betzie, Despite my stupidity on assuming all sage is edible, I've been reading up on herbs for a while now. All herbs are plants, but not all plants are herbs. (Yeah, you probably knew that, but wanted to start at the beginning. LOL) I've read four books, and two magazines on herbs in the last year, and none of them have the same list for what they consider "herb," so, apparently the line is foggy. The definition seemes to be "plants with more then one purpose." The ones I was asking about were the culinary ones! Some of the others that I know about (and knew were poisonous) serve other purposes: Tansy was and can still be used to keep ants and other insects from even wanting to come into your home, if planted near the steps. It was also dropped on colonial floors and windows, because of it's pine smell, to freshen up the closed up winter home, before deodorant was invented. Indigo was used for purple dyes. Matter of fact, many plants under the heading of "herb" were used for dyes -- both for clothing or painting. Aloe is good for burns, and I'm sure you can start thinking of other purposes folks use plants for, besides spices. Frankly, I was surprised when someone told me that lily-of-the-valley was poisonous. I didn't know it was considered an herb, and never considered eating it. Now I know not to eat it. LOL Now, it's hard to answer your question specifically, because some books call roses "herbs," because you can eat the petals and rose hips (not the stemans, pistons, or rest of the plant), while others don't list them at all. Some daylilies are edible, and one kind of marigold (pot marigold) is edible, but the rest aren't. And then the whole thing gets very blurry, when you realize some plants that are considered poisonous are consumed anyway -- elderberries! (Apparently, only a problem if you drink too much, but what is too much?) I was also surprised to find out my brother served us something poisonous for dinner, years ago -- pokeweed! It was delicious and grows as a weed around here, but reading up on it, I no longer have the guts to try it. The rhubarb stems are edible, but nothing else. It's all very confusing. Back in the olden days (last year) before I knew some herbs that I assumed were for cooking are poisonous, I also tried lavander on pizza -- yummy! Had it again tonight! (Don't know if it's poisonous or not, but hasn't killed us yet. Then again, we don't eat a lot, and we ate Russian Sage for a couple of years, too. Maybe, I'm not the one who should list the edibles. LOL) I do suggest reading books about herbs. It's been fun! I've learned how to make dried wreathes for soups or Christmas. I've also learned more uses for herbs besides the Simon and Garfunkel herbs (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. ;) ) Now, if garden centers and nurseries would be kind enough to realize that some of us (me!!!) are simply naive, and actually tell us that the plants called "sage" are poisonous. LOL

I'm sure the company has a customer service number on their website. Call them - they will know and can answer it definitively. FataMorgana

Been a long time since this thread has been active, but thought I would add a new section of information. If you have any updates/additional experience with pests or pesticides on your specific succulent species, please contribute! Dealing with Mites on Succulents (Practical and Effective Guide) Mites are horrible tiny creatures that can do a lot of damage. It starts off slow, but as their numbers grow the damage increases very significantly. Note: There is a lot of crazy advice and misinformation about mites on the internet, do NOT believe it all. I have done not only an incredible amount of research but also worked with a PHD in surfactants, PHD in microbiology, and Professor of Entomology to develop my strategy for mite eradication. Step 1: Recognize them and their damage. Thin wisps of webs (depending on mite type). Distorted growth (bubbles, lumps, galls, strange shape). Happens at the fastest growing areas of the plant - center of rosettes, leaf buds, flower buds. Extremely tiny crawling creatures (may or may not be visible). Small pin-sized damage to leaves or unusual drying/dying of new growth. Step 2: If you suspect mites, you will need some tools to find them. 60x loupe, highly recommended. 40x loupe is the minimum. LED light, preferably as part of the loupe (alternatively a very bright working area). 