Have you checked for Spider MItes yet!!? Just a reminder:-)

12 years ago

With all this unusully warm DRY weather, it time for the munchers to start about their buisines, doing what they always do, zap the enrgy from our trees and drain the dry dry!

Yup, if you aren not vigilent, they will catch you off guard as they did me, so it's time to act and wage this campaign against them

It has been a VERY TOUGH year for many I know, and I too was caught off guard, BUT KILLED THE SUCKERS, and now I am on the prowl, they won't beat me or catch me off guard again, not like they killed my Lime tree.

Look for sudden limpness in your leaves, moddled very new growth, deformed new growth, curled leaves, leaves that look dehydrated even though their is plenty of moisture in the mix, sudden drop of blossom and very new growth.

This is VERY easy to see and catch, so don't be fooled.

Hope this makes you aware before it's too late and kills your tree like it did my Lime:-(

Mike

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Comments (4)

tantanman
12 years ago
Mike: Why not tell them how you took care of the problem?

To all in the ground growers: If you need to prune citrus you're getting late and now is the time or very soon. That does not count for freeze damage that you should wait a bit longer for. Freeze sometimes stuns the tree and "They" rec waiting several months before cutting back to the green wood.

Remember this, citrus pruning is not mandatory like some fruit trees except for rootstock growth called "suckers". Now is a good time to inspect for sucker growth and "rub them off" now, a task that can be done in conjunction with the first spring fertilization. Note Mike above was refering to spider mites as "THE SUCKERS" but I'm talking about real suckers now (not that mites don't suck your tree), and they can ruin your tree if left unchecked. For rootstock growth inspect near the soil line or up a few inches (where the tree is grafted) and look for a growth with leaves different from the rest of the tree.

Those of you in zone 10 and warmer ought to be well ahead of this by now. Those in colder zones than 9 have a couple weeks or more.

Larry
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
I'll add a comment to Mike's good advice about the spider mites: don't wait for those symptoms to show up! Get on the prowl before you see mottling or speckling on the leaves, or little webs. It's much, much easier to gain control over these darned little things when you catch them early. Right, Mike?

Plain horticultural oil (of your choice) works very well to smother adult mites and their eggs. Read and follow the directions on your product. You can also use a solution of rubbing alcohol and water ( usually at a rate of one part alcohol to three or four parts water) applied from a misting bottle. I think that Mike used Fish Emulsion as his 'cure'. It's probably the oil in the emulsion that does the trick.

Spider mites typically hang out in largest quantities on the under side of the leaves so make sure that any product used is applied properly.
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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
12 years ago
I frequently check for Spider Mites....and they're always there ;-D

As Rhizo says, It's easier to keep up than catch up! Treat early, treat often!

Josh
meyermike_1micha
Original Author
12 years ago
These products I always have on hand to keep mites and other pests at bay and to avoid overwatering:-)
All natural soap, pure cold pressed Neem oil, wooden dowel sticks, a magnifying glass, alchohol, and a spray bottle.

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Hello Rhizo and others! Thank you for your input too.:-)

Have you checked for Spider MItes yet!!? Just a reminder:-)

Comments (4)

tantanman

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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Have you checked for Spider MItes yet!!? Just a reminder:-)

Comments (4)

tantanman

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

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