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Posted 14 April 2006 - 04:35 PM
Our recently acquired gardenia is infested with tiny pale brown mites (or some other beast) that weave delecate webs all over the leaves.
Any idea what they are and how to get rid of them?
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Bugs in the gardenia
#2
memesuze 
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Posted 14 April 2006 - 05:29 PM
might be spider mites - tap a leaf over a white piece of card stock. If what look like little periods start to move around on the card, then it's spider mites.
Removal of these and other critters, in ascending toxicity:
1. directing a jet spray of water on the leaves, blowing whatever critters are there away [if you do this on a twice-a-week basis, you'll likely get rid of them relatively permanently]
2. spraying with an insecticidal soap solution, again on a twice-a-week basis, but not at a time in the day when the sun might burn the leaves covered with this solution - try for later in the day
3. some form of a granular insecticide that is watered into the surrounding dirt which is taken up by the plant and given to the leaves so the critters chew their way to death
Removal of these and other critters, in ascending toxicity:
1. directing a jet spray of water on the leaves, blowing whatever critters are there away [if you do this on a twice-a-week basis, you'll likely get rid of them relatively permanently]
2. spraying with an insecticidal soap solution, again on a twice-a-week basis, but not at a time in the day when the sun might burn the leaves covered with this solution - try for later in the day
3. some form of a granular insecticide that is watered into the surrounding dirt which is taken up by the plant and given to the leaves so the critters chew their way to death
"When you think about it, all of my greatest work is poop tomorrow." - Mario Batali
Even if you live to be 100, life is short.
Even if you live to be 100, life is short.
#4
lovelynugget
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Posted 14 April 2006 - 06:19 PM
I had the same problem with my gardenias. If you are already seeing the webbing though, those mites have been there awhile. Insecticide (the most brutal kind) soaking is the only possible way, and odds aren't that good. (Have the leaves already started to looked burnt and dessicated?)
The single most important thing though is to isolate the infestation so that your other plants don't succumb.
Spider mites will also be in the soil so be careful.
Edit: Actually, spider mites are so insidious and impervious to spraying (in my experience), you may be better off getting rid of the gardenias earlier rather than later in order to save your other plants.
The single most important thing though is to isolate the infestation so that your other plants don't succumb.
Spider mites will also be in the soil so be careful.
Edit: Actually, spider mites are so insidious and impervious to spraying (in my experience), you may be better off getting rid of the gardenias earlier rather than later in order to save your other plants.
#6
lovelynugget
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Posted 14 April 2006 - 06:41 PM
g.johnson, on Apr 14 2006, 06:30 PM, said:
The leaves look OK. We've only just bought the damn thing so I'm reluctant to chuck it out. Brutal insecticide it is then.
You have to soak the plant and soil for several weeks with insecticide. I was afraid you were going to say that you just bought them, which means they were infested from before. This is the danger: you brought an infested plant into your home, thereby risking whatever other healthy plants you have.
I understand not wanting to throw them out. Gardenias are so beautiful and give off such a lovely odor, but the warning is there. Once you have spider mites, it is very difficult to get rid of or to not have them spread.
(Spider mites like warm dry environments, so watch out!)
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