skip to main content

Figs House Plants

My Fiddle Fig has scales and the soil has other insects

2 years ago

I have scales on my new fiddle fig tree. I have so far wiped it down with rubbing alcohol.

I need help with the soil in the pot. The soil has some worms like insects (not earth worms). I want to change the soil and get the current soil sanitized. Need some direction. What can be done?

Featured Answer

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Be careful about using straight rubbing alcohol, it can strip cuticular wax from the leaf surfaces, which increases water loss through leaves and provides an entry point where pathogens can more easily enter the plant.

You don't mention where you live, but should it be too cold to spray the plant outdoors now, my suggestion would be to treat the plant with a soil drench that contains Imidacloprid, which will take care of both issues.

Add 2 teaspoons of the 1.47% solution to a quart or liter of distilled water to which 1 teaspoon of white vinegar has been added. The reason for the distilled water and vinegar is, Imidacloprid is degraded by alkaline hydrolysis, and almost all tapwater is alkaline. Using distilled water or water from a r/o filtration system that has been acidified with white vinegar ensures it will be free of bicarbonates and slightly acidic.

If it IS warm enough that the spraying can be done outdoors where the plant can be left to dry, Bayer 3-in-1 for Insects, Disease, and Mites will work better and faster, and it covers 3 bases.

Follow mixing directions and spray the plant so all surfaces of leaves and branches are made wet, then allow it to dry outdoors out of wind. This product should similarly be mixed with distilled water and acidified with vinegar to work best. Be sure to purchase the product with a label which lists Imidacloprid as an active ingredient. They make 2 products with the same label and only 1 contains the systemic insecticide Imidacloprid.

If you're not happy with your plants level of vitality (health), and if you wish, we can talk about how to tailor a care regimen to the plant, and talk more about repotting. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the best way to proceed is

* Flush the soil thoroughly

* (probably) Fertilize with an appropriate soluble synthetic fertilizer (Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 is great)

* Make sure your watering intervals are appropriate by using a wooden 'tell' to 'tell' you when it's time to water.

* Move the plant outdoors into dappled or open shade as soon as night temps are reliably above 55*

* Plan to repot and do any essential pruning in June

My plan isn't to leave you stranded with some generalized suggestions. If you decide you think there is merit in my reasoning, we can work together on a care plan and I'll provide more specific suggestions - like how to go about repotting, how to flush the soil, why I suggest you wait until June to repot and do any other stressful work ...........

More on using a tell:

Using a 'tell'

Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant.

Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor.

In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water.

Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'.

One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue.

Al

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
I have scales on my new fiddle fig tree.

====>>>>

==>> i would return it for a full refund.. and then go buy a CLEAN plant from a better seller ....

you appear to have bought an infected plant ... many local Ag agencies would be interested in such a seller doing such .. they should be put out of business ....

