Mexican petunias
I have two pots of Mexican petunias that I moved from South Carolina to San Antonio. I'm crazy about these intriguing flowers but I am fighting a mealy bug problem with them. Can anyone tell me how to win the battle of the mealy bugs? Also, can I prune the plants?
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(post #12018, reply #1 of 39)
Do you have them in the ground?
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #2 of 39)
Thanks for getting back to me. They're not in the ground. Each plant stands about 6'3" and sits in a 5 gal pot. All around the plant new shoots rise from the thick tangle of roots. I tend to them every day concerning the mealy bugs with a spray and soil treatment I purchased from Lowes. It seems, though that the battle has to be fought daily since I'll find evidence of new infestation. I like these flowers and after moving them all the way from the east coast I would hate to lose them due to my inexperience in caring for them. When they were in South Carolina they absolutely thrived without any special care on my part and they were infestation free. One thing I did, though, that I hope I will not end up regretting is I pruned them prior to moving to San Antonio; they looked like they were just growing beyond belief so I sorta rounded them out before putting them in the moving van.
(post #12018, reply #3 of 39)
You're about at the end of your winter. If it were me, I'd cut them off at the ground. They'll grow back enthusiastically. As they do, being a spraying program using ultrafine oil spray every 3 weeks. Don't apply it when the sun is shining on it. It's safe to use. Since you don't eat ruellia, you can also put a rose systemic in the pot so that any beasties that don't die from the spray will die from sucking the juices from the plants.
They're always going to be more susceptible to bugs during the winter.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #4 of 39)
Thanks for the great tips. I know what a systemic is but what is a rose systemic? By the way, I bought these as plants that had topiary work done to them. The stems are bare and about 4½ ft high with the flowering part at the top. Would you still cut them down to the ground?
(post #12018, reply #5 of 39)
Hi, I had never heard of Mexican petunias before this year, but this spring I have seen them in several different catalogs and the flowers looked really pretty, but the catalogs did not mention their potential size. A rose systemic is a fertilizer/ insecticide mix that is mixed to meet the requirements of roses. You mix it in the soil. About cutting your plants back, I love topiaries so I would not cut them myself. Here is an idea that works for me sometimes when I get an infestation of some bug pest or other, but I don't know if you can do this with the size of your plants. I fill a container (that is big enough to dip the top of the plant in) with water and add a bit of dish washing liquid and a little bit of veggie oil, about a drop or two per quart of water. Then I dip the whole plant into the water and swish it around for a few minutes, then give it a rinse with clear water. The oil sort of chokes the critters, and the soap is needed to disperse the oil through the water. You can also just spray plants with this mixture, but by dipping it you make sure all surfaces of the plant have been reached. I would also take the plants and try to remove the top inch or so of the soil, or as much as you possibly can and replace it with fresh soil. If the plants have bugs, the soil probably does too.
I hope this might be helpful for you, and good luck.
(post #12018, reply #6 of 39)
That's some pretty good advice - and thanks. I'm going to give this a try. One thing about the Mexican petunias: they drop their flowers each day and have fresh ones again the next morning. Awesome!
(post #12018, reply #9 of 39)
I want you to know that your advice about the mealy bugs seems to be working. I immediately followed it after reading your post, concocting a spray bottle of water, dishwasher detergent and vegetable oil. I then sprayed the heck out of the Mexican petunias and when I checked this morning I found a remarkable improvement in the situation: only about 5 bugs and only 2 of those seemed to be alive. I then generously sprayed again and will let you know how that goes. The plants couldn't be immersed in a container of the fluid because of their size but I'm hoping that the spraying I'm giving them will completely cover all areas.
(post #12018, reply #10 of 39)
I'm glad that is working for you. I'm always very reluctant to use chemicals and feel they should be a last resort only. If you know how, would you post a photo of your plants? In the catalog they only show a close-up of a couple of flowers and I would really like to see what the plants look like.
(post #12018, reply #16 of 39)
I'll post an image of the plants full size for you soon. Hang in there. To be continued...
Oh, for a report of my mealy bug progress check out my reply to Beejay.
Edited 3/10/2009 2:06 pm ET by trowelhead
Edited 3/10/2009 2:06 pm ET by trowelhead
(post #12018, reply #11 of 39)
Keep us posted on your bug control. I'm interested to see how dish washer detergent works instead of liquid soap. And also how your plants tolerate an oil such as a vegatable oil that can eventually form a varnish.
BJ
(post #12018, reply #12 of 39)
I wouldn't recommend dish soap. It'll burn some plants and can kill some as well.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
Edited to say, I wouldn't use liquid detergent you use to wash dishes in the sink. Soap and detergent are two different things, as you know.
Edited 3/9/2009 11:52 pm by Jeana
(post #12018, reply #13 of 39)
Wow, I never recommended dish washer detergent, I said liquid dish soap in a very tiny quantity, as well as oil in a very tiny amount. I also recommended rinsing with clear water afterward. I do it frequently when I take cuttings to start new plants. I soak my cuttings in this for anywhere from a couple of minutes to as much as 20 minutes, then rinse and plant. Then as soon as I get nicely rooted cuttings I can dispose of old scruffy looking plants. No matter how much I check plants before bringing them in in the fall there will always be one or two that are hiding a few aphids or other hitchhikers somewhere and along about this time of year they start to magically multiply. This bath takes care of most all the little darlings! The key is tiny amounts of oil and soap.
