Signs of Spider Mites

[Darkhorse]

I'm pretty sure I have a spider mite infestation on a few more of my plants.  Some leaves on each plant have yellowed, and although I haven't seen any webbing on the undersides of the leaves or on growth tips, the plants are beginning to drop leaves and there's sticky stuff on the bottoms of the yellowed leaves, like something is being leached out of them.  Is this sticky stuff another sign of spider mites?  There are no aphids.  I know they normally come with their own sticky stuff.    very technical terminology, I know

Thanks!
Jordan

[Charlie]

Hi Jordan,

The first sign of spider mites is the "stippling" you see on the leaves. These are lighter areas of color on the leaves that alternate with more normal areas of green coloring. It is due to the spider mites piercing chlorophyl cells and sucking out the contents. Since chlorophyl is what gives the leaves their green look it makes sense that when the chlorophyl is removed cell by cell the leaves start showing this stippling effect.

By the time leaves actually start falling, the mite attack is well underway. Webbing is one of the last signs that develop and by that time there will be a lot of damage.

Depending on how many plants and whether they are in pots or the ground, you need a plan for getting the mites under control. They can be washed off the leaves with a strong blast of water, or they can be sprayed. I favor spraying them with horticultural oil and water, which smothers them and is almost as effective as specialized chemical miticides.

Don't wait or the plants will lose most of their leaves. Usually they do not die even if they do lose their leaves, but it is a setback for them and they will use their energy to regrow new leaves instead of blooming or growing larger.

Please let me know what you do and how it works out.

Charlie

[Darkhorse]

I just bought some horticultural oil, along with a Blushing Maiden and High Voltage.  Good excuse to get more plants!  (help me....)

[Nievesgirl]

I just bought some horticultural oil, along with a Blushing Maiden and High Voltage.  Good excuse to get more plants!  (help me....)

LOL this what happened when I ordered wake up spray 3 more new cv's coming 

[roadrunner]

Good grief!!!!  I know the feeling.  I just ordered two more cultivars without ordering anything else so I don't have an excuse. I also have no more room for them. Is there a hibiscus addicts anonymous?   

Dave

[Nievesgirl]

O God I think I have spider mites now ! I will stop by home depot tonight to get some horticulture oil I love this stuff, I used to use it back in the day.

Dave I agree totally Addicting

[Darkhorse]

We need to start HAA (hibiscus addicts anonymous).  Charlie is our enabler!! 

[helixturnhelix]

Yea, I really need to live somewhere where I feel 100% safe about putting them in the ground, cuz the porch is filling up.  Have you even thought about where you are going to put all your seedlings!  I am trying to figure this one out because I dont know if I have enough space for them!  An idea I have is to grow them under grow lights until they are 1-2 years old.  By that time they should have matured enough to produce buds when placed in high light situations.  This could also be used as a "screen" for low light varieties.  If they bloom under grow lights they can bloom in the shade.  Do you think this would work?

[Darkhorse]

Personally, I'm just counting on getting rich and being able to buy a huge house so I can keep them all in windows indoors, ha.  Really, though, I'm in the process of trying to buy my first house.  I plan on building a greenhouse in the backyard when we move.  I've set our deadline as mid-December, as that's when our lease runs out again and it'll be too cold for all the plants outside.  No way they would all fit inside my apt!

You live in the Mojave, right?  Do temps there reach below freezing in the winter?  I wouldn't think you'd need to put them under lights unless that were the case and you couldn't keep them in a window, but I could be wrong.

[Nievesgirl]

Yea, I really need to live somewhere where I feel 100% safe about putting them in the ground, cuz the porch is filling up.  Have you even thought about where you are going to put all your seedlings!  I am trying to figure this one out because I dont know if I have enough space for them!  An idea I have is to grow them under grow lights until they are 1-2 years old.  By that time they should have matured enough to produce buds when placed in high light situations.  This could also be used as a "screen" for low light varieties.  If they bloom under grow lights they can bloom in the shade.  Do you think this would work?

Well my plan is to buy T5 fixture not sure if you read my thread "Hibiscus under Metal halide lighting ?" under hibiscus as house plants.

I plan to get a new wave fixture by sunlight supply 4' 8 bulbs this should be big enough to cover all of my plants.