ken
Anna Na thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Related Discussions
Fungus or insects on fiddle leaf fig?
Q
Comments (57)
Not sure if the poster you addressed will reply, given his post is a year old. His images appear to be symptomatic of the physiological disorder, oedema - see below. Given your issue is in the upper (youngest) leaves, it might not be the same. It's not unusual for leaves of F. lyrata to emerge with pinhead or slightly smaller size dots covering the leaf surface nearly entirely. This often occurs when the air is dry, as it usually is in winter or when air conditioning is operating for days on end. That particular condition is simply expression of the purple pigment anthocyanin, and it will fade as the leaves mature. That's said w/o my being able to see an image of what you're describing, which would be very helpful. Oedema Oedema is a physiological disorder that can affect all plants. It occurs when the plant takes up more water than it can rid itself of via the process of transpiration. The word itself means 'swelling', which is usually the first symptom, and comes in the form of pale blisters or water-filled bumps on foliage. Under a variety of circumstances/cultural conditions, a plant's internal water pressure (turgidity) can become so high that some leaf cells rupture and leak their contents into inter-cellular spaces in leaf tissue, creating wet or weepy areas. Symptoms vary by plant, but as the malady progresses, areas of the leaf turn yellow, brown, brown with reddish overtones or even black, with older damage appearing as corky/ scaly/ ridged patches, or wart/gall-like bumpy growth. Symptoms are seen more frequently in plants that are fleshy, are usually more pronounced on the underside of leaves, and older/lower leaves are more likely to be affected than younger/upper leaves. Oedema is most common in houseplants during the winter/early spring months, is driven primarily by excessive water retention in the soil, and can be intensified via several additional cultural influences. Cool temperatures, high humidity levels, low light conditions, or partial defoliation can individually or collectively act to intensify the problem, as can anything else that slows transpiration. Nutritional deficiencies of Ca and Mg are also known contributors to the malady. Some things that can help you prevent oedema: * Increase light levels and temperature * Monitor water needs carefully – avoid over-watering. I'd heartily recommend a soil with drainage so sharp (fast) that when you to water to beyond the saturation point you needn't worry about prolonged periods of soil saturation wrecking root health/function. Your soil choice should be a key that unlocks the solutions to many potential problems. * Avoid misting or getting water on foliage. It slows transpiration and increases turgidity. * Water as soon as you get up in the AM. When stomata close in preparation for the dark cycle, turgidity builds. If you water early in the day, it gives the plant an opportunity to remove (for its own needs) some of the excess water in the soil. * Put a fan in the room or otherwise increase air flow/circulation. Avoid over-crowding your plants. Questions? Al
...See More
Help save my fiddle leaf fig-my first plant!
Q
Comments (7)
Thanks, Lee. It's always nice to find out that someone finds value in the things we write. One would assume a nursery wouldn't over water their plants. In most cases, plants in nuresries WON'T be over-watered for a couple of reasons. One of those is that they are good at noticing signs that illustrate a group of plants need fopr water, or for just establishing an appropriate schedule on which to water. The second reason has to do with the fact that the plants often rest on the ground. When the pot is in direct contact with the ground, or if roots grow from the pot into the ground or through a ground cover cloth under the pots, the earth acts as a giant wick to pull excess water from the soil. If you use a soil that is capable of supporting 3-4" of perched water and you set it directly on dry ground, the perched water will disappear within minutes due to the wicking action of the earth. .... to clarify. Water when the skewer/dowel comes out free of dirt/dry looking? Yes, that's right. If you were checking daily or twice daily to get a 'feel' for how often to water, the ideal time to water would be the first time the tell comes out dry. IOW, you want to wait until just before the plant might experience drought stress before you water. With some species of ficus (like benjamina), you can clearly see or feel when the youngest leaves are just starting to lose turgidity. If you wait until then and pay attention to the interval since last watering, you can often establish an appropriate rhythm that should keep you out of trouble re over-watering. Do you have to use a new dowel every time? If you're actually using a dowel, you can cut a 4' piece in half & sharpen all 4 ends. If you're using a skewer, they're cheap, so why not use a fresh one after each moist pot you discover. Or, if you wipe the end off with a rag and wave it in the air between tests, it usually dries down enough that you can test a lot of plants with just the 4 ends from the single rod you cut in half. How much water do I flush it with? I usually suggest at least 10x the volume of the pot the plant is in; and if you err, it's better to err on the generous side and use more than 10x. How often do you do it? I use a soil that I can flush at will, and I DO flush every time I water. If you're limited to supplying small amounts of water to prevent soils from staying soggy for long periods, a thorough flush every 4-6 weeks is good. What do I use as the wick? Anything cotton? Cotton rots quickly. I prefer strands of rayon. You can buy a rayon mop head and pull it apart, or buy a man made rayon