(post #12018, reply #14 of 39)
Ok, I got a bunch of stuff in the fire so I missed that and went off half cocked. The plants look fine and there is a remarkable absence of the bugs but I'll rinse them tomorrow morning. I'll keep you posted.
(post #12018, reply #17 of 39)
I wasn't quoting you. Trowelheads post #10 used the "dishwashing detergent" phrase. Many people refere to all of the cleaning liquids as "soap". Most of them are detergents of which there are literally thausands to blend from. I believe it is the chemical nature of true soap that makes it useful as an insecticide. Many of us use Murphey's Oil Soap to insure that we are using a true soap and not an un-named chemical detergent.
BJ
(post #12018, reply #18 of 39)
And that's why I clarified. I wouldn't use dish soap on plants. It's not "soap," it's detergent.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #19 of 39)
I'm afraid that an awful lot of people just don't get the soap vs detergent thing. Manufacturers call every thing soap and put antimicrobials in the liquid detergents to the point that it is now suspected of being an environmental problem. In the meanwhile, microbes are developing resistance to the antimicrobials and becoming super germs.
All the while, true soap is a natural antimicrobial that kills germs in a manner that they don't seem to develope a resistance too. (my opinion). There is a new bug (clostridium difficile) causing acute diaharia that is becoming endimec in hospitals. It is not killed by alcohol wash. Soap and water is the effective disinfectant.
I like Aberwhackey's signature. It says, "Strengthen your immune system. Eat more dirt."
BJ
(post #12018, reply #20 of 39)
I don't think I can get ANY digestive or eye infections now. I can't get through a day this season without something flying in my mouth of (more likely) my eyes. I've never had a year where I've had more dirt in my eyes than this year.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #21 of 39)
Don't you love it when you're pulling on something and a big chunk of dirt flies right up in your eyes?! I do that a lot this time of year. I wear contacts, so this usually means a trip inside to rinse out my eyes. I wonder if they make safety glasses for gardeners... They'd be like sunglasses too, maybe with a little net attached to keep bugs out of your face.
(post #12018, reply #22 of 39)
hey there BeeJay!
been absent for a while and have neglected much, hoping to be sticking around for awhile!
I agree with you, most dish detergent is not the same as liquid soap. Murphy's oil soap is made by using vegetable fat where as these days dish detergent is not. (I believe they use caustic soda? (dh tried to explain it to me once since he works for a company that manufactures detergents) I am wondering tho whether if some of the so-called safe or enviro-friendly dish detergents are made from the fats rather than the chemicals. Not sure but I can say picking up oil soap from the dollar stores is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying insecticidal soap!
(post #12018, reply #23 of 39)
I've never used it on plants, but I wonder if Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap would work as a repellent.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #24 of 39)
I guess it all depends whether it's soap or detergent. If I could get it up here I'd try it. I've got a couple of clems with the worst spider or maybe mealy bug infestation. Lots of webs and white crawly things!
P.S
what's new?
(post #12018, reply #25 of 39)
It's soap. You can get it at probably any health food store. It really is good stuff and, though not thick, it's really concentrated. Anyone who has ever come across it, well, let's just say that his philosophies (printed on the bottle) really make an impression.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #26 of 39)
I googled, It is a true soap, so I'm thinking it may work pretty good and leave a 'nice fresh scent' :-0
I think you're right, it may be available in some of our 'Granola' stores
(post #12018, reply #27 of 39)
It's really worth trying it (for bathing) just once. If you take baths (instead of shower), you can just put a few drops in a bath scrunchie. You end up feeling really clean AND it's very refreshing in the summer. It gives you a cool (as in chilling) feeling. Animals flat out don't like the smell of peppermint, so it might be a good thing to use on plants that get sampled by wildlife.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #28 of 39)
I wonder if "Campsuds" and th elike, which are biodegradeable and all that fall under the soap or the detergent label??
Anyone know? The Dr. Brommer's stuff can be shipped - remeber to keep it under $20 and avoid UPS or you will be in Brokerage fee hell.
If it can die, I can kill it.
Certified Brown Thumb, 4th degree
If it can die, I can kill it.
Certified Brown Thumb, 4th degree
(post #12018, reply #30 of 39)
It's supposed to be a soap. Not as inexpensive as Dr. Bronner's, though. But if you have it on hand (so to speak), you can use it on plants.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #36 of 39)
It can be bought and I think shipped up here ( I should have got more stuff when our dollar was high) I'm wondering if peppermint oil mixed with the oil soap will do the trick against the voles that have decided to make their home in my raised bed. I counted six or seven gnawing on the roots of my plants as I sat and watched thru my living room window. The kids have named the fat one 'Linda' which made me cringe, "don't name the beasties" was my response! dh added some warfarin to the bed, down the tunnels but I'm not sure whether they've taken the bait yet.
(post #12018, reply #37 of 39)
You have BOLD voles! If I see them, I stomp them. I don't see them often.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12018, reply #38 of 39)
well the warfarin must be working 'Linda' looked 'drunk' so the kids carried her into the farmers field via a shovel, don't know yet about the other 5 ;-)
(post #12018, reply #39 of 39)
Ewww.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.