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toomanymiles · 08-21-2012, 06:30 PM

Well, I had multiple beutiful groves of basjoo. Some of my tallest were over 16 Feet tall by second week in july. Not bad for northeast Ohio. I thought they might evan flower this year at the rate they are growing. A guy that was fertilizing my lawn became home sick because it reminded him of puerterico were he was from.

Then my groves were once again attacked almost over night by spider mites. I spray them down with a special nozzle I perchased a high pressure fogging spray nozzle for my garden hose. I sprayed them almost daily from the day I uncovered them to present. I tried to get the entire plant incuding the undersides of the leaves. They were watered and given slow release fertilizer wich has worked great for me for years. There growth rate has slowed do to the stress from the mites wich also have attacked my elephant ears and canna. I trimmed off the lower leaves wich were infested first. I thought if I thinned the leaves out I could more effectivley spray the mites. I have a magnifying eyepiece I use to see them with. After a good spray they are gone, but by the next afternoon the darn things are back. I know that some of the eggs are not washed off and prabably hatch a new batch everyday. I have obout 50 plants in 3 groves of great size and think I have created a mite heaven with all of the tropicals growing in the yard. I have used several different pesticides back to back to try and erraticate them, but I have not used them for two years now to try to let nature balance itself out. The use of a propane fogger crossed my mind, but I have not resorted to that yet.

People drive down my dead end street often just to see my garden of tropicals. I prabably need to thin everything out onto a smaller scale, but I like the dramatic look my yard has. The groves are not next to each other and all of my plants are spaced out. There prabably isnt much I can do about it at this point. I have evan had a couple of plant experts say there is not anything else I can do.

The plants I keep inside over winter have done fine. I found that keeping them at minum tempurature and putting them out in the rain on mild days was all that was needed to cotrol the mites over the winter.

I never thought that the two easiest plants I grow would be a trachycarpus and a canary Island date palm, but the mites do not like them.

I live in kirtland Ohio zone 5-b. Been a north by south gardener since the late 80's.

Thanks for listening to my gripe. I hope some of the things I have tried will work for other gardeners. Malvo.

08-21-2012, 06:30 PM	#18 (permalink)
toomanymiles Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 6 BananaBucks : 5,623 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 6 Times in 3 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Battling spider mites every year. Well, I had multiple beutiful groves of basjoo. Some of my tallest were over 16 Feet tall by second week in july. Not bad for northeast Ohio. I thought they might evan flower this year at the rate they are growing. A guy that was fertilizing my lawn became home sick because it reminded him of puerterico were he was from. Then my groves were once again attacked almost over night by spider mites. I spray them down with a special nozzle I perchased a high pressure fogging spray nozzle for my garden hose. I sprayed them almost daily from the day I uncovered them to present. I tried to get the entire plant incuding the undersides of the leaves. They were watered and given slow release fertilizer wich has worked great for me for years. There growth rate has slowed do to the stress from the mites wich also have attacked my elephant ears and canna. I trimmed off the lower leaves wich were infested first. I thought if I thinned the leaves out I could more effectivley spray the mites. I have a magnifying eyepiece I use to see them with. After a good spray they are gone, but by the next afternoon the darn things are back. I know that some of the eggs are not washed off and prabably hatch a new batch everyday. I have obout 50 plants in 3 groves of great size and think I have created a mite heaven with all of the tropicals growing in the yard. I have used several different pesticides back to back to try and erraticate them, but I have not used them for two years now to try to let nature balance itself out. The use of a propane fogger crossed my mind, but I have not resorted to that yet. People drive down my dead end street often just to see my garden of tropicals. I prabably need to thin everything out onto a smaller scale, but I like the dramatic look my yard has. The groves are not next to each other and all of my plants are spaced out. There prabably isnt much I can do about it at this point. I have evan had a couple of plant experts say there is not anything else I can do. The plants I keep inside over winter have done fine. I found that keeping them at minum tempurature and putting them out in the rain on mild days was all that was needed to cotrol the mites over the winter. I never thought that the two easiest plants I grow would be a trachycarpus and a canary Island date palm, but the mites do not like them. I live in kirtland Ohio zone 5-b. Been a north by south gardener since the late 80's. Thanks for listening to my gripe. I hope some of the things I have tried will work for other gardeners. Malvo.