pass.. it will get better when the sunshine is out. :)
I burned cuttings with peroxide too, Joyce. I added too much to my water and it burned the bark on them. I do that too, if a little is good, a lot must be better.
Oh Joan, what is wrong?? You sound down. I may join you though. I am getting too old to get out there and whip my mess into shape this year. I look at winter's devastation and just go back into the house. LOL. The computer is so seductive. We need some of Joyce's spirit. She sounds so rah rah to go garden. LOL
Oh Kell & Joan.. I'd come dig for you if I could.. I love it so much. Enriching the soil does something for me... I'm a weirdo.. LOL I would dig in the rain, I don't care! Getting rid of the excess.. (hauling it out back) now that's where I pop out of gear..
I know we had a freak winter, it was pretty devistating.. My friend Donna was hit hard by the frost and it really took a lot of wind out of her sails as far as gardening goes.. Makes me so sad... I think it bothers me more than it bothers you guyz! I want you guyz to be all fired up and jazzed about your new purchases and where to put stuff and pics of blooms!
Man I second your thoughts on this freak winter being devastating in ways we have yet to see too. i.e.. what perennials and annuals(a few that act like perennials w/ mild winters) will not live through this brutally long/cold winter. I guess We'd gotten spoiled around here with semi mild winters for the past 3 years. I've had canna's, passiflora's and many others that are usually very...well dead if left outside over winter. These past 3 winters were mild enough(for lack of a better explanation) that these plants came back much to our surprise so we got into the habit of just moving them to our winter bed/incubator). This winter bed in just a 6foot by 30 foot bed that runs along the foundation on the South side of the house. Rather than digging up the canna's etc. to bring indoors over winter, we've been leaving them in this bed over winter. Not only were they surviving, they were multiplying 3-5 times in 1 winter! I even had 1 of my brugs pop up!
The down side to these mild winters has been pest infestations of biblical proportions literally. I had never seen whitefly, spidermites and bunnies infestations in June for as long as I've been gardening.
Boy you guy's must have gone peroxide crazy this year! I've never heard or seen anything like your describing. I wished I knew more about the mixing ratio's you all used to end up with such sad result's. I never measure my peroxide usage but I never used it in a foliar app. either. I saw you guy's said it did wonders on gnats, how does it work on whiteflies? I'm seeing them flying around right now under my 1000 watter we have set up in our bedroom. So I don't dare use chemicals so close to the bed, I'd like to try peroxide mix.
Having that huge growlamp in the bedroom sure helps with sunshine depravation/winter blahs bigtime! Even my dog's lay under it as if it were sunshine;). My neighbors must think we're some serious weirdo's. When you drive by at night and see that lamp shining outside through the windows, its like the sun in reverse! LOL You'd have to see it to understand, it's quite the site.
Sorry for the marathon post...I'm extra chatty today w/ spring fever. please advise on the peroxide whitefly application.
Thanks, JD
The sun came out to day and I may make it now. Boy it has been a long winter. We should have things up all over the place but it was just to cold. We have had rain that was so badly needed here in Tx.. I still have a big mess to clean up from the freezes but I will get at it this week because it will not freeze this week.
JD, I grew up in Independence, Mo. so know the cold up there. It has realy been bad for you. If your cannas do not come up in the spring let me know and I will share with you. Just Dmail me. Joan
Nice how a sunny day can pick up the spirits.. good to hear Joan.
Here are my brugs from last year. The only one I really am sad about is BeeBee. She didn't have any roots that showed any signs of life, as did Creamsickle. I've turned my attentions towards my seedlings and getting them in the ground.
JD, I didn't use peroxide as a foliar application, I used it to spray the soil or the air when I saw fungus gnats crawling around or flying. I tried not to get it on leaves.. I have sprayed gnats with Neem and Safers and they just wait a few minutes then fly away! Strong peroxide solution will fry the lil suckers... along with the seedlings apparently! Maby you could try alcohol & polmolive in a mild solution.. I think I'd try that before peroxide..
I use a drop each of Superthrive, TeaTree Oil, VF-ll and soap in the kitchen spray bottles and will it up with a little warm water to mix it up good. Be sure to shake it good before using it.
I keep the seeds and plants sprayed and it all so kills the damping off problem.
I can only say, that I love those mild winters, JD. We had them overhere too. This year except for right now, we only had two frost nights in November. Right now northrn Denmark to southeast they had 24 of blizzards. 4.000 cars had to be dragged out of the snow and they had dunes above 3 ft. high. Also two sports arenas had their roofs collapsing under the weight of the snow. Here in the south we haven't seen a snowdrop. It might as well still have been fall. It rains a lot, but without a sign of snow or frost.
In my GH I water with 1 TBL peroxide (regular 3%) to a gallon of water for all my rooting Brugs in jars; they are struggling now because they all are overready to pot and tangled in roots, but they have thrived on just that.
am hving problems controlling slugs - I won't spare another can of Guiness - need to buy some cheap beer for use in bowls to drown them. It works if done regularly; like Kell, I'm having problems "getting out there"!
Well, they won't be served the good stuff at my slug haven (heaven)!