these are on my gardenia...i have put a photo in garden pests...and no answers
Does anyone know what these are and how to get rid of?
Sticks It really looks like scale to me but as always, I might be wrong. I have had scale on a houseplant in the past. I caught it early and removed it by scraping it off with my fingernail.
A reference book says light cases can be removed by fingernail or scraping off with a plastic scouring pad. I've no experience with chemicals but maybe someone else will weigh in.
And that is why you want to inspect your plants before moving them indoors.
what is scale? i had moved this gardenia in last night....and was inspecting it and it is covered all over the leaves etc stems....i have never had scale....i will try tommorrow to get it all off....this gardenia knows i love it....she has done beautifully but has this all over....wonder what causes it...will go research it...
ok...i just researched and you are right!!!! ding ding ding ding ding.....; i have a systemic that treats it...so i just doused it with the systemic....but dang it is saying it might freeze in the next couple of days....i guess i can put cover over it ....nothing was eating the leaves or adversely showing YET....so i am glad i found it this fast....those danged buggers...thanks pod...
hope you had a great weekend@@@!!! in the yard tommorrow trying to get stuff dug and cut etc etc..in preparation for potential freeze
Hey, Sticks, you know, my gardenias get those. Also get aphids, and especially whitefly. None of that stuff ever really hurts them, but those dang whiteflies are pesky. I spray with Neem oil, and that seems to take care of everything.
Sticks, a systemic takes a number of weeks to work. Are you able to move it into your garage until then? Until it takes effect, spraying with Neem Oil as pbtxlady suggests will smother the larva, your bigger worry. By the time the scaly shell is spotted, it has already bred. The eggs and offspring are difficult to see and will produce several generations before the systemic has any effect on them. These are sucking pests that weaken the plant and may spread diseases. A heavy infestation may kill a good portion of the plant. You will need to spray with Neem Oil once a week until the systemic has worked its way up. The instructions on the container should tell you how long it takes for the systemic to work.
If it is all over the plant, it is definitely not a "light' case ~ sorry. OTOH, unless you want to keep it blooming the winter thru, does the gardenia need winter protection? I guess it probably does in your zone... keep forgetting.
And with all the digging and moving stuff in ~ how's your arm Sticks? Do not overdo it! You need your arm to get better. If you have to protect some plants, use large cardboard boxes turned upside down over plants or cover with sheets, spreads anything but plastic and leave the plants outdoors. Your freeze should be a lighter one this early? Go slow...
thanks for all the info...first case of scales i have ever had....glad to see what they are....; so i guess scraping them off is a moot point....i am so glad i didn't waist my time...; it is a lovely bush, and hasn't started showing signs of being infested so i hope it will be strong thru this 'potential freeze'; i like that box protection stuff pod; will go see if i can find a box....
hubby is doing all the lifting....(sorta)...grin
Hey Sticks, just remember to remove it after the frosty night. Good luck with the scale and your DHs' assistance ~ lol
oh gosh...my rear end is killing me....i have been working out in the yard since 1...bending cutting moveing, bending cutting moving.....i am so exhausted and havent even started on the front yard yet......
Are we having fun yet? LOL I can laugh ~ haven't started here yet...
oh gawd...my rear muscles are aching..and i thought i was in shape....lordy..; what do you do with your mess?...do you bring it in...to where? i am feeling somewhat in control...rather than an out of control feeling ...temps have gone from 78 to 54 in 2 hours...north wind...; some of the stuff i didn't bring in was stuff i hope to get cuttings of....
how do you bring your stuff in? do you do cuttings? i thought that this year i was being real organized...but it sure didn't feel that way...i still have to plant flats of geraniums, spv, ivys, etc....then i am taking the grasses to the store....
Wow ~ you really loaded up on the plants this year. I do a few cuttings and have been working on them ( like the angelwing begonias) I am also pruning back some of the herbs that I will be bringing in. That makes the plants more manageable and allows me to harvest the leaves ~ did some of that today. I have bay leaves and lemon verbena leaves drying right now. I am also moving and sorting pots of plants into three groups. On the porch, in the plant shelter or outdoors. I keep most things in pots and darn little in ground that needs to be protected. I do take pine straw to mulch the plants that are left in ground.