I need to see if the warm bulbs I buy will make them bloom I need 2700k bulbs ( for flowers) and 5500-6500k bulbs for foliage. This is what was I was told on another forum. I also had someone on another fourm say hibiscus will not bloom so I am not sure what is going to happen. all of the seedlings should be fine since they wont be blooming anyways 

[Charlie]

Darkhorse, I just saw your "addiction" comment. 

I'm afraid I am as addicted as anyone, having been captured by the spirit of hibiscus sometime around 1995. As addictions go, it is one of the better ones seems to me. Keeps me out of trouble and provides a heaping dose of daily beauty to enjoy and uplift. I like the challenges that growing the plants provides, and the chances to learn more about all sorts of things.

I guess it's hopeless - an addict for life most likely.........

Charlie

[Charlie]

Many years ago a guy from the northeast posted photos of his hibiscus during the winter. He kept them in his basement and used regular fluorescent shoplights with standard cool white bulbs. Everyone was surprised that they looked pretty good, and some of them occasionally bloomed. He left the lights on 18 hours a day I think.

Anyway, with hibiscus there are always exceptions to any rules, and I suspect you will find some varieties will bloom and some won't under fluorescent bulbs.

Charlie

[Nievesgirl]

Many years ago a guy from the northeast posted photos of his hibiscus during the winter. He kept them in his basement and used regular fluorescent shoplights with standard cool white bulbs. Everyone was surprised that they looked pretty good, and some of them occasionally bloomed. He left the lights on 18 hours a day I think.

Anyway, with hibiscus there are always exceptions to any rules, and I suspect you will find some varieties will bloom and some won't under fluorescent bulbs.

Charlie

That is good news to hear ! The technology of T5 bulbs is always changing so I will see what happens I will post my experience with my lights

[helixturnhelix]

Jordan:  It does get into Freezing temperatures a few nights a year, usually in January.  So I like to have my plants in pots so I can get time inside in case it does.  It was pretty mild last year, with me leaving my plants outside and only losing two.  They were in the 4' pot size, so they were a bit more delicate and I probably should have kept them inside.  Trial and Error I suppose.  There are alot of garden varieties around here that seem to be fine during the winter so it would be interesting to see how some of the hardier cvs do. 

Kerry:  I think you could probably get pretty good results with T-5s and Metal halide.  I think that if you can get acropora to grow well in a reef tank, you should be able to get hibiscus to bloom under the same lighting intensity, I am just afraid as to what your electric bill will be running the lights for your tanks (no one has just one) and plants.  Having said that I am curious as to how they will do.

Charlie:  I think it is one of the better addictions out there, people enjoy them and if you grow them in the house eventually you will have a nice blooming hedge in the window.  Saves money on heating and cooling because they insulate the windows.  (trying rationalize having plants in every window) AND if it gets dense enough then you will no longer need curtains.  Sounds like a win, win in my opinion. 

[Nievesgirl]

Jordan:  It does get into Freezing temperatures a few nights a year, usually in January.  So I like to have my plants in pots so I can get time inside in case it does.  It was pretty mild last year, with me leaving my plants outside and only losing two.  They were in the 4' pot size, so they were a bit more delicate and I probably should have kept them inside.  Trial and Error I suppose.  There are alot of garden varieties around here that seem to be fine during the winter so it would be interesting to see how some of the hardier cvs do. 

Kerry:  I think you could probably get pretty good results with T-5s and Metal halide.  I think that if you can get acropora to grow well in a reef tank, you should be able to get hibiscus to bloom under the same lighting intensity, I am just afraid as to what your electric bill will be running the lights for your tanks (no one has just one) and plants.  Having said that I am curious as to how they will do.

Charlie:  I think it is one of the better addictions out there, people enjoy them and if you grow them in the house eventually you will have a nice blooming hedge in the window.  Saves money on heating and cooling because they insulate the windows.  (trying rationalize having plants in every window) AND if it gets dense enough then you will no longer need curtains.  Sounds like a win, win in my opinion. 

Well my tank is only 20 gallons and I have a 150 w MH so the bill is not bad ( I only have one tank lol ) I might upgrade soon and use t5's over my reef I am kind of starting over I got a bad infestation of nudibranches  , T5's are cheaper to run so I should be ok .