Thanks hopefulauthor! I will take your advice and hopefully those nasty little mites will kick the bucket.

Lynn

I had a draceana marginata with those dang mites on it but I won the battle - lots of showers, and not just sitting the plant under the spray but lifting up the leaves and making sure the water hits everywhere. Insecticidal soap spray in between showers, mites are gone!! Well, I have heard that they will always be present in small numbers, you just have to keep the upper hand.

Lynn, I think you know that English Ivy is a plant that many of us refuse to allow in our homes because of those darned spider mites! You'll have to keep after those little pests on a regular basis for as long as you have the plant.

Insecticidal soaps will help, as will alcohol sprays. Try those in between all of those showers, lol! (Fill a plant mister with a solution of one part rubbing alcohol to three parts water and mist the underside of the leaves to kill mites.)

If you persist, you can enjoy ivy as an indoor plant. I'm not willing to deal with it, nor do I want any of the other plants infested, but you sound pretty darned determined! Good luck!

I think w/proper care, and more importantly a cool room in winter, ivy does fine..I've a couple ivy's. One Algerian that's over 10 yrs old..and another w/various types growing as a topiary in one pot. Maybe it's because I mist daily or keep in unheated rooms, but they never get mites.
I chuckle everytime I see small, ceramic pots filled w/ivy sold at my grocery store @ outrageous prices. What a rip off! And these plants are sold at full prices, too. Amazing, isn't it? Toni

Those darned little buggers! I agree with the above info. The only way I've been able to keep healthy ivies indoors is by showering them once or twice a week.

I've got a Philo that has been battling mites. I think we've won, but time will tell. The plant was a small-leafed one that I bought as an UR cutting, and I grew it enclosed for about the first year. I tell you, the mites must've been hanging around waiting for me to uncover it, because as soon as I did, they were right there! (No other plants were even in the area, as most were outside then.) Even though it was humid at the time, the drop from near 100% to about 75% was enough to stress the plant and leave it vulnerable. I'll have to watch it very carefully as the humidity drops further, going into winter!

As to your Kalanchoe-- Toni's right; you don't need to cut it back if you don't want to. Some Kalanchoes are more prone to forming aerial roots than others, but often times the plant sends them out in search of more water. If your plant's still growing actively and if you have a well-draining mix for it so it doesn't stay wet, you might want to water it a little more often.

I've had three tough fights with mites- and I've always listened to the advice from everyone here. I won two of those three battles! There was a fourth- but I just tossed it out- getting rid of mites takes diligence I feel and I just didn't care too much for that particular plant.

Now, I just do a preventative spray of neem oil and water- maybe 2 or 3 times a week (depending on how gung ho I'm feeling) and a weekly shower. In the winter, I try to mist almost every day due to the dryness inside and try to shower more than once a week if I can (mostly I can't be bothered though).

Don't give up- I had really really bad mites on a plant- and I refused to give it up. I eventually did use chemicals (yes, I admit I did)- but only a couple of times- out of sheer exhasperation. The plant is so beautiful and healthy now, makes me feel proud that I didn't toss it out. It's hard work but it's worth it!

Once you get rid of the mites, I think taking a precautionary action is probably good. I think there are quite a few different ones out there that we Houseplant-ers follow- mine is the neem spray. Try what you think will work for you and what will be easier for you to keep up with.

I agree with everyone here. I may not be willing to own any more ivy plants but I do have a weakness for the Alocasia, which spider mites also seem to enjoy. By showering this plant weekly, the mites have been kept at bay. It may seem like a hassle but it really only takes a few minutes a week. The bonus is the enjoyment of a plant that I adore. A little extra care is all you need to enjoy your plant.

(ooojen...LOL...that conjures up a funny image. I could just picture the mites hanging around waiting for you to uncover that poor plant...)

Can anyone here fill me in on neem spray and is it safe because I have two children, ages three and five. Where can I find it? Or maybe I've been overlooking it at the store?

Thanks for all the great advice, I've been following your advice since my first post and after the shower I haven't found any more mites but I know the indoor hot and dry season is on its way. I'll keep up the good fight because it's a gorgeous plant.

Lynn

Soy, neem is not dangerous for children. I know it can good for humans too actually. We used to have to drink juice made out of neem leaves when we were kids- it tasted awful!!! But apparently good for you.

I buy them from the Indian stores around me, I don't know where you can find it near you. Maybe a health or specialty store that sells different oils? I'm sure you can find them online easily too

If you do a search on this forum for neem, you will find some very interesting and useful info- it has been talked about a lot. Unfortunately, it isn't me, who has the detailed knowledge of neem- or I would repeat it for you- it was AL. Maybe he'll join in later. But there are some posts by him in the past which have a lot of good information.