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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 1, 2011 13:35:22 GMT
I have now discovered what has been damaging my phormiums.....I'd never seen a mealy bug before but saw one on the red phormium yesterday...I'd thought that the phormiums had been damaged in the winter cold (in the GH) but now realise that they were infested with this strange little pest.
I've sprayed with Bayer's (had some in the shed) and cut off the infested leaves...I wondered if the plants are worth keeping? I wouldn't want to risk the pests spreading as I also keep a few rather nice aloes....
Any advice gratefully received.
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Post by wildlifefriendly on May 1, 2011 13:44:34 GMT
If you don't particularly want your phormiums then I would suggest burning them.
I have mealy bug in the conservatory and it is a nightmare. I have tried everything on the market to get rid of them including natural predators. Provado Ultimate Bug Killer is the only product I have found that will keep them under control.
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Post by steve on May 1, 2011 15:15:27 GMT
If I remember correctly from my cacti collection days you had to dab them with a cotton bud soaked in surgical spirits (bit difficult for a heavy infestation)
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Post by wildlifefriendly on May 1, 2011 16:18:21 GMT
In desperation this year, I cut the Bougainvillea down to about 5 feet, reduced the Monstera by half and drenched everything in pravado. It would be good if that was the end of them but I'm not that naive.
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Post by Lou78W on May 1, 2011 17:06:01 GMT
I've been know to resort to picking them off,,one by one  |
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Post by merlin on May 1, 2011 17:46:04 GMT
If it's not one bug it's another, the war goes on.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 1, 2011 18:31:58 GMT
Thank you for your advice...I've been googling all afternoon (hence funny walk) and came to the conclusion that the best thing to would be to see what sort of infestation I had.... The pots both had a waxy residue just under the rim...and the base of the leaves were smothered in the stuff. I put some black plastic down and tipped the pots out...thinking to rinse off, treat and repot in fresh compost...but the infestation, although not heavy atm looked like it had been going on for a while. Sooooo I double bagged them and put them in the weelie bin...we can't really burn them as we don't have anywhere to do it. I sprayed all my other pots after examining them (nothing seen even tho I grubbed around in the pots)....Then I scrubbed both pots with a bleach solution, rinsed with the hose and sprayed them for good measure. Shame...but I have too much invested in the garden to risk the other plants.... This is what the pots looked like last year.  the smaller one (pink stripe) was chucked a while back...I thought the winter had done for it but now realise that the mealy bug residue had been all over the base of the plant! It's a learning curve isn't it.....? |
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Post by steve on May 1, 2011 19:16:03 GMT
It is indeed  |
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Post by Rosie on May 5, 2011 12:17:00 GMT
My brother(who is the president of the cacti society in Newcastle dabs them with meth's when they are on his plants.
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Post by sweetpea on May 5, 2011 14:12:43 GMT
My brother(who is the president of the cacti society in Newcastle dabs them with meth's when they are on his plants. That is what I always understood to be the answer. I couldn't do that though when I had a Pyracantha TREE infested. Luckily the birds cleaned that up. I must admit these days I don't bother too much with outdoor plants as nature tends to compensate but anything in the g'house would get special treatment. |
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Post by steve on May 5, 2011 18:07:28 GMT
Meths! that's the one for cacti
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Post by wildlifefriendly on May 5, 2011 18:13:10 GMT
Dabbing with meths is OK on a small pot plant but when the plant is 10 feet tall a 15 feet wide it becomes a tad tricky ;D
I've never had them in the garden, they are only in the conservatory.
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Post by steve on May 5, 2011 18:15:58 GMT
Not rubber mealy bugs are they?
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Post by Fractal on May 5, 2011 18:30:06 GMT
I've seen some Phormiums once delivered to us a year or two ago at the GC that had the gaps between the overlapping leaf bases packed to the gun-alls with the blighter's!
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Post by Rosie on May 6, 2011 8:45:15 GMT
You should look at one under a microscope or magnifying glass....interesting looking beasties. Then squish it |
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