250x microscope or similar, recommended if you have Eriophyid mites (USB microscope by Pluggable brand works well). Clear tape for slide mounting mites if you have a compound microscope. Step 3: Identify the type of mite. This is VERY IMPORTANT because different mites are killed by different pesticides. Red Spider Mites: Little red specks (400 microns) that move at a moderate speed. Can be seen with a sharp eye. With a loupe, look for a reddish fat round body with tiny legs on the sides. If you shine a bright light on them or blow on them gently they will usually scurry off. Tarsonid (Cyclamen / Broad) Mites: Very tiny white blobs (250-300 microns) that move a little slower than red spider mites. They look like little translucent eggs that move. With high magnification you may see their front appendages and legs while moving. Without a 40x loupe, seeing these is fairly hopeless. Eriophyid (Aloe) Mites: Extremely tiny worm-looking creatures (150-200 microns). Their 'tails' can move around when feeding or disturbed. Without a good loupe, you will not see them. At 60x you can see them but only the overall shape. Microscope is required to see the details. You should only find these living on Aloes and Haworthia as they are very host specific. Step 4: Quarantine affected plants and treat immediately. Luckily, most mites like to stick to their host plant. But if you go splashing around water, spraying them near other plants, or let them touch other plants they will spread. You should treat immediately because the longer you wait the worse it gets. If you wait too long, the damage is irreversible. If the plant is cheap and/or only a few are affected you may opt to pitch it in the garbage/burn it. If you are lazy, I would definitely throw the plant away because to eradicate mites it takes quite a bit of effort. Possibly more than any pest listed above except maybe thrips and whiteflies (I never had those but heard nasty things about them). You MAY opt to treat your entire collection. In fact, this is probably a very good idea because if you miss some, you will end up spot-treating your plants in a game of cat-and-mouse for weeks or months. Step 5: Decide what miticides you will use. You WILL need more than one. Consult this list and choose two with different Modes of Actions (MOA): OHP Chemical Class Chart You NEED at least two miticides because if you use the same one, the mites will become resistant and your miticide will become useless. Make SURE the miticides are different MOA. If not, then you are wasting your time and money. Step 5a: Here are some of my recommended miticides. Not all miticides kill all mites!! You need to check the label to know what they work against. MOA Group are included below with the active ingredient. Avid (Abamectin Group 6): Translaminar action (absorbed into the leaves) which lasts for 3 weeks! Highly recommended and extremely effective. Also extremely expensive. Bayer 3-in-1 (Tau-fluvalinate Group 3): Contact action. Can also use Schultz Houseplant and Garden Insecticide 709 which also has Pyrethrin and is cheaper. Note that Imidacloprid does NOT kill mites so Bayer Tree and Shrub is useless. Insecticidal Soap (Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids Group M): Believe it or not... soap can kill mites but really it's not very good. The real use here is to COMBINE the soap with your other miticides to provide better coverage. Any soap works, but the long chains of insecticidal soaps (or something like Lutensol XL-90 or Triton X-100) will minimize leaf tissue damage. You just need 5-10% in solution to help. Floramite (Bifenazate Group UN): Unknown action but kills on contact and lasts for 3 weeks! Highly recommended and also extremely expensive. Does NOT work on Eriophyid mites. ?Sevin? (Carbaryl Group 1A): Have not tested this on succulents, but works against all types of mites. Should kill on contact. Unsure if it causes leaf damage. Ultrasonic cleaner (Group M): Damages eggs and can kill mites. Recommended to use indirect cleaning method (to keep your cleaner safe for other uses) and duration close to 10 minutes with surfactant/soap. This combination is proven to kill 98% of two-spotted mites (study by J. D. Hansen). Adding miticide will improve effectiveness even further. Step 6: Remove ALL affected plant tissue. If simple damage from red spider mites, just remove any dead/badly infested leaves carefully. If there is distorted growth you must cut it ALL out. Use an exacto, scalpel, or razor blade. The distorted growth gives nooks and crannies for the mites to hide in so it has to all go. Your plant will become ugly. Step 7: Wear the proper protective gear and apply. Recommend nitrile gloves, respirator, safety glasses, long clothing. Mix pesticide with 5-10% soap/surfactant. Shake well. Outside, spray thoroughly on all parts of plant, especially nooks and crannies and under leaves. Leave plant in well ventilated or air exhausted area. Do NOT re-enter for at least 16 hours or the recommended re-entry time (check label). Take your gloves off properly and wash your clothes/take a shower. Step 7a: Highly recommended to use ultrasonic cleaner if practical. Applying miticide with surfactant/soap and ultrasonic action is extremely effective. This is THE best method I've tried yet. Ultrasonic cleaners are pretty cheap on Amazon or found locally. Plus you can keep your jewelry sparkling clean! Hopefully your succulent is small and in gritty mix. Remove all soil. Small because you want to put in a glass (jar or beaker) which will sit in the ultrasonic cleaner. Fill the glass with well mixed miticide + surfactant (so you use less) and outside the glass with water to the fill line. If your miticide solution is warm, that is better because you will get better cavitation (should not be hot though). Cleaning