chamois and cut it in strips. Too, the nylon string ties used to tie onion or citrus bags closed very often work very well for drainage wicks (but not watering wicks). I have some of those that are 12-15 years old & still working great. Not all are created equal though, so discard those that don't work well. And do you tape it on the side of the planter out of the effluent. I meant to talk to you about the effluent. Your pot should be raised so it's above the effluent that collects in the saucer, or via other means, the effluent should have no pathway back into the soil. Reason: It doesn't make sense to flush salts from the soil only to leave a pathway right back to where they came from because the pot is sitting in the effluent. Here's how I do wicks: That covers how I do it before the planting is established. If the pot supports an established planting, I simply fold the wick over the end of a straight slot screwdriver and push it into the soil far enough that the short end is all the way into the soil. That holds it pretty securely initially and as roots grow around and into the wick, even more so. Is foliage pro 9-3-6 still your go to fertilizer? Yes. I might add a little extra K for some plants (tomato and hibiscus), but I basically use it for everything. I completely avoid any high-P fertilizers in containers. I consider a fertilizer to be high in P if the middle number (P) is equal to or larger than the first number (N). ..... it seems I will loose a bunch of leaves off the bottom. Is it ever possible to get that growth back? Yes. Once a leaf is shed, no new leaf will form in its place, but above the scar where a shed leaf was attached, there are dormant buds that can be stimulated to grow. The methods of activating these latent buds could easily fill a chapter in a book, so I won't elaborate. Back-budding will naturally occur if you can get the plant outdoors in full sun and plenty of air movement, fertilize it in what's called the luxury range, and make sure the root system is healthy and has plenty of room to run. You can artificially stimulate back-budding low on the trunk by notching or pruning the plant back hard. The hard pruning is especially effective when working with healthy plants at the peak of their food-making/photosynthesizing ability, which, where you live would be in June. Father's Day or the summer solstice are the easiest markers to remember. You mentioned the kids and learning. When I was a youngster, I went to a 1-room little red brick schoolhouse that had K-8 in the one room. Obviously, it was hard for the teacher to spend as much time with each student as they needed, so most of the time I read World Book Encyclopedia and anything I could get my hands on about animals or science. I only wish that the world of plant science would have got its hooks into me at a very young age. I hope your kids find something they love to do, no matter what it is, and have the opportunity to follow that calling. Al
...See More
Fiddle Leaf Fig FLF Droopy after 5-1-1 soil repot - will it make it?
Q
Comments (19)
Pictures would help a lot; include the whole plant and one of the pot and soil. What did you do when you put it in the 17 inch pot? Put the existing rootball in the pot and surround it with fresh soil or remove the old soil and replace it? What kind of soil was it in and what kind of fresh soil was it? Was it rootbound? It's possible the new pot is too big, making the soil stay very wet for too long, causing roots to suffocate for lack of air to pull oxygen from. If so, the easiest remedy would be to put it back in the old pot and wait until June to repot in a faster draining highly aerated soil that would be harder to overwater. Meanwhile, check out the posts upthread about watering, using a dowel to check soil moisture, and the kinds of soil and light conditions lyratas do best in, and start to water only when the soil at the bottom is the pot is dry. Lenore
...See More
Tiny holes in my fiddle leaf fig :(
Q
Comments (4)
I feel like I should add here that mamy times, pests overtake a plant due to conditions that weaken the plant. I see you have the plant staked. Did you buy it that way? I do worry about the amount of light and watering as the obvious first things to check. From reading the way you water, I do believe that is a definite culprit. Does the pot have drainage holes? When you water, you'll need to use a bucket/tub or the sink/bathtub and run water to wet the whole pot and let the water flow freely through the pot and let it drain well before placing it back in its home. (I like to tip my pots ~45° as this helps even more perched water to drain from the pot.) It's hard to water on a schedule as with the changing seasons, changing growth speed and indoor/outdoor conditions all play into how much water is actually used by the plant. I like to use a chopstick or bamboo skewer to stick into the pot and pull it out. When you touch it and then rub your fingers together and you can feel actual moisture/water then it's not time to water yet. Sometimes it will look wet and feel cool but is crumbly and dry, thats a good time to water. Would it be possible for you to put it in a place that receives more light? The leaves look well spaced so maybe light is not so much the issue. Can you give us more information on how much light it gets? Where is the window facing and how far away is the plant from the window. Helping the plant be stronger will also discourage insects in the future. Just like us, stress can make them vulnerable. You'll definitely need to treat the plant for the spider mites though. Some people use insecticidal soap or dawn soapy water but I've not had good results of any kind doing this.
...See More
Anna Na
Original Author
2 years ago
@tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) Thank you for the detailed answer. This really helps.

