Scale on Ficus benjamina
chezron
9 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (11)
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
9 years agozzackey
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Ficus Benjamina sticky sap
Comments (3)Your ficus probably have an infestation of scale insects, which can go undetected by those who don't know what to look for. Though there are many different species of these pests, the kind most often seen on ficus are small, flat, brown 'bumps' located on the leaves and along the stems. They don't move but can be removed by a fingernail or other flat object. If you're wanting to sell YOUR ficus, the scale infestation makes them worth very little, in my opinion. Other than that, the price would depend upon the condition of the trees, size of trunk and root ball, etc....See Moreficus Benjamina leaves and branches turning brown
Comments (16)A dowel rod is a round piece of wood - like a pencil. You can get one at a hdwe store & sharpen it in a pencil sharpener. Alternately, us a 12" wooden skewer - they come pre-sharpened. * Move the plant to a spot where you can repeatedly and thoroughly flush the soil with water that hasn't passed through the softener. * Flush the soil up to 10 times with at least as much water as the volume of the container the plant is in. You cannot overdo it. * After flushing, tilt the container at a 45* angle and wait for the container to stop draining. This drains a considerable amount more water than allowing the container to rest on its bottom. * After draining has stopped, remove the plant from it's pot and set on newspapers to drain. If the plant is small, a few hours is fine - if large, allow it to rest on the papers over night. * With a utility knife, slash deep vertical cuts into the root mass and an 'X' on the bottom. Alternately, you can remove an inch or two of the roots/soil from the bottom. * Pot up into a slightly larger pot and fill in around the roots with a soil similar to what you currently have in the root mass. Use a wick in the bottom of the pot if you are going to be able to lift the pot above the collection saucer (best). Ideally, the wick will dancle 2-3" below the bottom of the pot w/o contacting the water in the collection saucer. (I know - a lot to ask) ;o) This wick will 'fool' the water into 'thinking' the pot is deeper than it is. Water will move down the wick 'looking' for the bottom of the pot, and droip off the end. This will go a long way toward eliminating the specter of root rot and allowing you to water copiously enough to flush the soil each time you water to help gurad against salt accumulation. * A few days after you've repotted, fertilize with 1/2 the recommended strength of Miracle-Gro 24-8-16 (granular/box), Miracle-Gro 12-4-8 (liquid/yellow jug), or Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 (best, but you'd probably need to order online) * Give it all the light you can, and try to keep soil temps @ 65-75* That's the standard plan for bringing Ficus back from the brink. I'm not sure how many it's worked for, but I know it's more than I can guess at .... lots. ;o) Best luck!! I'll be around if you still have questions. Al...See MoreFicus Benjamina
Comments (3)Do you have photos? My benjamina produce a lot of aerial roots, especially in humid weather. But I wouldn't say they're "too minute to see any detail without a microscope". Aerial roots are brittle when new but harden off later and become quite wiry and tough....See MoreScale on Huernia
Comments (23)I have close to 200 pots of succulents. I don't remember having a mealy, but thinking back, I know there was some (I didn't know what mealy is at that time). I used rubbing alcohol which seems to me a pretty good product to use for other problems too, namely scale. Personally, I don't consider scale to be as bad to treat for one reason: easier to see and relatively easy to get rid of. I get scale on ficus Benjamina sometimes, also on bay leaf tree, and so far only very little on Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (they seem to like it's leaves!) and on one Portulacaria afra cutting. Luckily, I usually catch it when there are just few 'bugs' and alcohol s all I needed. I have used horticultural oil on it too once, but didn't work any better so I don't see a reason to pay for a mix that doesn't give me better results. Never found scale on other succulents - hope it stays that way! I find a palm being worse than most other plants, it had some mites few times. I used horticultural oil and also alcohol spray on that. So I don't care for growing palms anymore...seedlings I get, I usually give away (and I mention 'problems' I had with older plant :) It could be they don't like my house, lol. I had some kind of a fungus on one of the aloes. For that, I made a solution of cinnamon powder with rubbing alcohol and little water. It worked well, aloe seems to be free of it (it's been almost a year). I have used the same on one of the phaleonopsis - it worked too. And it smells good :) I keep all plants outdoors and have to bring them in for the winter. I read that some ppl treat them before coming inside, but I never tried that - so far, no problems. Hope my 'luck' continues...I am trying not to use chemical treatments right away in case bugs may become tolerant - saving them for something serious should that happen. Btw, I never used Windex - may try that if needed....See Morechezron
9 years agochezron
9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
9 years agoteengardener1888
9 years agocclopton6
6 years agochezron
6 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agochezron
6 years ago
Related Stories
HOUSEPLANTSPlay Up Some Fiddleleaf Figs for a Lively Indoor Tune
Strike a dramatic chord in a minimalist scene or a country note in a rustic setting — fiddleleaf fig plants harmonize with any style
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTS8 Essentials for Healthy Indoor Plants
Houseplants add so much to our homes — and can thrive when grown in the right conditions. Keep these tips in mind
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTS10 Top Plants to Grow Indoors
Brighten a room and clean the air with a houseplant that cascades artfully, stretches toward the ceiling or looks great on a wall
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESDitch the Rules but Keep Some Tools
Be fearless, but follow some basic decorating strategies to achieve the best results
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESThe Dumbest Decorating Decisions I’ve Ever Made
Caution: Do not try these at home
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTS8 Houseplants You Can't Kill
They're forgiving and let you forget. Houseplants don't get any easier than this
Full StoryMODERN HOMESHouzz Tour: Earthy Decor Adds Warmth to a Modern Home
Nature-based colors and rustic elements bring a cozier feeling to a minimalist house in Southern California
Full StoryTREESHow to Use Trees Inside
Bring nature close by integrating the beauty of trunks and trees — even smaller leafy trees — into your home
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTSHow to Create an Indoor Landscape
Apply principles and elements of design to help your indoor garden flourish
Full StoryPETSIncredible Home Catwalks Make for Purr-fectly Happy Felines
Walkways and tunnels custom built to the tune of about $35,000 keep a homeowner’s 18 cats on cloud nine
Full Story
Dave