Mystery Damage w/ photos...HELP!

16 years ago

In case you haven't seen my last two postings...my jade plant is dying fast...it's leaf drop is continuing...

I thought it was spider mites...now i'm not sure. The leaves are bronzing, the undersides all have brown marbling, and they are dropping at least two a day. I noticed some mystery bugs (about the size of this asterisk (*)) that were grayish-white, scurrying around the base of the pot. I have yet to see any bugs on the leaves, but i know something's wrong. I'm having issues attaching a photo to this message, but i posted three in the garden gallery...if you enter "jedbeginner" in the garden gallery search bar, they will show up...

does anyone know what's going on? (For my other postings on the same problem...put "jedbeginner" in the toolbar or just scroll down.

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Comments (6)

jedbeginner
Original Author
16 years ago
Sorry...here are the exact URLs...i hope they work!

http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2007/06/pest_damage_2.html

http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2007/06/pest_damage_1.html

http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2007/06/pest_damage.html
botanybob
16 years ago
I don't think this is an insect problem. Dropping leaves sounds more like an environmental cause. What is the history of this problem? Has anything changed for the plant recently? The plants do not appear to be too large for the pots they are in, but you might have a look at the roots to see if they are healthy.
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jedbeginner
Original Author
16 years ago
I'm seriously considering repotting, and checking the roots as I do so...three questions before i do:
(1) is that risky? will repotting kill a dying plant?
(2) what should i look for in the roots?
(3) and, if i see something wrong with the roots, what do i do about it??

Its a shame that the pictures don't show what the plant looked like before i trimmed the bronzed leaves away, and I haven't gotten a picture of any critter on the leaves themselves. The pictures make the plant actually look healthier than it is.

I used fairly decent potting soil, and i've been maintaining the plant alongside most watering/fertilizer recommendations.

I'm starting to think that maybe the alcohol mixture is damaging the plant. I was using 50/50 alcohol and water, with a few drops of dish soap. An agricultural website said that it was an effective miticide. I'm not in a position to agree or disagree (i never saw the critters).

I looked at a picture of a mealybug online...it looks SIMILAR to what i saw, but the visual symptoms of the plant are nothing like what was described.
jean001
16 years ago
Additional comments are on your original post at
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pests/msg061809083660.html?9

Here is a link that might be useful: your original post
jedbeginner
Original Author
16 years ago
Hey everyone...please see my latest post...i FINALLY caught one of the pests on camera! What is it??

Here is a link that might be useful: Evidence 1
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
listen jed ... your name indicates you are a beginner ... welcome to the gardening world ...

but i have to tell you ... you really need some more plants.. so you will quit fixating on this particular one ... lol

if it were me ...

first... all house plant get a systemic drench of bug killer... cleans the soil .. and cleans the plant.. from the inside out.. summer is the perfect time to do this.. because you can do it outdoors.... i am not for a lot of chemical use.. but house plants.. i want them clean when they come back in the house in fall ... i do not recommend specific chemicals.. that is for you and your local nursery to figure out.. read and follow all instructions COMPLETELY ...

second ... after a proper dose .. once the plant is 'clean' ... learn how to propagate it ... as i recall it is pretty easy on this plant ... i am sure google, or one of our friends can tell you how ... that way .. should this one become too much of a problem ... you have one or two more ... which are exactly the same plant ... i would try to propagate 5 ... so with failure rates... you end up with a second.. and have a few for gifts to friends ...

plants do NOT live forever ... and sometimes its easier to just cut your losses and move on ....

and i wouldn't repot it.. until the babes are on their way .. so if you kill the big one... well .. you have more ....

that's what i would do ...

good luck on your new hobby .. ken

Mystery Damage w/ photos...HELP!

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jedbeginner
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botanybob

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Mystery Damage w/ photos...HELP!

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jedbeginnerOriginal Author

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