My Clivias have for a thick white fungus like growth under the leaves, when trying to wipe it off, it seems to be some insect and there is some leaf discoloration,.

What could this be and how best should if be treated?noting that my garden is pet and wildlife friendly.

Thanks

Welcome to ATP, Terence. If you could please post a picture of the white growth, that would help us a lot to tell what you have going on.

I have Clivia here, and have never had anything show interest in it, but I think I'd better go check on them. We have every bug and fungus here . . but I did have a white insect infestation on the backs of the leaves of my pepper plant. It turned out to be a clumping whitefly infestation, and I just wiped it off with a damp cloth, and then sprayed the plant with a soapy water solution, 1/2tsp. dish soap to a liter of water. (be sure to hit all surfaces of the leaves, and rinse off with water before the sun hits the plant) Evening is a good time of day to do this, no sun, and often the morning irrigation or rain rinses the soap off for you.

terencete
Yes, please post some clear photos of the problem plant. Thank you.

:shrug: Could it be mealybugs? This link is for a photo on the internet of a Clivia plant with mealybugs.
http://www.alamy.com/stock-pho...

Hi all,

I have a clivia collection & have been battling mealybugs on several of them for at least 2 years. I am open to any help or suggestions! I have tried dipping Q-tips in alcohol & wiping away all mealybugs I can find. I have also tried a systemic. I have tried giving them showers in the bathtub. They keep coming back. I have quaranteed the affected clivia...mostly this has helped stop the spread, but sometimes another plant will succumb! Aaaiiicchht!

Cayuga, sometimes there will be eggs left even after you have killed off all the mealybugs you can see. You need to treat the plant twice or 3 times over the course of a couple of weeks before you can be sure of killing off all the generations.

I've had good success with an insecticide containing Spinosad, which (thankfully) is also an organic control. My orchids sometimes develop mealybug infestations when they're getting ready to bloom, and it's important to 'flow' the insecticide down into the leaf axils (where they join the stem) to get all the young bugs hiding there.

dyzzypyxxy---Thanks so much for your suggestions. I will look for an insecticide containing spinosad. I think you are right, I am not able to get the really little bugs in the crevasses. Maybe if I drip the insecticide down the stems, it will work. Right now I am just keeping them at bay. They are quarantined in our bathroom!

dyzzypyxxy said:
I've had good success with an insecticide containing Spinosad, which (thankfully) is also an organic control. .

Brand/Product name? Thanks. Never heard of Spinosad and I have been around the block a lot.

The one I'm using is called Captain Jack's Dead Bug, if you can believe it. Got it at Home Depot.

Thanks Elaine. I am out of town at present, but will look for it when I get home.
Mary