I heard that Streptocarpus will die in front of you if you spray it with alcohol. How about trying on one leaf only?

Irina

I probably will, but this is a Sinningia.

Korina

We had a chapter member many years ago, who heavily doused a badly infected strep with alcohol, only to see the plant die. But, she didn't wash the alcohol off the foliage. It is best to brush on the alcohol with a sponge brush and then wash it off. Any bugs will lose their grip immediately after coming into contact, so there is no reason to leave the alcohol on the foliage. Alcohol will remove natural waxes on leaves, so may affect the foliage in some way that I can't predict. But, I expect that you'll have no damage. The problem with using alcohol or any contact insecticide is that newly hatching aphids will reinfest the plant, so many treatments might be necessary. With a systemic, the problem usually goes away within weeks of treatment. However, systemics can be much less effective when pests like aphids are on flowers and buds. For some reason, the insecticide doesn't reach the floral parts after they have matured to some extent. I am having that problem now with aphids on kohleria flowers. Even my "wonder drug" Marathon hasn't stopped the aphids from reemerging. However, the rest of the plant is clean. So, I have to disbud or use a contact treatment, or both--ugh.

Jon

Korina - I mentioned streptocarpus because looks like you and me and Jon and the rest of us here grow all kind of gesneriads (Gesneria - I didn't try - I heard you let it dry once and it is dead). Mostly we can use similar treatments for all the gesneriads - but Strep is an example that it is not always true - may be Jon is right and if you rinse it immeadiately - it will survive though.

I swear by Marathon as well. It keeps down even thrips - doesn't kill the flying and bud feeding insects - but kills them if they are on roots and leaves - means makes disbudding really work.

Keep us posted about your Gesneria project and aphid removal operation.

Irina

I'm thinking that since it's looked unbeliveably sad since I brought it home from the grocery store and all the flowers died, maybe I should just force it into dormancy.

Any opinions on how bad an idea this is? :-)

Korina, going home for the weekend