new to plant world. found mites!
Elisa Quinzi
5 years ago
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
5 years agoElisa Quinzi
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Spider Mites on my indoor hot pepper plants
Comments (3)Thanks. Can I rid my apartment of the infestation of the mites if I get rid of the 2 pepper plants? They are my only indoor plants now, but I want to start a ton of vegetables and flowers indoors next month. It sounds like getting rid of the pepper plants is the best option? I really like how pretty one of them is, but I don't even like it's peppers. I would really like to ensure no spider mites for the new peppers even if it means getting rid of the old ones. What do I need to do to get rid of spider mites in my apartment? Is dusting and vacuuming enough if I get rid of the pepper plants? What can I do to avoid a spider mite infestation in the future? Last summer was my first attempt to grow anything from seed, so this is all a big learning experience for me. Thanks!...See MoreNew Plants from World Plants
Comments (7)I just use the standard fertilizer when I think about it. I have a nice clump of Heliconias in the corner of my yard and they start blooming in June and will quit in September. Each stalk just produces one bloom and then it dies, but I have new ones that keep coming up. Have you considered growing your Heliconias in the ground? It's too late to start now but there is a book called The Exotic Garden by Richard Iversen which you might take a look at. He started a tropical garden at the State University of New York in Farmingdale which has been a great success. The only thing you have to do is to dig up some of the plants you want to keep and overwinter them in your house or garage.I grew up in Chicago so I know how hot it can get and there is no reason why some of the tropical plants wouldn't do well in Illinois. Your Chorophytum is an unusual plant and I'm sure the web site I found is the same one you did but I'm posting the link anyway.It looks like a really neat plant. Here is a link that might be useful: Chlorophytum nepalense...See MoreSave the world (plant a fern)!
Comments (3)Here is an irony: the odds are probably higher for mankind to nuke himself into oblivion before becoming liquified mush oozing back into a superheated sea! Especially when some governments take it on themselves to play god with the rest of humanity simply because these selfsame governments see all other forms of governance or of social order as inconsequential and must be subverted to become what such governments would have us all to become: just a conduit to propel the powers that be....See MoreWhat attract insects (rose slugs, aphids, mites) to plants?
Comments (22)Khalid wrote in another thread: "Then I stopped spraying even any organic matter. I gave more calcium to my roses which made the soft branches and leaves harder thus making it relatively unattractive for the pests. This reduced the affected bushes / leaves to a good extent." Agree with Khalid, folks in rainy climate lime their soil, either in late fall or early spring, depending on how many inches of rain they get. Rain is acidic at pH 5.6, as the pH drops, less calcium and potassium are available. The best lime to use is Espoma Garden Lime (sold at Walmart for $10 per 5 lb.). It has 20% calcium and 10% magnesium ... both are essential in keeping leaves thick so pests cannot invade. From the above chart, around pH 5.6 (rain water), less molybdenum, less magnesium, less calcium are available. Next nutrients that are less: phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen. I already posted in Organic Rose my experiment that I did with 2 identical Thai basil: I lowered the pH of one with acidic cracked corn (pH 4), plus gypsum (17% sulfur) .. that Thai basil' leaves became pale, plus THINNER due to less calcium and magnesium available. Then I saw blackspots on a Thai basil for the 1st time !! The other basil I planted in my alkaline clay (pH near 8), and it's twice taller plus really thick & glossy leaves (more available nitrogen, potassium, sulfur, calcium, and magnesium). But leaves were just a bit pale due to less iron at high pH, so I gave it blood meal, has chelated iron, and leaves became dark green. I once planted a bok-choy vegetable next to my patio with a limestone base, so the soil is very alkaline, pH 8. The leaves were dark-green, but its so tough that I boiled it for one hour, and it's STILL so fibrous that my teeth can't handle, let alone some tiny pests like aphids, rose slugs, or midge. Rose slugs (sawfly larvae) are very rare in my alkaline clay, unless I lower the pH with my experiments: Put acidic cracked corn (pH 4) in potting soil, and roses got rose-slugs from THINNER LEAVES in acidic rain (calcium, magnesium, and potassium drops when pH drops). Mirandy rose got a big-fat rose-slug on it for the 1st time. Why? It's next to a tree, and the tree robs the soil of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Plus tree roots secret acid, so the soil became even more acidic with rain (pH of rain is 5.6). Used molasses, plus vinegar, plus sulfate of potash (21% sulfur), plus gypsum (17% sulfur) ... such acidic solution made leaves thinner, plus the stinky molasses really attract sawfly which give birth to rose-slugs. CONCLUSION: The best solution for pests is to raise soil pH by using dolomitic lime such as Espoma Garden lime (20% calcium and 10% magnesium). My soil is dolomitic clay, so I don't have midge, rose-slugs (sawfly larvae), nor aphids, unless I use acidic fertilizer. When there's tons of acidic rain, I throw pea-gravel on top of roses that like it alkaline, pea-gravel has many alkaline minerals to make leaves thick, glossy, and to prevent pests....See MoreElisa Quinzi
5 years agoElisa Quinzi
5 years agoElisa Quinzi
5 years agoDave
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoHorticultural Help
5 years agoDave
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
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