Sorry about this late response. I live in Maryland.

1. I would like to know how I can completely change out the soil for my Fiddle leaf fig?

2. Should I wait until June to repot? To change out the soil>??

3. Will BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control Concentrate kill scales? the product does not mention Scales at all? or should i use : BioAdvanced Tree & Shrub Protect and Feed Concentrate - as it specifically mentions Scales?

Below are the pictures of when we got the plan.

As you can see, it was really bad!

We have since cleaned up all of those and currently not seeing any new ones.

But i want to completely change out the soil without shocking the poor plant ..
Anna Na
Original Author
2 years ago
@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 I would like to get this information out there for other buyers! This plant was from Hey Rooted.

I usually buy from my local nursery, but they did not have the size of FLF i was looking for, thus I bought this one online. They gave me a full refund. But I did not have the heart to throw out this poor plant!
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
2 years ago
1. I would like to know how I can completely change out the soil for my Fiddle leaf fig? Generally speaking, a repotting session should include bare-rooting of most plants (conifers should not be fully bare-rooted), root pruning, and a change of medium. I'll refer you to a thread I started many years ago that focuses on long term care of trees in pots. I also wrote one about caring for Ficus over the long term, and another about good growing practices in general.

Long Term Care of Trees in Containers

Long Term Care of Ficus in Containers

Overview of Good Growing Practices

2. Should I wait until June to repot? To change out the soil>?? Yes, please wait. I see nothing leading me to believe there is nothing emergent enough to justify repotting now (as opposed to waiting until June) if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. I'm not suggesting a repot would jeopardize your trees viability, only that your tree will better tolerate the stress of repotting when it's energy reserves are high and its ability to make food (trees synthesize their own food [sugar/ glucose] during the process of photosynthesis) is about to peak. In the Northern Hemisphere, that occurs at the Summer Solstice (Jun 21). This means the tree's recovery time will be much shorter, and since your tree's natural defenses are directly related to its metabolic rate, the tree's vulnerability to insect herbivory and disease pathogens will also be very low during this period.

Plant's have natural rhythms, during which the tree's energy levels fluctuate. Unless there is a dire reason to repot out of season, the best practice is to work to take advantage of the plant's strengths by doing repots and heavy pruning when the tree is most robust, and allowing for the trees 'down time' by being extra careful to avoid unnecessary stress. Not only is that practice better for the tree, it enhances your sense of being a good nurturer, the reason which underlies our desire to keep plants.

As your journey toward a green thumb continues, you'll realize the plane on which you interact with plants is elevated, primarily by knowledge, and there is a great deal more personal satisfaction that comes with that elevation.

3. Will BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control Concentrate kill scales? Yes. It's what I prefer to rid plants of insects with rasping/sucking mouth parts, but be sure to purchase the product with a label which lists Imidacloprid as an active ingredient, along with Tebuconazole (ststemic fungicide) and Tau-fluvalanate, a miticide. They make 2 different products, same label - different ingredients, and only 1 contains the systemic insecticide Imidacloprid IMAGE. the product does not mention Scales at all? It lists them in the folder adheared to the backside of the container. or should i use : BioAdvanced Tree & Shrub Protect and Feed Concentrate - as it specifically mentions Scales? It contains the same active ingredient (Imidacloprid) and a fertilizer that will interfere with your control over the plant's nutrition (assuming you're using an appropriate fertilizer like Foliage-Pro 9-3-6). The product in the container of BioAdvanced Tree & Shrub Protect and Feed Concentrate is the same product manufactured and labeled as Marathon. I used it by sprinkling an appropriate amount on the surface of my indoor plants before bringing indoors for the winter, I had sever root issues with almost all of them and was fortunate they all survived. The reason wasn't due to the product being an abiotic pathogen, it was due to the fact that the granules migrated into the soil (gritty mix) and filled the pore space between particles. This might have been ok in deeper containers, but plants in the shallow containers I grow in demand superior drainage, which the granular product destroyed. It might be as bad for you, depending on the depth of the pot, but both products I originally suggested have the very same active ingredient and I know neither have the potential of damaging soil structure like the granular product did. Your call. If you decide to use the granular product, I have 5 lbs of Marathon I'll give you for the price of postage. That's about $75 worth of insecticide, but caveate emptor.

Al
Cyn Ottchen
2 years ago
Hi Al,

This topic is interesting to me because I have a similar situation except I live in southern Florida. So I was wondering if you could comment on some related questions I have.

1- Some plants still have a dormancy cycle but others grow year-round here. Does your advice to hold off for June to repot still hold for these conditions?

2- What about spraying vs soil drench in these warm conditions? It is already over 80 deg F here. Do you consider spraying to be a better solution in general?

3- I believe the Bayer product has been changed to accomodate some of the state laws -- such as Maryland -- that have banned Imidacloprid. At least that is what several people writing reviews on amazon have stated. Apparently since around 2018 it no longer contains Imidacloprid just the other two ingredients but they haven't bothered to update the amazon info for instance. There might be some older product on the local shelves but I haven't found any. Because of this I ordered Bonide Annual Tree and Shrub Insect Control, Insecticide/Pesticide Concentrate which has the 1.47% Imidacloprid and is a liquid. I guess this would be something like you suggested for soil drench. But I can't find another product meant for foliar spray with the Imidacloprid. Which is why I was planning to soil drench.
Anna Na
Original Author
2 years ago
I am going to get BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control Concentrate in MD. So hopefully it will have Imidacloprid and will help my FLF.

I was checking the ingredients in MD and it shows :

Imidacloprid . . . . . . . . . . . 0.47%

Tau-fluvalinate . . . . . . . . . 0.61%

Tebuconazole . . . . . . . . 0.65%

OTHER INGREDIENTS . . . . 98.27%

Will this still work for soil drench?

