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Snapdragon Leaves are being eaten � need advice!

Jerry71
13 years ago

Snapdragon Leaves are being eaten � need advice!

Three days ago I have noticed white spots on some top leafs of my repotted snapdragon seedlings. The spots grew every day so I have snipped the tops. They were supposed to be snipped anyway, so no damage there. I have put the leaves under stereoscope and took some shots with my point-and-shoot camera and to my surprise it does show some detail.

Question: what can I use to stop the pests from spreading and will horticultural oil spray or applied with q-tips kill the mites or whatever is eating my plants.

I don�t want to loose them!!!!

I have posted pictures on my blog.

http://jerry-our-garden.blogspot.com/

Comments (7)

  • countrycarolyn
    13 years ago

    Looks like to much light/heat. I may be wrong though. Just as another post had asked about a cool season plant. Well snaps are also a cool season plant.

  • countrycarolyn
    13 years ago

    I thought of this as I was walking away.

    It also could be that if you added a fertilizer that the it burned the leaves.

    If you didn't add a fertilizer then ignore this post.

    It doesn't look systemic, which means from the root, so if it is the fertilizer you may have just burned the leaves and not the root, which is a good thing. Just clip the leaves off and it should be ok. And when fertilizing try to not get it on the leaves and dilute it a little more, seedlings do not need much fertilizer if any at all.

  • Jerry71
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you, countrycarolyn.
    Light could be the culprit since I have exposed the basket to sunlight for last 4 days for about 8 hours a day. As for fertilizer I did fertilize them but I used half strength of fish emulsion fertilizer applied at the stem with a squeeze bottle, the leafs were never touched. Funny thing is that I have 8 more small pots with same snapdragons that were treated exactly same way (sunlight and fertilizer) and none has any spots at all. Not a single leave is damaged. I am thinking that maybe the soil has something to do with it. The basket has different soil.

  • countrycarolyn
    13 years ago

    Sometimes on a seedling they are way more sensitive than a mature plant that has been harden off in the elements. A little dab will do you when it comes to fertilizer. I have learned that the hard way. You can kill a plant fast when using fertilizer. A small drop on a sensitive seedling leaf is all it takes to burn a leaf.

  • Jerry71
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Is fish emulsion fertilizer or is it form of manure? I can see leaves being burned with chemical fertilizer but decomposed fish mixture is something else, or is it. I have decided to water and fertilize from bottom only when needed. The seedlings look really strong and when I transplanted them had a good root system growing through Jiffy pot netting wall. They were actually growing into paper towel on which the pots were sitting!

  • countrycarolyn
    13 years ago

    It would be considered a fertilizer.

    Granted some advise to fertilize when growing, but I am serious when I say this. I have had more plant failures due to over fertilizing than what I have had from under fertilizing. Once you over fertilize a plant that you love and you recognize it and do everything that you can think of to save the poor fellar and you still lose the plant, you tend to NEVER forget it. :(

    This is me and only me, but I would say do not worry about fertilizing those little guys. Just talk to them and they will listen and they will start to talk to you!! :D

  • Jerry71
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Problem solved after I have sprayed with horticultural spray about a week ago and they look terrific. I have posted more pictures on my blog.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Seedlings updated pictures.

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