Re: Spider Mites
I tell you guys, these mites have me worked up pretty good this year. My recent outbreak was explosive and took me by surprise. I've applied the DE, and fogged with an organic pyrethrin but these devils are making a comeback.
After researching chitinase producing organisms in compost tea and finding out that they can be applied as a foliar spray, I've decided to give it a go. I usually only treat my outdoor bedded plants with this but now I understand the biology of container plants can be as rich as those [plants] in the ground.
There are claims of tea applications promoting the production of chitinase by plants too.
It would be great to have my plants repel the insects on their own and I have a mealy bug infestation on my pony tail palms that could serve,alongside the mite infestation, as a control group. I'll apply the tea to half of my mite infestation and one of my pony tails and keep you guys up to date on the progress.
Fingers crossed now!
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