Also can you please help me understand how to use this on the plant, step by step?

When should i fertilize my FLF using the Foliage-Pro 9-3-6

Sorry - totally new at this.
Cyn Ottchen
2 years ago
Anna Na- perhaps you found one still on the shelf?

Banned pesticide still in some Maryland stores, spot checks show

https://marylandreporter.com/2018/12/21/banned-pesticide-still-in-some-maryland-stores-spot-checks-show/

The Pollinator Protection Act of 2016 limits the use and sale of neonicotinoid pesticides within the state of Maryland. Neonicotinoid pesticides are defined as pesticides with active ingredients including: Imidacloprid, Nithiazine, Acetamiprid, Clothianidin, Dinotefuran, Thiacloprid, and Thiamethoxam.

Apparently this is related to the fact it can kill bees.

Here's more on the various states' bans.

https://ashs.org/blogpost/1288786/251171/U-S-States-Begin-Ban-on-Neonicotinoids

In Europe it is banned but they have granted lots of 'emergency use' for it.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Hi, Cyn -

1- Some plants still have a dormancy cycle but others grow year-round here. Does your advice to hold off for June to repot still hold for these conditions? The advice should be considered as being 'general' in many cases because more often than not growers looking for help fail to let us know where they live. Geography is often an important consideration if growers are to receive the most beneficial advice tailored to their specific circumstances. You are right if you're thinking the farther South (or North, in the southern Hemisphere) a grower lives, the less important it is to make allowances for plants' flux in terms of changes in vitality levels during the annual growth cycle by limiting hard work like heavy pruning and repotting to the weeks immediately prior to the Summer Solstice.

If I had to guess the N or S latitude at which the timing of heavy work like repotting and hard pruning can be done w/o penalty for not giving it consideration would be about 15-20*. For reference, Miami is situated at about 25* N latitude, Houston at 30*, and Los Angeles at 34*, so when it comes to the timing of heavy work, June would still be the best time, but heavy work could be completed earlier - maybe last week of May through the Summer Solstice.

It should be noted that there is nothing to say we can't do anything we wish with our plants, where and when we want. What underlies the conversation re the timing of hard work is when the plant will best tolerate the work and recover the fastest. For the overwhelming % of houseplants, that will be in the weeks preceding the month in which the most robust growth takes place.

2- What about spraying vs soil drench in these warm conditions? It is already over 80 deg F here. Do you consider spraying to be a better solution in general? It's going to depend on what product you might be spraying and what plant(s) is/are being sprayed. Spray applications of Imidacloprid work about as well as a soil drench for plants with succulent or herbaceous (not woody) stems. For plants with woody stems and branches, spraying works much faster. Since almost everything I'm growing now would be woody, I'm partial to spraying. I don't have any trouble if I spray just before dark, but then I don't have near tropical sun, either. You'll need to feel your way through the 'to spray or drench' question or play it safe and drench. I also like spray because it provides a prophylactic fungal deterrent in the same application.

3- I believe the Bayer product has been changed to accomodate some of the state laws -- such as Maryland -- that have banned Imidacloprid. At least that is what several people writing reviews on amazon have stated. Apparently since around 2018 it no longer contains Imidacloprid just the other two ingredients but they haven't bothered to update the amazon info for instance. There might be some older product on the local shelves but I haven't found any. Because of this I ordered Bonide Annual Tree and Shrub Insect Control, Insecticide/Pesticide Concentrate which has the 1.47% Imidacloprid and is a liquid. I guess this would be something like you suggested for soil drench. But I can't find another product meant for foliar spray with the Imidacloprid. Which is why I was planning to soil drench. I have found that the product sold by places like Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, Walmart, ..... do not contain Imidacloprid (here in MI), but the product I am and have been seeing on shelves at local greenhouse/nursery ops DO contain Imidacloprid. I just bought a case (8 quarts) of Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 with Imidacloprid last summer before I discovered it was still available locally - just not at the larger chain stores. See it here.

Al
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
2 years ago
I am going to get BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control Concentrate in MD. So hopefully it will have Imidacloprid and will help my FLF.

I was checking the ingredients in MD and it shows :

Imidacloprid . . . . . . . . . . . 0.47%

Tau-fluvalinate . . . . . . . . . 0.61%

Tebuconazole . . . . . . . . 0.65%

OTHER INGREDIENTS . . . . 98.27%

Will this still work for soil drench? I can't say. It's not formulated to be used as a soil drench, but it will be effective if used as a spray ACCORDING TO PACKAGE INSTRUCTIONS.

