Playing plants hard today!

It's 9 degrees outside, so what's a girl to do but play plants!! Everyone's going to get a "bath" and sit in the steam/humidity for awhile. This is "round one." Also, I read on one of the threads that spider mites don't like water (hope I am remembering that right). Don't think I have them, but I sure don't want them! BTW, DH thinks I've lost my mind - he went in the bathroom and saw this and just shook his head. He wants to know if I'm going to take them for a ride in my car next! Hmmmm....would that help with spider mites????

Well, spoke to soon. Taking them all down, one by one, I've had a good chance to inspect them.....I THINK I've got spider mites on mindorensis. It's leaves are curling, and there's little brown dots on the underside of one of the leaves - does this sound like spider mites to you guys?? Think I'll go ahead and spray everyone with neem oil after their bath - you know, make it a complete "spa day" for them...Any other suggestions?
Shoot, I HATE BUGS!!

This message was edited Jan 28, 2007 9:30 AM

black spots can just be nibbles from a harmles bug too, Karen. Try the "shaking the leaves over a white paper" trick...and/or looking at the backs of the leaves with a strong magnifying glass - look for tiny webs between the costa and the lamina...little dots...little crawling beasties!!!

You know, I've never really taken the time to take each hoya I have, put it in the bathtub, and let it get soaked, drained, and sit in the humidity, but I'm so glad I took the time to do this. Several of the hoyas look refreshed - seriously! Most especially some of the larger ones. Think I'll try to do this once a month or so (at least until spring when I can put them on the screened-in porch!). A couple that I've been trying to baby, fearful that they weren't going to make it, even perked up - a DS 70 in particular. I know some of you have talked about doing this before - I'm so glad I took your advice and tried it. Everyone also got neemed - so hopefully, that'll take care of any spider mite issue. Didn't find them on any other, so.....Just wonderiing, is there any pest or other issue that would cause the leaves to curl up? Karen

Curling up leaves CAN (this would be italics if I knew how to do them) be a few other things...wierd growth, a micro nutrient deficiency at the time it was forming, thrips, bad mood, PMT...who knows. But it's a good idea, I think, to take notice.

So glad you saw an improvement with the spa treatment....I really think it does wonders...even for NON hoya house plants!!!!

Thanks, Carol! One thing I was wondering about, I found 2 ladybugs (?!) in the house - wonder if they cause problems? The ladybugs have been removed - sad death in a vacuum cleaner - so I'll continue to watch things. I've isolated the mindorensis, and will continue to watch it, and the others. Everybody else still happy today!

I think ladybugs are wonderful...don't know them as bad bugs at all...in fact, they are sold by folks to eat the nasties (some of them) in gardens...I forget which ones.

aphids

but those cute little ladybugs are actually menacing hunters!!! I still find them adorable. I've got ladybugs (both orange and red) trying to overwinter in the house. problem is, because of the weird temp fluctuations, they'll be crawling around on warm days and hibernating the next. if you ever see one that looks dead during the winter...it's just hibernating.

I know some people who hate ladybugs and their swarming ways. they can bite and apparently will poop on you too, but I've never had that happen despite my playing with every single one I find. I think it might be more of a karma thing = )

Oh, aphids? OK, so I looked on Milan's sticky thread, and it said to use soapy/water spray. Would the neem have done the same job, or do I need to spray with soapy water? Thanks!

Oh, poor little ladybugs .... death by vacuum. Ladies are a GOOD critter to have around plants .... they will devour aphids (bad bugs)!!

I used neem on my hibiscus before I brought it in last fall to treat it for aphids, and I haven't seen a single one on it since. The neem I use says to mix it with dish detergent and water, so, it probably double-whammied the little ickies. 8-)

Christine

I wish I could do that with my passifloras and brugmansias. They were good this year....no aphids like last year because I sprayed them all with neem oil mix before I brought them in. About this time of year though, the spider mites start getting bad. It's too cold to drag the plants outside to spray so I finally resorted to spraying them inside. It's awful having that stuff raining down on you but I didn't know what else to do. I don't want the spider mites getting onto the other plants like the few cool growing hoyas I have out in the solarium. I'm so glad I discovered neem oil....it really works great. Much better than the miticide I have which is also way more toxic.

