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Something is killing my Hedera Helix - help identify?

6 years ago

Hi,

This little pest killed three of our ivy plants and is now back on the new ones. The leaves slowly start losing color and there are these white dots (I wouldn't even call them mites, they are so tiny) under the leaf which look as if they had been caught in white web:

The "web" is also seen here on the lower part of the overturned leaf:

Discoloration starts showing around the edges of leaves (see the top edge of the one I am holding):

The old plants we had to throw away, after they were infected for a while, started developing a light brown layer around the edge of the pot they were in. The substance looked dry, but was moist inside when wiped off from the pot. I do not have pictures of it.

Any ideas would be very welcome. Thank you.

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Comments (4)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years ago
Is this an indoor ivy? If so, I can pretty much guarantee you have spider mites.....it is almost impossible to grow ivy indoors without them. Keeping the humidity up pretty high where the plants are located can help but the best thing to do is to spray down the plants with water on at least a weekly basis, perhaps even more often, until you get the problem under control.
Penny Lane
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you. Yes, it is an indoor ivy. I had my plants for years (living on the 7th floor) and never had problems. Within 6 months of moving (1st floor) the plants were dead.

Should I add soap to water I spray them with? Insecticide?
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one other thought... this plant will have MANY leaves.. sprouting from the bottom ... if this is the first leaf ... get rid of it.. clean up the rest.. and hope the second leaf will not get attacked ... BTW.. why is it starting growth this time of year???? .. in the US ... seems wildly out of phase ... or in the alternative.. why am i presuming it is just coming out of dormancy ... ken
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years ago
You don't need to unless just the water spray fails to be effective Spider mites dislike a lot of moisture or high humidity and just spraying with water is usually sufficient.
Penny Lane thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
put your hand over your pot .. fingers thru the plant .... if its small enough ... invert it ... and go to town spraying it ... you can be rather harsh with it.. short of physical damage to the leaves ....

if you have more than one plant.. do them all at once ...

and better if you do it.. away from where you otherwise keep them ... the utility sink.. or even bathtub or kitchen sink ... i mean really.. if you are going to dislodge them .. may as well run them down the drain ...

and if you have other plants nearby.. treat them all ... i am wondering how you get rid of other plants .. buy new.. and still have the same problem .. whats that all about ... i would have expected that NOT to happen ....

if these are very new plants.. i would be complaining to the seller ...

ken

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