Re: CULT: Systemic Pesticides

Kathy asked:
-----Original Message-----



>I'm having problems with spider mite and scale on several of the IRIDs I
>grow in my sunspace.  I won't spray anything toxic since this space is
>contiguous with living area.  (Even oil spray makes a mess.)  Has anyone
>ever used a dilute solution of a systemic pesticide like Isotox and watered
>potted plants?  Was this successful?  What dilution?


Kathy--I don't use systemics either inside or outside, but I have a (very)
large number of plants in the house, and over the years I've had all the
various pests, up to and including the cats.  I've found that spider mites
respond quite well to repeated applications of insecticidal soap, and so do
whiteflies.  Scale is a longer-term project, and I keep after it with the
soap, but even more successful is washing the leaves frequently.  I examine
the plants every time I water, and when I see scale, I rub them off with wet
fingers.  If I get really frustrated with refractory invasions (especially
on the Ficus palmeri, which drops its leaves when sprayed with soap) I use a
pyrethrum spray, VERY minimally.  So far my indoor irises haven't shown up
with any bugs.

As for the cats, I play a continual game of "how far up is unreachable?"  If
anything looks like grass, they figure it's fair game.

Barb in Santa Fe, zone 5 and all that
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