| it is mid july and my burning bushes are losing there leavea already. what is the problem |
| Diagnosing a plant problem without having an opportunity to inspect the plant is a really difficult proposition! However, what you describe sounds like mite damage. Twospotted spider mites are tiny and difficult to see with the naked eye. Adults (eight legs) and nymphs (six legs) are light green to greenish yellow with two lateral dark spots. The life cycle from egg to adult can occur in five days at 75 degrees F, thus several generations occur from late spring through fall. Adults overwinter in protected places away from host plants. Violets and weeds are common winter ?hosts.? Control measures for twospotted spider mite: Water host plants during dry periods. If needed, apply fertilizer at the minimal rate during early spring. Monitor for spider mites by shaking host foliage over white paper. Plant-feeding mites produce a green streak when smashed compared to the red streak for beneficial mites. If two spotted spider mites are present, spray foliage with a biorational product (e.g. horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, or spinosad). |