Sandy

Sandy, I have had to do that too. So, I get myself a painters cloth (big one) and wind it around all the plants on the floor, use another one to tape to the wall/windows behind the plants, get a cheapo mask, put on some glasses and dish-washing gloves, then spray the holy heck out of them. Once the moisture has settled, I just take the painters cloth out to the garage or outside to dry off and store for the next time. This saves a whole lot of time and effort dealing with the mess neem oil leaves.
Hope this helps!!
Ann

Ohhh - look at the reward my new cutting of h. lobbi is giving me in return for the hoya spa day!! Woooohooooo!
Sorry for the fuzziness - I really do need a better camera....

This message was edited Jan 30, 2007 2:18 PM

Sweeeeeeeeeeet, Karen! That's awesome!
Ann

Aw, what a nice reward :)

I love H. lobbii!! See..efforts are paid off!!! Here's what I saw today from the Greenhouse...in the middle of a huge wind storm...we have lost about 20 trees!!!

That's a good idea Ann. I thought of putting something down but I just figured it would be too difficult. It's really crowded in there....it's really turned into a jungle. I wore a mask and wiped up the floor afterwards. It's a good thing I have a cold because I'm not really crazy about the smell of that stuff.

Sorry about your trees Carol. This has been the worst winter for wind storms in decades in my neck of the woods too. More trees down than I can ever remember seeing. It's really sad to see the pictures of some of the parks.

Sandy

forgive my intruding on your thread ladies and for my ignorance...but could you tell what this neem oil is? and is it good for other plants as well?...i love this forum and i love how everyone is so helpful too...many times i just read and dont say anything but everyone is so fun on here!

Hey Thelma...Neem Oil is derived from the Neem Tree which has proven to have a natural (mild) insecticide. ALSO it is a good agricultural oil and actually works as a sufficant, I have been told. I have used it on my Brugmansias agaist spider mites. There is a neem oil spray made by, I think, 'Garden Safe'..(light blue bottle) which is a highly refined form of the Neem Oil and it seems to work as a fungicide as well (suffocating the spores)...It would work in any oil/soap spray en lieu of any other oil...against aphids. I find alcohol works best on the aphids and also on the mealies and is not as messy as Neem can be.

Carol, what strength alcohol do you use?

Linda, Carol will have more to say about the use of alcohol, but I find using it at 100% strength is just fine. The only caution is to not use it when the sun is shining directly on the plant (it can burn the leaves), and try to avoid having it get into the soil as it can burn the roots. Otherwise, use liberally.
Ann

I use it full strength as well, and since it kills them on contact, I usually rinse them in the shower after 30 minutes just because I am a worry wart...but hubby has done it and not rinsed and they are ok...

There ya go!!! 100% is fine!

I drenched all my plants in Imidocloprid...BTS...and from time to time I find a mealy bug on a vine or leaf...DEAD! The only way I like them!!!

Carol

Thanks for the information, I'll add it to my list of 'cures'.

What is Imidocloprid?

Imidocloprid is the active ingredient in BTS - Bayers Tree and Shrub drench. You might search the forum because this has been talked about a whole lot here...I know last year it was.

Thanks Carol, I recognize it by that name and have some in the garage.

Just a thought. I have used the BTS rose spray for mealies too. My bella was so infested last year with the little devils that I tried it. It took three good drenching sprays and they were gone.

thank you carol for the info...it is good to know that this neem is good on spider mites as i get them on my chennile plant and they are horrible to get rid of....thelma

A little more NEEM OIL info:
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/pestd1.asp?ID=6

thank you !!!! checked it out.....hummingbird

BTW...I do find mealies on plants I have drenched but they are the good kind - DEAD!!!