Hi Susan,

what glorious pictures, am so jealous.. and happy for you with all the inflos..

the pictures of Hawaii sunset, My husband and I celebrated our 25th anniversary first time in Ohau, sat on the beach with mai tais, to see the sunset..brings back memories, married now 44 years.

The spider mites, if they are on the leaves..only thing that can kill them are fungacide. buttt.. can mess up your leaves and inflos. I have some spider mites, been taking them off with my fingers, is dampness.. I might wash them off early morning to dry then get warm..if damp and cool I would take damp scot towel and clean them..doing that on my gardenias.

Now that is what I would do..you need a expert to come in here and give you proper advise.

Karen B.

Thanks Karen,
We went to Hawaii for our 31st anniversary.. Was just beautiful... I was drinking a Margarita at the time..LOL
I have been cleaning them off and yes the stuff make your leaves look like crap... Ok I used an Insectide so you think I should you a fungus one? Is there something you add to the soil that absorbs into the plant? I thought I read that somewhere....
I have millions of pic's from Hawaii... It was breath taking. Thanks once again ... I think I need help..LOL
these plants are driving me crazy.. use this not that...
Susan

Hi Susan,
Schultz puts out a fugacide that takes care of most all, but with an oil that covers the leaves, it seems. I used it on one plumie I got from FC covered in rust, it totally lost all the leaves and had to start over, no rust. ha hate to see that happen to your plants. don't know on the insecticide.

Yes, was discussed about something put in the ground, think Bill or someone said no. I used to raise roses, they are a woody cane, you can use stystemic on them to go up through the roots, they get all bugs. Plumeria seems to have a different soft tissue inside the plant, not sure could handle it..There again, you need someone who is more knowledgeable than me..I wouldn't use it.

LOoks like you have a good case of spider mite.. send out a help. good luck Karen B.

In the ground

Susan,
Neem or horticultural oil works well for spider mites. It smothers both the mites and their eggs. I assume your plumies are inside? Spraying with Neem will not be a problem indoors. Outdoors in intense heat would be a no no because the oil also covers the plants stomata.

Tony

I've never heard of using a fungicide for spider mites, an insecticde but not a fungicide. I'd take your plumie into the shower if you have a hand held nozzle and spray the heck out of it. Just try not to saturate the soil. After it's shower take a cotton ball dipped in alcohol and swab the entire plant paying special attention to the new growth, undersides of the leaves and any little nooks and cranies where the little beasts can hide. I don't like to use insecticides unless absolutely necessary. The shower can be repeated frequently until the mites are gone. Keeping the humidity up helps keep spider mites in check. They are a big problem for me inside but I've never had an infestation when the plants are outside. I guess that would be another reason to move to somewhere in z10 : ) BTW beautiful pics!
Karyn

Hi Karyn,
on the fungacide or insecticide..I have been using this schultz product for years. Its a 3 in one garden safe product..fungacide for rust, powerdy mildew..etc. also reading the bottle ha..an insecticide for aphids etc and for spider mites too, has the neem oil in it too.

I have the starting of sdpidermites on my gardenia, on the new growth..there like Susan hate to spray its in heavy buds..so far on it I have been rubbing off the bugs but now see the dots like Susan has on it.. so may have to spray..I don't know, what is best to do on the plumies, how they re-act to sprays.. when I sprayed for rust on my one plumeria plant, aztec gold, with this product, lost all the leaves, ruined them..but did the full 7 days as recommended, killed the rust, leaves grew back.
Karen B.

Hi Karen,
Regarding the rust. You will never have to worry about rust again once the plants are in our area. Rust cannot survive here so it will never be a problem ever again, unless you order from Florida and the plants arrive with rust. You can just cut off those leaves and it will grow new ones. :)

Tony

Hi Tony,
thanks, appreciate the information, have watched that plant not to re-create the problem, yes from Florida Colors, didn't know they arrive with rust, swift. .. is doing ok now, not grand, have two, one in ground is stronger than this one in a 5 gallon container. Perhaps will do better next year, is Aztec Gold.

I have found the plants in the ground, as you advised to do, are stronger, and growing better, except celedine and daisy in pots. That is interesting!!!!!!!!!!
Karen B.

I have had great success against spider mite using a product available here in the UK called "spraysafe" it kills on contact and leaves no residue. You can check it out here www.progrow.co.uk
Lovely sunset pic! Its chucking it down with rain and blowing a gale here!

Hello Susan, I read on this forum that spidermite cannot survive if the plant has been coated in ordinary cooking oil. I waited until my plumerias were dormant and leafless and sponged every stem and tip with vegetable oil it took a while but that was before Christmas and I have not seen a mite since.I don't know if this would work on a growing plant with leaves,perhaps someone with more knowledge could say.

I was checking out some of the horticultural oils at a nursery and saw that the active ingredient in all but neem products was canola oil. I have no idea if it's processed any differently than the canola oil that you cook with is.
Karyn