Also can you please help me understand how to use this on the plant, step by step? Mix it according to package directions. I try to make sure the entire surface area of the plant is covered by the spray, but since the product acts systemically (it's absorbed into the plant) covering all surfaces is much less important than when using a contact topical that works only when insects come in contact with the spray.

When should i fertilize my FLF using the Foliage-Pro 9-3-6. No one can offer other than general 'how to' information re nutritional supplementation w/o a good understanding of what your watering habits are and what type of grow medium your plants are in. Example: If you are flushing the soil every time you water, so at least 20% of the entire volume of water used to wet the soil is passing through the soil and out the drain hole, carrying any build-up of dissolved solids (salts) from fertilizer solutions and tap water with it, you might water every 4th of 5th time you water. If, however, your medium is water-retentive and your habit runs to watering in small sips to spare your plant the limitations associated with prolonged intervals where much of the soil remains saturated, you might only need to fertilize twice in a year. Obviously the later is not the best situation to find yourself in.

The ideal situation is to make sure your medium is well-aerated and drains well enough to water copiously, flushing the soil as you water. Then, you can tie the frequency with which you fertilize to the number of times you have watered. For example: In summer, when you water drop a marble or button into the pot. When you're about to drop in the 4th marble, fertilize with the FP 9-3-6 solution, pick up all the marbles/buttons, and start the cycle over. That method allows you to easily keep track of what plants need fertilizing and what plants don't.

Sorry - totally new at this. That means you have free license to ask any question that comes to mind. Asking questions and getting directions you can practically apply with confidence will help you avoid all the pitfalls others inevitable find themselves entangled in because they put the cart in front of the horse. While they are learning from the mistakes they make while practically applying information that either seems easiest or proves inappropriate, you will be using your practical applications to validate what you already know. That, is the fastest and most direct way to a green thumb.

Al
Anna Na
Original Author
2 years ago
Hello again,

UPDATE:

So we sprayed the plant down in BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control and watered the plant.

But now after 2 weeks we are seeing the leaves fall!!!!!!I dont know whats going on - there are black spots and browning on the leaf. Please see the images for reference

This is the second leaf from the bottom that has fallen

please help!
Cyn Ottchen
2 years ago
I ordered the Bayer 3-in-1 from DoMyOwn and it DID have the Imidacloprid. Thanks Al!
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
2 years ago

Al

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Common Fig

By Becky Harris

A full form and delicious fruits make this Middle Eastern tree a favorite in gardens around the world

HOUSEPLANTS Play Up Some Fiddleleaf Figs for a Lively Indoor Tune

By creative jewish mom.com

Strike a dramatic chord in a minimalist scene or a country note in a rustic setting — fiddleleaf fig plants harmonize with any style

HOUSEPLANTS See How Fiddleleaf Fig Trees Can Liven Up Your Decor

By Janell Beals - House of Fifty

The tropical houseplant with big green leaves adds a cheerful and striking design element to rooms

DECORATING GUIDES How to Use Full-Scale Decor to Make a Small Space Feel Bigger

By Toronto Interior Design Group

With a less-is-more approach, even oversize furnishings can help a compact area seem roomier

EARTH DAY How to Design a Garden for Native Bees

By Debbie Ballentine

Create a garden that not only looks beautiful but also nurtures native bees — and helps other wildlife in the process

LIFE Why We Want a House With a Great View

By Mitchell Parker

Research shows that just looking at nature has powerful mental benefits. Here's how to get a boost — with or without a million-dollar view

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: New Love and a Fresh Start in a Midcentury Ranch House

By Mitchell Parker

A Nashville couple, both interior designers, fall for a neglected 1960 home. Their renovation story has a happy ending

TREES 10 Spectacular Trees for Courtyards and Tight Spaces

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

Here are some top small-scale trees for 4-season interest, easy care and little mess

GARDENING GUIDES Garden Myths to Debunk as You Dig This Fall and Rest Over Winter

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Termites hate wood mulch, don’t amend soil for trees, avoid gravel in planters — and more nuggets of garden wisdom

GARDENING GUIDES Yes, You Can Grow Food in a Shady Yard

Your shady garden doesn’t have to be forever barren. Berries, herbs and other shade-loving plants can produce a delicious bounty

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading Kitchen & Bath Remodelers in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

Hello everyone...

1

Spring is here and fig season just in front the gates

3

Winter Fig Tree concerns

3