View Full Version : Am I being paranoid...
chris_zx2
12-19-2015, 12:02 AM
Ok guys plants have been doing great till recently. Saw some aphids, killed quickly with neem oil.
My dwarf cavendish has been losing leaves a little faster than I would like and I noticed that the trunk is brown and spongy (very moist). If I have a watering problem I would think it was too little but hopefully someone can tell me this is either normal or what my problem is.
Unfortunately uploads isnt working right now so check out the two photos here and see if it helps.
https://goo.gl/photos/Pj6oUSudzzLXo6Jo9
chris_zx2
12-19-2015, 12:12 AM
Ok just added a third photo of something I hadn't noticed. Looks like rust colored spots all over the bottom of a bunch of the leaves.....now I am starting to freak out. Check out the third pichere (https://goo.gl/photos/Pj6oUSudzzLXo6Jo9)
It looks like that pot is too moist. I think you are over watering it or you have soil that doesn't drain well.
Can we get a close up of the pot soil?
siege2050
12-19-2015, 12:26 PM
I am guessing too much water and like Sal says, poor drainage. If you look at the leaf with the brown spots you can see water soaked areas of the leaf. This happens sometimes if I give my indoor bananas too much water in winter on leaves when they first emerge. It tends to make water build up in the pstem sheaths as well. I dunno about the brown spots, but I have not had much success with neem oil. I burned the leaves of a bunch of my plants with it a few years back and if I remember correctly it looked like that, and I have not used it again. I water pretty sparingly in winter and let the surface of the pot dry out between waterings. And then I will just put like a full glass of water in there so its not saturated. But if the soil completely dries out, the water will just go right through the pot lol. But it depends on how much sun its getting through that window. If there is cold air by the window, and too much water that is usually not good either. Super Dwarfs always tend to look a little crappy here before winter is done, they start making bunched up rosette shaped leaves due to the lower lighting, and I have to battle spider mites. Occasionally the mother pstems will just decide to die down to the pot, and pups take their place.
chris_zx2
12-20-2015, 12:16 AM
I normally use 5 part pine bark to 1 part soil and 1 part compost but living where winter hits early I couldn't get pine bark. I will be searching tomorrow for something and I'll repot with quick draining.
a.hulva@coxinet.net
12-20-2015, 11:51 AM
Can't tell for sure but looks like Mealy bugs. Need close up of white spots on the stem. If so I had the same thing. Same symptoms. If so I used "Acephate" or you can use "Bayer 3 in one. They can kill the plant. Good luck :2738:
chris_zx2
12-20-2015, 11:15 PM
Well I do have some small bugs but I thought they were aphids. I have been using pyrethrin will this get rid of mealybugs?
chris_zx2
12-20-2015, 11:25 PM
Ok I have added two new photos https://goo.gl/photos/Pj6oUSudzzLXo6Jo9 these are what I thought were aphids. It's a different plant but I assume it's the same bug on both plants.
siege2050
12-21-2015, 03:23 PM
They look like spider mites to me which is common in winter indoors. Look in bright sun light and see if you can see webbing. Best way I have found to control them is a damp paper towel.
chris_zx2
12-21-2015, 05:11 PM
I sprayed the whole thing down with a pyrethrin based insecticide. Do spider mites generally kill a plant?
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