Juniper Question

[power270lb]

I abhor DE maybe a bad batch but anyway...
Grab a white envelope
Hold it horizontally under various branches as you tap sort of sharply down over top of the paper.
Bring the envelop to your focus and watch. Soon, if mites are present, you'll see tiny teeny tiny specs
crawling about. Take you fingers across the paper slight down pressure. Spider mites will smear a red streak.

If a lot, you should support the foliage with your hand where necessary, but a good blast with the shower
setting from a garden hose, in an apartment maybe the shower? but you have to finish them down the drain.
Garden hose outdoors is best. They can invade house plants. Take back outside and spray with ...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Safe-Brand-Insecticidal-Soap-24-fl-oz-Insect-Killer/4382973

after the foliage has dried somewhat from your hosing off.
Repeat weekly, for a month. If in the meantime the paper test does not reflect progress
you will want to use a stronger miticide. Neem oil or Malathion. The schefflera may be sensitive to either IDK.

@Paradox Mites on 3 trees now. I sprayed with my sink hose thoroughly and isolated all 3. Sprayed down with neem oil, dish soap and a teaspoon of cayenne. Actually thinking of buying predatory mites now. So annoying.

Off topic, my tiger bark ficus has been the easiest plant to own by far. My tiny humidifier I'd place in the middle of my setup just crapped out so I moved my heavy duty one under a mylar curtain with a fan blowing. Was maybe a foot away from the tiger ficus and was set all the way up. Noticed yesterday a bunch of leaves are yellowing with some brown spots and it's dropped a dozen or so. In 7 months this thing has dropped two. Was the humidifier basically blowing on the pot the cause? Idk what's going on with it.

 

[Carol 83]

What soil would u recommend for bouginvillea? Mine came in mostly pine bark

I know Wigert's sends there's in soil conditioner, which is mostly bark. But you have to be really careful watering that too. When I repotted, I used a pre-mixed inorganic soil from Bonsai Jack. Repot in the hottest part of the summer when they are growing vigorously.

 

[Japonicus]

dish soap

How much?
1 drop in a gallon of water acts as a surficant and will help foliar sprays stick.
Dish soap and Safe Soap are 2 totally different things. Safe soap is a particular salt.
Potassium salts of fatty acid @ ~ 20%. Diluted @ 3.5 Oz/gal water or 2 Tbsp/Qt
using the Concern brand I have. It will work on soft scale or armored scale in the crawler stage.
Not on armored scale where there is a dark oval shell showing, small as it is.

 

[power270lb]

I know Wigert's sends there's in soil conditioner, which is mostly bark. But you have to be really careful watering that too. When I repotted, I used a pre-mixed inorganic soil from Bonsai Jack. Repot in the hottest part of the summer when they are growing vigorously.

I have 50+ lbs of Diatomaceous Earth, lava rock, pumice, fir bark what ratio would u recommend?

 

[Carol 83]

Diatomaceous Earth,

No, stays too wet, too long for bougies.

 

[sorce]

I don't believe DE was the cause of that bougies demise.
If anyone would like to send me one I'm open to reciept for investigation!

@power270lb DE doesn't do anything to bugs, they just found a way to sell byproduct (dust) to ignorant consumers.

Sorce

 

[Carol 83]

I don't believe DE was the cause of that bougies demise.
If anyone would like to send me one I'm open to reciept for investigation!

Then we will just have to agree to disagree, because I'm not sending you any of mine for investigation.

 

[power270lb]

I don't believe DE was the cause of that bougies demise.
If anyone would like to send me one I'm open to reciept for investigation!

@power270lb DE doesn't do anything to bugs, they just found a way to sell byproduct (dust) to ignorant consumers.

Sorce

I thought DE was like razors for spidermites? What's your opinion on predatory mites to combat spidermites?

 

[sorce]

I thought DE was like razors for spidermites? What's your opinion on predatory mites to combat spidermites?

The predatory mites are already there if there are other mites!

I didn't read about that product, by I have a hard time believing they could come up with a thing that kills vegans and not carnivores.

Anyway spraying should be last resort.

A 24 hour underwater adventure will kill em.

Once you get your husbandry correct and situated, you won't need to spray. Try not to get in the habit.

Sorce

 

[power270lb]

The predatory mites are already there if there are other mites!

I didn't read about that product, by I have a hard time believing they could come up with a thing that kills vegans and not carnivores.

Anyway spraying should be last resort.

A 24 hour underwater adventure will kill em.

Once you get your husbandry correct and situated, you won't need to spray. Try not to get in the habit.

Sorce

I should dunk the whole tree under water?

 

[sorce]

I should dunk the whole tree under water?

Ah.....there's no "after" proof, but it was left for over a day and came out fine.
Post in thread 'Don't Salute the Sargent......' https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/dont-salute-the-sargent.23180/post-393833

Died sometime after from unrelated causes.

Sorce

 

[power270lb]

Ah.....there's no "after" proof, but it was left for over a day and came out fine.
Post in thread 'Don't Salute the Sargent......' https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/dont-salute-the-sargent.23180/post-393833

Died sometime after from unrelated causes.

Sorce

Read a few times after researching dunking for 30-60 minutes. What's your experience dunking for 24 hours? Idk if I'm comfortable with that tbh

 

[sorce]

What's your experience dunking for 24 hours?

Works better! Lol....nah...it was left on accident.

No harm though.

Sorce

 

[Jiminsauga]

Read a few times after researching dunking for 30-60 minutes. What's your experience dunking for 24 hours? Idk if I'm comfortable with that tbh

I've only had one experience with spider mites and it was on lucky bamboo. I wraped the pot in cheese cloth, to keep the lava from falling out, and submerged the whole 2 foot tall plant in my bath tub full of warm water and a squirt of dish soap for an hour.

My thought process 7 years ago when I did it was that any mites would either drown or float to the top and the thin film of soap would suffocate them further. After wards I just rinsed the plant with water to get the soap off. Only had to do it once and the bamboo is still with me today.

Good luck, hope that helps.

 

[power270lb]

I've only had one experience with spider mites and it was on lucky bamboo. I wraped the pot in cheese cloth, to keep the lava from falling out, and submerged the whole 2 foot tall plant in my bath tub full of warm water and a squirt of dish soap for an hour.

My thought process 7 years ago when I did it was that any mites would either drown or float to the top and the thin film of soap would suffocate them further. After wards I just rinsed the plant with water to get the soap off. Only had to do it once and the bamboo is still with me today.

Good luck, hope that helps.

Awesome bro thank you