time close to 10 minutes is recommended. Simply repot in gritty with minimal disruption to the roots and follow re-entry protocol for that area. If you are tidy, it will be easier to re-inspect plants because any debris, dust, egg casings, etc. will be removed due to ultrasonic cavitation. I did not observe any tissue damage after multiple ultrasonic treatments. Step 8: Post-spray care. Keep your plants out of light to prevent phytotoxicity. Do not water your plants. Mites feed easier on fresh growth so slowing plant growth down will slow the mites down. Week 1: Examine very carefully to verify your treatment was effective. Week 3: Re-apply the SAME miticide as the first. Week 4: Re-inspect. Hopefully you found nothing. Week 5: Apply your SECOND miticide. Week 6: Re-inspect. Hopefully you found nothing or else you may need to improve your treatment method. Week 7: Re-apply your SECOND miticide. Week 8: Re-inspect. No mites! Step 8a: If you found mites after 8 weeks. Check if you removed all distorted growth. If not, more surgery is required. Check you used the right miticide. Reapply your first miticide IF you have not exceeded the # of allowable treatments per year for that miticide. If you have exceeded the # of treatments, you will need a THIRD miticide with a different MOA to add to your rotation. Overall summary notes: You CAN eradicate red spider, Tarsonemid, and Eriophyid mites. It WILL require a lot of diligent work, you cannot be lazy. Good miticides are very expensive. You can use cheaper ones too. If you have an expensive or extensive collection, I do not recommend trying weird/dangerous homebrew or DIY methods for dealing with mites. As you can see above, you need a well planned and structured method to eradicate them fully. It is very helpful to understand mite biology and life cycle to get in the mindset when treating for them. This applies to any pest, but mites can be particularly challenging to deal with. I really don't know if anybody will read or use this guide or information, but at least I thought I'd try to share my findings and experience! Took far too many words to explain it, but when you do it in person the process is actually very quick.

That's actually a very good question as it strikes at the heart of "organic" vs factory farming. IMHO, organic gardening is more labor intensive and much safer for you and the environment. Visit your local Grocery Store and you'll see the produce department filled with gorgeous veggies. The ones labeled organic will cost more than the factory farmed ones. Also, since the consumer now wants Strawberries in February, etc. A large majority are shipped in from Mexico, Central and South America. Think they don't use various and sundry chemicals? I own a farm, though not doing much with it anymore as I'm retired, am very familiar with the various chemical cocktails Bayer, etc. woo farmers with. If you want to be comfy with chemicals, consider this, Chemicals are very expensive, farmers use the minimal amount to achieve the desired level of control. Contrast that to the "urbanite" who buys something at the local garden center, breaks out the gallon pump up sprayer, probably doesn't read the instructions e.g. "1/2-1 tsp. per gallon of water and proceeds to put in a few "glugs." Hey, this is America, more has gotta be better-right? Guess what, it controls the problem. If you want to use chemicals, READ the instuctions and err on the low side of the application rate. If the instructions say "damp or moisten" DON"T drown the plant! Yeah, more is better. Put another way, At some point you've probably had your M.D. proscribe something and got the explanation that "Drugs aren't good for you, however, we evaluate the "desired result vs the bad result" and you should take this. Words to that..... With the evolution of the Colorado Potato Beetle's resistance to anything else, if you buy potatoes, they've been treated with a systemic. To really understand what a systemic is, consider this: A trench or furrow is dug in your garden, potatoes are placed in it, a systemic is sprayed down the row, "annointing" both seed potatoes and the soil between, row is covered. As the potato grows, it absorbs this, a beetle comes along and proceeds to dine on the plant and dies. One treatment, good for the entire season. So the chemical is spread thoughout the plant, including the potatoes you harvest. BTW, it also stays in the soil, successive planting over succesive years the level increases. A pollinator wanders in and takes nectar from a bloom.....:-( As I said earlier, Organic is more labor intensive and is better for the environment and you. However, with the world population increasing and insects continuing to develop resistance to controls available, more and stronger controls are continually being developed in order to provide enough food. I'm not going anywhere with this particuarly, just wanted folks to understand what systemic means and if you choose to go that route, understand what you're doing and exhaust mechanical means as described above, sprays, pinching, barriers, etc. before chemicals are used. Be well,