Be careful with Bayer 3:1

[kris]

I had a bad experience with spraying for aphids using Bayer 3:1 on my younger hibiscus plants, they got terrible chemical burns on the tips and they turned black and fell off.  So if anyone is using this pesticide be careful on your younger plants.  Ive used this product on my mature hibiscus plants with no problems.  On the up side, causing the tips to die has had the same effect as pruning, with all my little plants sending up new shoots.  Looks like im going to have to wait longer for flowers, but at least there will be more of them

[Charlie]

Hi Kris,

That's interesting, and good to know. Just to clarify - did you apply the ready-to-use product or mix the concentrate yourself?  If you mixed the concentrate what was the dose per gallon for the mixture? Young plants are more tender and perhaps the 3 different chemicals all at once was too much for them. Anyway, thanks for the warning.

Charlie

[kris]

Hi Charlie,

It was the pre-mixed stuff.  I think that it was because they were seedlings and maybe it was too much.  Ive used it on mature hibiscus with no ill effects! 

-Kris

[Charlie]

OK, that's probably the case then. Most of the commercial pesticides come with warnings about using them on cuttings or seedlings. Thanks for sharing this experience, its something we can all keep in mind.

Charlie

[jpiper82]

The Bayer 3-1, concentrate needs to applied to the root structure and ground not the leafs or flowers.
John

[Charlie]

Thanks for jumping in, but I don't think this is correct. What do you base this on? The 3-in-1 concentrate is the same product that is sold in spray bottles by Bayer to be sprayed on the leaves. You just have to mix the concentrate with water according to the instructions on the bottle and then it is ready to spray. Perhaps you are thinking about the product called Bayer Tree and Shrub which is specifically meant for drenching into the root zone?

Charlie

[Darkhorse]

Some of my older plants seem to have burns on their leaf tips, I believe from the 3 in 1 also.  If it's not one thing, it's another!

[Charlie]

Leaf or tip burn can have causes other than the spray itself. For example, spraying in the evening is better and less likely to result in burns than spraying in the morning or even worse, mid-day. This is because the chemicals can react with direct sunlight and high heat to burn the foliage. By spraying in the evening or moving the plants to a shaded area this can be avoided.

Another problem is when the spray runs off the leaf toward the edges and tip and then clings to the leaf at those spots. This can result in more pesticide in those locations and burns can result. Plants can be rinsed off an hour after spraying with water but that is not ideal because we want the pesticide to remain to do its job. Avoid spraying more than is required to get good coverage to avoid this problem.

Spays like 3-in-1 that contain more than one pesticide are also more likely to burn foliage and should only be used at the does recommended on the label if you mix it yourself from concentrate.

Tip and leaf edge burn is often not due to pesticides at all, but rather to well fertilized pots drying out too much so that the fertilizer becomes very concentrated. Imagine a glass of salt water that evaporates half way - the remaining water is very salty. A similar thing happens inside pots as the potting mix dries down, and the concentrated fertilizer is drawn into the leaves where it burns them. This shows as browning of the leaf edge and tip.

Flushing pots with water from time to time will help avoid build up of fertilizer salts inside the pots. Avoid allowing the pots to dry down too much during the times of year that the plants are thirsty. And of course do not overuse fertilizer, particularly HVH Booster which is very strong. Small amounts often are better than large amounts from time to time.

Charlie