Hi Nev, Re vinegar in bromeliad cups, I haven't seen anything definitive on this, but I could offer the following thoughts. The effectiveness of the chemical mechanics that plants use to absorb nutrients are often strongly affected by pH. Something like Ae. fasciata would be adapted to be good at absorbing nutrients from its cup full of decomposing leaf litter, which would have a pH that is quite acidic. Vinegar is strongly acidic, so putting some in the cup of the plant would put the pH in the acidic range, which would help the plant to be as good as possible at absorbing any nutrients that are also in there. Maybe the malt residues in brown malt vinegar could also provide some nutrition directly, but I wouldn't mind betting that the main effect would be via pH, and this could be a big effect, especially if the water supply has been made quite alkaline by the water supply authorities, as is often the case. Like mine is. Hey, I'm getting a bottle of brown malt vinegar on the way home from work tonight and that fluting variegated fasciata of mine is getting a dose! Thanks for a great idea. Cheers, Paul

Hi Penny. Your question prompted me to find out more about these mini-monsters in disguise so I've just been reading about the life cycle of scale insects!! So here's the nitty-gritty! Apparently, they lay eggs under the protection of the scale itself, these hatch into nymphs which are more mobile than the adult scales. Or some types lay eggs in bundles of white waxy threads. Can't find any info that says they migrate into the soil at any stage. Those attached to g/h or house plants can breed continuously so you can get all stages from eggs through to nymphs and adults at any one time. The adults are harder to eradicate due to the shell they hide under, the softer immature nymphs and eggs are destroyed easier. Those adults on outdoor plants tend to breed only once, in late June-July. Most annoyingly, scales can stay glued to the plant for some time after they have been killed off and presumably look just like the live ones....so how do you know if they're actually dead?? Goodness knows!! Anyway, thorough spraying with whatever you choose, plus squishing those you can see (either dead or live ones) will hopefully rid the plants of this pesky pest at some point. The product I used was Bayer's Provado Ultimate Bug Killer and contains Thiacloprid....and I hope it works!!! The plant I treated is still alive so that's good news!! Hope this helps. Gill from the UK.

Go Confidor.You will need to spray each time an outbreak occurs but but material safety data sheets suggest practically non-toxic.Our experience is 100% kill every time.Disyston and confidor also control thrips (or at least non-resistant ones).Talking of ladybirds we had some black aphids on our roses ealier in Spring which we don't normally have problems with.They had plainly jumped off some nearby weeds.As their numbers weren't escalating too badly I held off spraying.After a short period the ladybirds arrived and thoroughly cleaned them up, right to the last one.We're not normally this lucky though. Thrip

Agree to get it in ground w root barrier. The photo shows the soil as quite wet. The leaf damage indeed could be caused by too much water*, root disturbance, bug feeding, fungal or bacterial attack, and/or salt/fertlizer burn of root tips. Generally this is easily solved with the right soil mix, pot type/size and watering method. Roots must be healthy to transport water to leaves so that the leaf edges don't dehydrate and sunburn. Soil has microclimate and microflora to combat fungi and insects. It gives drainage, nutrient snd gas exchange. Adequate air for root health maintenance or recovery is important to plants. Drainage, access to moisture (not standing water) and adequate air axchange is easy to get in average garden soils, unless there is too little organic matter or too much clay. *Even with light watering, I've seen leaves like this for pots set into shallow saucer or plates, which reduces watering needs. Salts can build up if you don't flush when you water, and with prolonged wet rots can set in, or the soil capillaries can be water filled and too little oxygen might get in. For potted plants with average water needs generally let the soil dry enough that you have to poke your fingers in 1/2" before you feel much moisture. And water enough so some dripping action us seen out of the drainage holes and salts can flush away. I do not let pot bottoms stand in even a cm of water, unless it is a bog plant! Constant standing water is only good for bogs plants (but they better flush). Ideally average garden plants in a pot should dry enough to need watering every 3-4 days during the growing season. If not in this range you not are watering right or the pot is not sized right for the pot. In pots soil often packs with time, unless there is enough root action to loosen it. In the ground (the ultimate in large containers) their is worm and insect action to make water drainage air/exchange capillaries. And if it is dry 1/2" down but wet in the bottom lower section most the time, the potting mix is too old (organics break down) or it is calcium salts filled. Thus, repot it. Clay pots aerate better through the sides and so overwatering used to be less of an issue. We use so many plastic pots now l that correct pot size has become more critical. Modern potting mixes are ammended with more fluffy peat and porus perlite and sand to get better balanced moisture, air, and drainage.