I have been wintering these over in the greenhouse, most have been doing well, but are not looking so good lately...
what is wrong with my brugs?
Deficiency?
are they pot bound?
????
hmmm I don't know but I will check tomorrow.... Also they got cold the night it was 16* here and the heat did not keep up. most lost all their leaves but new growth sprouted immediately. Here is another one
and another
different problem
???
This is horrible isn't it? They did look pretty good for a long time. all of these are cuttings I rooted. Their leaves were pretty and green until lately. They probably might be pot bound. I did not change their pots or soil all winter.
Also have one that was close to the outside wall and it really suffered, but grew back. The trunk got sort of damaged but hardened upand looks shrivelled
I did, but I will check better tomorrow. I did have spider mites on a passie cutting that had looked great before too. Took it outsidea nd washed it but the whole greenhouse may be infected now. What do I do?
I was doing so well, and now toward the end of winter...this. Do you think I can save them?
Sure you can Carol, but you have really bad spider mites as Kin said. Can you bring them outside yet? I am not sure I would take off their leaves because they are struggling at the end of a long winter. I do not know how much more reserves they have left. It might be too much of a shock at this time. If spring has sprung where you are, they are revving up to a big growth spurt.
I can tell you what I would do for what it is worth. I would take them outside and give them a good shower doing all the leaves top and bottom. Then give them a feeding high in nitrogen but a light dose. Repeat it next week again. When dry, I would Neem the leaves, tops and bottoms. You have to hit all the leaves for it only works by contact and you do not want to leave any mites. Repeat the Neem again whenever the directions say. Others use other things but when the size of the brugs are manageable to get all the leaves I prefer Neem myself but it is a personal preference.
You could also use the Bayer Rose fertilizer and systemic granules along with the Neem. A 1 - 2 punch. But beware the insecticide is dangerous though in a weak dose so be careful with it.
But I think fertilizing and getting rid of the mites will really make them look wonderful!
And then when they have leafed out with nice clean new leaves, I would repot them in fresh soil rich in all sorts of good things.
Good luck!!
Oh PS just cut off that shriveled trunk and let then new growth take off.
Kell,
Thank you for all of the info! I will do all of that but I need to say that even though we are warming here now, it will be in the 40's at night for several days and there is always a possibility of a freeze until around mid-April. So you think it is spider mites on the spotted ones, but what about the yellowing ones? And about the shrivelled trunk...It is topped with a very nice but small canopy...LOL
Your welcome, Carol! It is hard to see plants you have been babying along all winter get sick! But brugs have great powers to recuperate so do not despair.
So post picture Post #3286396 has live growth on top of that shriveled trunk? If it does an dit looks healthy, then leave it. But if it is struggling, I would just cut it down to the new growth and fertilize it.
I think the yellow leaves are just from the winter. A dose of food will probably take care of them. Even some foliar fertilizer will green them up. Maybe a small spray of iron on the foliage if nitrogen food does not work. And Paul is probably right, they need new soil and a bigger pot. As soon as spring hits where you are, pot them up to a bigger pot with new soil.
Brugs do fine in temps in the 40s. Mine live that way all the time. They do great till it gets down to 32 and it frosts. So I would be comfortable leaving yours out unless it gets down below 40 for you but here I have no worries until it gets to 34. But I do not want to take any chances with yours. LOL If the forecast says it will drop, bring them back in.
Actually Kell I am planning to put them in the ground. Dont they grow better in the ground? Most of mine are hardy to 8a and I am 8a. I will cut them back in the fall and root cuttings for insurance but that is the plan anyway. What do you think?
oh and do you think that my passie has spider mites still? And if I put the brugs in the ground I can't do it for abount a month. Should I repot them for that month or just try to take care of them till then?
It is a great plan!! Do not repot then, just fertilize every week with a light dose to get them going then heavier doses once in the ground in a week or 2 after planted.
Work in lots of organic matter too where you are going to plant them.
Treat all your brugs there as if they have mites even if they do not look like it. The passiflora too though beware, I do not think passifloras tolerate Neem.
well I have some good news! My two in ground brugs (which I cut down and rooted the cuttings and then mulched the stumps) have the tiniest bit o' green showing just in time for St. Patty's day...LOL So I am excited that it appears that I can do what I am planning to do...put my brugs in the ground. That is if I can get the spider mites killed before they kill the brugs.
do the spider mites leave fine little webs around? Also what are the fuzzy white things under the leaves? They barely move if you touch them and when you try to push them off the leaves, they smoosh up pretty easily.
I'm reading this with great interest. I have a brug in a pot and really think it would be happier in the ground, but I don't want to lose it next winter.
Yardqueen, where is Emory Tx?
Woodspirit, it sounds like you have white fly. I used to get that all the time in my gh. I don't think I have any this year and I think it's because I got rid of the angelwing begonia.
