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Zone 5    Fleur569 Dec 21, 2019 1:40 PM CST |
| I'm in zone 5, and in the Fall, had brought in for windowsill growing quite a few plants into the house. Today (Dec. 21st) I discovered armies of mites have attacked the plants. Have washed them down with soapy spraying, but how do I permanently get rid of them before I loose all the transplants? The oxalis seem to have been hardest hit. |
Name: one-eye-luke US.Vet. Texas (Zone 8a) Quitter's never Win       oneeyeluke Dec 21, 2019 2:22 PM CST |
| Some plants can't be brought in the house and maybe oxalis is one of them. The problem with some plants is that its almost impossible to get the spray in every nook and cranny. All you can do is just repeat your sprayings and hope for the best. Good luck NOT A EXPERT! Just a grow worm! I never met a plant I didn’t love.✌ |
Zone 5 Fleur569 Dec 21, 2019 6:06 PM CST |
| Thank you for the instantaneous reply. If I hadn't experienced overwintering these plants last several years, I agree, I would consider them unqualified for house overwintering. So I have soap sprayed them, I will also incorporate a Neem oil soap spray next time around. (This info I got from the Internet) and I'll take it from there. If that fails, I will cut it down, put the plant in the crawl space and since it is a bulbous plant, just wait till Spring, before I start the window process of bringing back to life. I appreciate your response, thanks again. Fleur569 |
Name: Sally central Maryland Seriously addicted to kettle chips.           sallyg Dec 21, 2019 6:06 PM CST |
| Oxalis for me is very poor in the house for winter and I let them go dry and dormant and start up again in spring. They like bright light and will bloom if bright enough. I can't imagine being able to effectively spray those flimsy oxalis leaves for total coverage.. in other words, I think/agree the oxalis may be trying to go dormant anyway. i'm pretty OK today, how are you? ;^) |
Name: Sally central Maryland Seriously addicted to kettle chips. sallyg Dec 21, 2019 6:07 PM CST |
| cross posted.. i'm pretty OK today, how are you? ;^) |
Name: Will Creed NYC Prof. plant consultant & educator  WillC Dec 22, 2019 10:16 AM CST |
| I agree with Sally. Cut off all of the Oxalis leaves and their stems and give it a rest for a month or two. Whatever you use to treat spider mites, complete and thorough coverage is essential. The solution has to make direct contact with every single mite. The mites are so tiny that some can survive between spray droplets so normal spraying often isn't sufficient. The spray solution has to be so thorough that it is literally running over all leaf and stem surfaces. It is a task that is very messy. If you don't make a dripping mess, then you haven't been thorough enough. For smaller plants, including your Oxalis, you can fill the sink with soapy water. Then invert the plant and swirl all of the leaves and stems in the soapy water for about a minute before letting it drip dry. Finally, the presence of spider mites and other pests is often a sign that the plant is under stress for other reasons such as inadequate light or improper watering. Pests prey on plants that under stress. Will Creed Horticultural Help, NYC www.HorticulturalHelp.com Contact me directly at [email protected] I now have a book available on indoor plant care |
Zone 5 Fleur569 Dec 22, 2019 11:41 AM CST |
| Re: Mighty Mite Problem @WillC, @sallyg, @oneeyeluke Thank you for your inputs. I am now going through the process'. Fleur569 |
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