Zusya..You asked if you're a total moron..NO, you are not, but the clerk who told you to use soap and water to rid mealy, is. It's important you isolate plant/s that have mealybug ..of all plant bugs, mealy is the worse and most difficult to rid. So, place infested plant in another room away from heathy, non-infested plants. I don't use chemical insecticides, only organic and made-up concoctions to prevent or kill bugs, but I've yet to find anything that kills mealy. Sorry..I haven't had a chance to read Mr. Sub's blog, so he may have information pertaining to rid those suckers. If not, perhaps someone else will chime in. Many people claim rubbing alcohol does the trick, but I'd say going over each stem/leaf would have to be repeated a couple times a wk. Spraying the entire plant w/rubbing alcohol, especially if it isn't diluted w/water could burn and kill a plant..(if the mealy hasn't already) Depending on how dear your China Doll is to you, and/or if it's a rare find, if it's badly infested, I'd toss in the trash..(outside, away from other plants) I've also read, (think it was the Hoya forum) people use crushed scented geraniums to prevent plants from getting mealy..It may or may not work, but worth a try. Cylamen: They bloom once a year, but flowers last several months..after flowers fade, it goes dormant..that means, very little water and no fertilizer..after 6 weeks or so, (more in some cases) you should spot baby leaves.. Older leaves die back while new leaves grow in. Cyclamin loves summer outdoors.. One thing, it's important Cyclamen isn't overwatered. Corms rot. Rotted corms have a sour/bitter odor. Campanula is an annual/biennial/perrenial plant, mainly grown in outdoor gardens. Zusya, it's fun growing outdoor (annual/perrenial) plants inside, but it can also be dangerous..If garden plants aren't getting fresh, circulating air, they develop insects, usually spider mites and white fly. I wish you the best of luck, Toni

Bottom watering is best..the longest I was able to keep Cyclamen was 2 years.. It's normal for leaves to yellow after flowering..they then go dormant..during dormancy, water only when soil is dry..as mature leaves die back, new fill in.. Whie they're resting, no fertilizer.. Resting period is 6-8 wks. So, either you've overwatered, OR leaves lived their full life. Did your cyclamen flower? They require a cool room..if possible, during spring/summer months set outside in a shady spot. Once new growth starts, add a well-dilluted fertilizer. Toni

I suspect that I have mites on some local garden store violets that I got. I only had a 10x jeweler's loupe, so I coludn't identify exactly, but the center leaves are small, white, deformed and hairy. I can post pictures, but my ebay 40x loupe won't be here for a few days, and I've tossed the offending 3 plants. My question is, I have about now 20 violets from Robs, all are doing fine, in another tray which are tray wicked together. I had the sick violets in another tray, but how likely is it that my other plants will get mites? i.e. how easily do they travel? They're not touching each other, but they have been a few inches away at some points, I can't remember if they might have brushed one or two. I bought a 1/2 oz of Forbid 4F, should I spray all of my plants? How do you spray, like I have a gallon sprayer for fungicides for plants outside, and then I have a 4 gallon mega sprayer for my roses. I only have like 20 violets, I can't imagine using that much, can I just use like a hair spray water bottle (that I never use again)? Should I get the undersides of leaves and soil? I have a full active charcoal respirator etc... and I can spray in a closed garage (too cold to open the door). Do mites travel via common wick? I don't see any signs on the other violets that I got from Rob, they're all doing great except for one with powdery mildew which I'm going to repot and treat with phyton 27. I'm still getting the hang of things!

I put mine on the shelves in the shade where I keep my orchids in the summer. In a cool place, with regular water (don't overwater), they never do lose all their leaves. I've had the same ones for years.