Silverfluter,
Emory is in East Texas zone 8a. It is SE of Dallas and NW of Tyler. About putting your brug in the ground...mostly depends on the cultivar and if it is hardy to 8a. I have looked up all of mine and most are. But you will lose the big plant and it will come back from the root if it does come back. That is why I rooted my cuttings. And especially since one is an unknown. The other one had survived a winter in a pot left outside (at the time I did not know what it was but that is a long story) It came back from the roots and this past summer say around June I found out it was a brug and I also had purchased another one and planted them both in the ground.They both survived the horribly hot dry summer and began to thrive when the weather cooled off. Now I believe they have survived the winter!
Woodsprint, sounds to me like you have mealy bugs. The only chemical I know of that will kill them is Malathion if you have a bad case of them. They are very determined little critters and once you get them, they get on EVERYTHING. Even using a chemical as strong as Malathion, you will need to keep after them. If you have only a few, you can wipe them off with alcohol. The only problem with this is that it doesn't get the eggs or the babies.
Good luck with getting rid of those little monsters. If left to do their damage they can totally wipe your plants out. They literally suck the life out of them.
Kay
Woodspirit, yes I meant mealybugs too. For some reason I always call those things whitefly. I think I used some sort of pyrethrum spray, but it didn't kill all of them. The only thing that stopped the infestation was taking everything out of the gh. But then this year I haven't had any because there's no begonia.
Yardqueen, I have to try and find where I wrote that name down. Maybe in my journal. But it's good to know that you've had success in 8a also.
sounds like everyone has given you very good advice.the first thing i learned with brugs was mites. they never end it seems all it takes is for 1 egg to survive and in a few weeks to a month they are back I spray neem at least once every three weeks (now) in additionn to kelthane,pentac,ivory soap,essential salts of fatty acids,as well as routine washing them off with a water sprayer and I still get them occasionaly I had to remove 2 banana plants from my green house that became infested,guess I neglected them,and most of my cuttings need repotting also.i just bought a ph-fertilizer meter from lowes which I highly recommend it has done wonders for my greenhouse seems I was starving my plants and the soil had become to acid.
Isn't Ted Nugent a rocker?
Say, that's a good idea, I'll get a soil tester. My infestation seemed confined to 2 brugs that I could live without so i set them outside. It was very cold and they both died the first night out. I think I'm going to try that Bayer's 3-in-1 rose fertilizer on the brugs and see if that keeps the mealy bugs away. I use it to fertilize the roses sometimes, anyway.
What are the conditions that cause mites? Mealy bugs are only a problem for me in the greenhouse, probably because it's too hot in the afternoons and because I don't water enough. I think.
The only Ted Nugent I know of is a rocker.
The most common reason to get spidermites is uneven watering, letting plants dry out to much to many times and to dry air. showering plants often is a good way to keep them buggers off as they hate water.
woodspirit1 yes spidermites leaves very thin fine nets usually seen on the top of the plant first.
Janett
Well, I have some, but nothing like last year. I am still learning about greenhouses. My little 12x12 sure is fun, though.
I am learning too. I thought my greenhouse had enough humidity, but I guess I am wrong. I have got to see about them today and I am also going to get one of the soil testers too. That will probably be a very good investment.
I expect your brugs would survive 40 degress outside at night but beware. I thought we were going to drop to 32 degrees but it got down to 24! I had a pot of pansies on the table on the deck and they look pretty bad. I know they will come back but they were sooooo beautiful.
I had some problems with both spider mites and mealy bugs but one the brugs were planted, they got well.
I think it will be easier to spray them off and to use bug sprays once they are outside. I will also use messenger on them and hopefully that will help. I am getting a PH meter so I will be able to make sure the PH is right for them to be able to absorb their food. I am going to have great brugs! I just know it!!!
Oh Carol, I bet you do have great brugs this summer! And so much fun with them too!
Thank you Kell! And if I do it will be all because of everyone that has answered all my questions, given advice, etc! Ya'll are great!
Very happy to see this topic! Didn't have leaf problem but I brought in my first brug for the winter and was afraid to cut it back so I just let it sit there. The branches started the shriveling thing so now I know I can lop them off and start fresh:LOL: There is also growth showing just above the soil line, a 3-4 inch shoot and some growth at one of the little bumps on the trunk. I barely watered it and kept it in a low light room.
Next time I'll try to root some cuttings and see how I do with those. I was lucky this time and didn't see any mites but at least I know how to take care of them now if I do. Thanks for all the great info and tips:)
woodspirit1- Well, I sprayed my brug with the 3-1Rose spray 2 months ago. I put him out side to do it (while it was cold). Then I sprayed him up down and underneath.
It worked! No problems! I am glad I was not the only one who did this. As It was they only thing I had at the time not located in the shed. The Murphys soap oil, and alcohol combo just was not doing the trick for me.
So, I guess my house is too dry and I must keep them moist to prevent the mites! And water them more often. Thanks for the info everyone.
I have been to busy to post a pic and ask what the problem was. I am glad this thread was started.