I've also been saving seeds from those plants which are willing to share seeds ~ that way I can too. 8 ) Lots of seed from the scutellaria, celosia, angelonia, gomphrena, centratherum. The potted plants of those I will probably cut back and move to the outdoor plant shelter. It gets colder out there.
The tenders and tropicals will get moved to my enclosed back porch. There I have places to hang baskets and shelves for the succulents. It stays a bit warmer and I leave lights on them while I am home. The winter light that shines in is not as bright but will be sufficient.
I honestly don't have anything I intend to dig up and the most work will be wrestling the brugs into the plant shelter. Guess you could say I am your basic lazy gardener.
My major problem in winter is wanting to overwater. I have done so much all summer it is hard to quit. Then I overquit and the plants suffer from that too. Can't win can we...
i refuse to dig anything up....if i plant it that is where it is meant to be...; i have been begging for begonias on the trade forum....last year there were several places that had them to buy here and this year zip....so if you have any left....i would love them...if not i understand.....; how are you rooting yours? via soil or water? i know there are people out there that are letting theirs freeze(reluctantly) and i have found zip...isn't that odd? i was offering my trade list and no takers...
now i am on the net trying to find cheap grow lights...i have a deficit in my sunroom....someone said walmart
i too want to love my plants to death...
Sticks ~ I will have angelwings to spare ~ do not worry. I actually had you in mind when I asked about rooting them. But poor, pitiful little you ~ lol ~ I just couldn't keep it a secret any longer. 8 ))
I am rooting in water and will pot them up tomorrow. Then, I will take more cuttings, got to get that plant down to manageable size. I will let you know when they are ready to send. We will watch the weather to make sure they don't turn to begonia jello en route. These should bloom for you even this winter indoors. I took cuttings and cut off the blooms. Hoped that would put the energy into roots. They just produced more and more blooms. Unreal.
I picked up a couple of plant lights at WM ~ not sure they are "grow" lights but were about 10 bucks a piece.
pour pitiful me.....for sure.; well, let me ask you this? do you grow orienpets? and or oriental lily stargazers? do either of those make your heart go pitter patter....or is there anything on my list (that looks like beginner's beginner list)...but i sure am a trying....i happen to be the proud owner of the bulbs of orientpets and stargazer lily....and these could be yours for a song....;
so, you were tempting me when you said you were rooting begonias.....you knew did ya? (grin) and you were putting out the bait were ya? big fat grin....hmmmmmm
my rear end hurts...dang i didn't know i had muscles there....and i fear it could get too cold to damage some stuff that i wanted to get more cuttings from
i am laying flat on my back in bed with my puter on my fat stomach....all the energy i have left is in my fingers...
On your FLAT stomach? I am jealous now! Have a feeling you will really know it when you roll out in the AM.
I will peruse your trades list but my eyes are already larger than my stomach ~ otherwise known as MY PLATE IS TOO FULL. And now, I think your crappy cold weather is coming this way ~ grrrrrr!
it is windy and cold here...got to 36 last night...but the wind is striping alot of my plants that i didnt get to....the dang wind is gusting up to 40 mph....and they are saying it could freeze tonight.....i hope it doesn't ...cause i would like to get alot more in.....but i aint going out there in the wind...it makes it COLD
and i said FAT...stomach....
LOL!
Sticks ~ don't worry about things you can't change. The plants that survive will survive. Others can be replaced if you truly loved them. How low is your temp to go?
Right now, we are raining and WINDY! Not cold yet.
The angelwings are in dirt this am but it was raining more than I wanted to do more cuttings just yet. Right now, I am sifting seeds.
Odd this thread started with scale (and went to fat stomachs). I found yellow aphids on the new growth on my Hoyas. Found a few little black and orange bugs (don't know the ID) but I bet they are there to eat aphids. I went all summer without bothersome bugs but I suspect they too are preparing for winter. Do you ever wonder where they come from? All of a sudden ~ there they are!