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Warning! (Was: Re: Spider Webs on plants)

Kathy,

DON'T USE MALATHION ON YOUR HIBISCUS!!!

I agree with Dell below, you probably have spider mites, and on the
hibiscus too (curled leaves). Hibiscus are VERY SENSITIVE to malathion, and
you might kill the plant. Would recommend instead that you prune off about
1/3 of the hibiscus (or if you can see the webs by now, prune a couple of
nodes below them. Then spray with Safer's soap (make sure the plants are
well-watered) or HortOil. And maintain vigilance, they could come back..And
be sure and quarantine your plants, like Dell suggests.

Good luck, rsm are horrible, I know!

Gerry

At 08:29 AM 10/29/97 -0700, you wrote:
>MoonsWife@aol.com wrote:
>> 
>> Hi all,
>> Not sure what the bugs are, can't see any of those, but my Banana Croton
>> (according to name tag provided) has spider webs all over it.  So does the
>> Codiaeum 'Petra' sitting on the opposite end of same shelf.  The
Schefflera,
>> Dracaena (Surclosa), and Dracaena (Janet Craig Compacta) between them look
>> sorta "dusty" but no visible Spider webs yet.  This happened since last
>> watering which was day before yesterday.  The only thing that's happened
>> since then is I brought my huge Hibiscus in from outside all summer.  From
>> what I can tell, the Hibiscus doesn't have any bugs or webs though!
>> As to the Hibiscus, since bringing it in, some of the smaller leaves on top
>> have begun to "curl up."  The larger leaves, from about midway down, are
>> still normal looking.  So far, no visible yellowing, or falling of leaves.
>> What can I do to help my plants?   If store products mentioned, please give
>> specific names.  I'd hate to think I was buying a "cure" for them and
end up
>> killing them!!!
>> Thanks for such a helpful group,
>> Kathy
>
>
>Bad news, Kathy. You have spider mites. I've had this take out a whole
>plant population, so I would immediately isolate the affected plants
>from the others. Mine came in on a Croton, so I've avoided getting one
>since. Schefflera is also very susceptible. Probably your newest puchase
>brought the pest in, but it sounds like you've had the infestation for a
>while. By the time you see actual webs, it's fairly far advanced.
>
>If one plant seems to have a worse infestation than the others, it's
>probably the original host (again, suspect the Croton!). If so, get
>unsentimental fast, and throw it away, or risk losing most of your
>plants.
>
>The dracena is pretty resistant to spider mites, and may make it,
>especially if you isolate it now (at least a room away). For the
>infested plants, quarantine them and then hit them with Malathion. It's
>pretty strong stuff, and you'll have to ventilate, keep your pets away,
>etc. I let it sit on the plants for a week, and then repeat. Concentrate
>on new growth, which is what the buggers like best. Then, after another
>week, spray the plants down really well to remove traces before bringing
>the plants to a place where any pets might come into contact with it.
>
>I don't know where you live, but if it's still above freezing, you might
>be able to do this in a garage. Your plants won't appreciate full sun if
>you're in the south. I use an enclosable tub in my guest bathroom - put
>the plants in the tub, spray and close the enclosure. Turn the fan on
>for at least a day after you spray, or at least keep a window open for a
>few hours.
>
>You may lose some plants, or parts of plants, but at least you won't
>lose all of them.
>
>Anybody else find anything less strong than Malathion that has worked? I
>sure haven't - everything else has just wasted time while more plants
>died.
>
>To help prevent in the future, keep in mind that spider mites love dry
>air. I have installed a whole house humidifier for my plants and
>sinuses, since our air is so dry here, I have a house full of plants and
>spider mites are a very common pestilence. I keep no Crotons or
>Scheffleras, and I have a lot of Dracenas, since the mites don't seem to
>like them much.
>
>-Dell, Denver, Zone 5
>
>
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