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What is Wrong With My Schefflera?

Ask the Expert: Please help me identify the problem with this plant!

A dear friend of mine gave me a cutting off her HUGE and prolific plant about 1.5 years ago. Around the same time, I believe I brought some insects in with some bad potting soil. I have sprayed with Bayer Natria Insect, disease & mite control as well as another Bayer insect killer. After I treat, I usually find dead insects around the plant which look like fruit flies. The plant seems to put out new growth but looks wilted.

I forgot to tell you this plant usually lives on the windowsill facing south of our house which has blind-filtered light. I have moved it to other areas such as by a room with north and east facing windows with filtered light and a north window. The mother plant lives in a north-facing sliding glass door and is a prolific grower to say the LEAST! I have repotted twice in the 1.5 years. I water only when the surface soil seems dry.

Schefflera With Distorted Leaves Schefflera With Yellow Veined Leaves

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Help! My Lucky Bamboo Is Infested With Red Spiders

Ask The Plant Expert:

Hello, my name is Ivy. I have a big problem on my lucky bamboo. [About a] month ago, it appeared to have a bug problem. Very small, red spiders and other insects that are so so small, they can hardly be noticed. They make the plant leaf turn lighter and slowly kill, and the leaf has sticky oil-like stuff coming out. Please help!!!

Red Spider MiteFlower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

Ivy,

You probably have a red spider mite problem.  Your local garden center and nursery should have an insecticide that will take care of it, and still be safe for your lucky bamboo.  Fertilome has a red spider mite spray in a ready-to-use container.  One or two treatments with the insecticide should take care of the problem.

Hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Have a plant question? Ask the expert now!

Stopping The Spread of Cotton-Like Substance On Lucky Bamboo

Ask the Expert:> lucky bamboo has white cotton like substance
Hello,

Lucky Bamboo I have had my lucky bamboo for about 2 years now and it was doing great until we suspected it might be the cause of a gnat infestation at my workplace. I took it home changed the water and removed the styrofoam and rocks that were anchoring the plan down. I made the mistake of doing it with sink water and since then it seemed to just be on a slow decline. Recently there seems to be a white cottony substance growing on the stalks similar to those dandelion plants that you blow when you are a kid. Also, some of the lucky bamboos have been turning brown. I also see small white maybe eggs on the stalk, it seems like an empty shell of something but I don\’t see active bugs or anything on it. I have the plant here at the office and I have never fertilized the plant at all. Please help I am removing stalks weekly and soon it won\’t be a lucky bamboo tree. I have attached a photo showing the white substance in question. Lindy

Flower Shop Network
Plant Expert Reply:

The cottony substance on lucky bamboo usually indicates a spider mite or cottony scale problem. To get rid of the insects you need to wash the stalks and the container with warm soapy water. If the cotton like substance persists an insecticide will be needed.

After looking at the picture, you may also have a case of bacterial leaf spot. The only way to keep bacterial leaf spot from spreading is to remove the infected stalks.   Then wash the remaining stalks and container with warm soapy water. Refill the container with distilled water. Watch the stalks for the next couple of weeks to make sure the bacteria has stop spreading

Could Lucky Bamboo Yellowing Be Caused By Spider Mites Or A Fungus.

Ask the Expert: Lucky bamboo leaves turning yellow
Hi,

lucky-bamboo-yellow-tipyellowing-lucky-bambooI’ve had my bamboo for four years and it was doing great. I suddenly noticed a lot of yellowing on the leaves on one of them. The 2nd stalk has some yellow dots on the leaves. The 3rd one is doing fine. It is starting to spread rapidly. I have 3 stalks. The roots of all 3 are entangled. I have always had them in a glass container with water. I have never used a fertilizer and they were fine without it and were extremely healthy. I always use purified drinking water. I change the water every two weeks, clean the stalk and roots by just running water on them. Please help..I need to save them.  Aparna

Plant Expert Reply:

Since you haven’t fertilized the plant or I assume changed the location of the lucky bamboo, the top two reasons for yellowing have been eliminated — too much fertilize and too much light.

Now we have to check for attackers. The pale yellowing could be a sign of a spider mite infestation. Spider mites are very small insects that will attack the lucky bamboo. You will need a magnifying glass to see them. If your plant has spider mites, you will need to spray it with an insecticide. You local garden center nursery will be able to tell you which insecticide to use.

The spot on the leaf could be a fungus or a bacterial problem. You will first need to determine which it is. If you send me an up close picture of the spot I should be able to determine what it is and then your local garden center will be able to determine which fungicide you need.

Cottony Webby Substance on Houseplant

Cottony Cushion Scale

Cottony Cushion Scale

Ask the Expert: what is the cottony/cob webby build up?
I have a Anthirium I have had it for a few monthes and it has been doing fantastic until i discovered That i was over watering it. I have now cut down on watering it and have been keeping a very close eye on it and it seems as though over night it has some sort of web like build up in the almost dead bloom. I guess it might be dust but it really doesn’t look like it and for it to build up that fast, I just want to know if this is normal, if i should remove it, or cut the bloom off altogether. Tiffany

Spider Mite Webbing

Spider Mite Webbing

Reply:

I am attaching pictures to help with identification.  If it looks like the first picture (from Arizona Cooperative Extension) which is cottony cushion scale, you will need an insecticide that is safe for houseplants.  Your local garden center should have Fetilome whitefly & mealbug killer for houseplant – or at least something similar.

The second photo (from CSU/Denver County  Extension Master Gardener) is caused by a spider mite. You will need an insecticide that will get rid of spider mites. Again, your local garden center should have this product.

Hopefully your problem looks like one of these.  There are many insects that can cause this problem.  This ususally happens when the plant has been in a stressful situation like over-watering.  Once you apply the proper insecticide and correct the water issue the plant will bounce right back.

Good Luck and keep me posted.