Aphids prolly. At least the one closest to your finger looks like it. Does not look like a major infestation on this leaf. To get rid of it I prefer horticultural oil. Spray both sides thoroughly in the evening. They will die. Some eggs may survive. Check back in a few days to see if some new ones hatched. If so, spray again. That should be enough.

..... can also use a mix of rubbing alcohol and water at 1 or 2 parts water to 1 part alcohol (the 79% stuff - not the 90%, and make sure the alcohol is not scented); or, insecticidal soap per directions on containers - both easier/cleaner than using hort oils. Also, avoid using home remedies containing dishsoap and/or vegetable oils.

Al

Al, cleaner I understand, but why it is easier - just curious? I tend to use the diluted alcohol spray for scales mainly. I think the fumes makes me dislike it - haha. But I do use a little more diluted (3:1) of water:alcohol for cleaning up the next day after hort. oil use. I just dislike the oil film it leaves behind. Makes me think it may be suffocating the plant.

Also is there a particular insecticidal soap you prefer?

Easier because it's cleaner, for one thing. No spritzer or dsprayer to clean with soap and water & no oil residue to clean up. Outdoors, the advantage isn't so significant. I think I'd rather spray 3 times with alcohol:water or insecticidal soap to once with oil - but that's just my preference - YMMV. With oil, it's a 1 shot at a time deal - with water/alcohol its prolly at least a 3 application program. Of course, if it's scale, or mealies, the alcohol:water or I-soap isn't going to kill all adults it contacts.

I don't think there's much difference between insecticidal soaps. They're pretty much all long-chain potassium fatty acid soaps that have limited phytotoxicity. They might even be like imidacloprid in that you have one manufacturer (or very few) making it and hundreds of entities packaging it and branding it their own.

2 tips: Easter Lilies do not like insecticidal soaps, and you should use soft water (not softened water) - there is a difference. Mixing the soap with distilled or otherwise deionized water & a tbsp of white vinegar per gallon is a good way to make sure the soap doesn't precipitate out of solution and thereby reduce effectiveness.

Al

Thank you - I will treat it! Wondering - I have never seen this on any other plant I have...how is it possible this plant got them? Maybe too broad a question, just curious as I've never noticed it on other plants.

Some plants are just more prone to certain pests. Most palms and Ivy are notorious for being spider mites magnets. Outside roses seem to attract a ton of aphids.

Or sometimes the pest could have been introduced by contact with an infected plant, their eggs might have came with the soil and so on.

Al, thanks for the detailed info. This year I had been rather pleased with hort. oil since I managed till now without a major outbreak. Could be other factors in play too. Like warmer than usual weather and less cloudy days kept the plants happier/stronger in the porch.

MrBlubs: Although I am not a big fan of roses but I have three of them in my yard. I treat them as aphid attractors so that they do not make home in other plants in summer. At least that is what I think it is doing - lol.

Blythe - didn't we talk off forum a few times a few years back on Garden Web? Your user name sounds really familiar.

A plant's natural defenses are a product of its metabolism. A robust
metabolic rate means a robust defense. A depressed metabolism means a
low level of defense and a plant more vulnerable to insects and diseases. I noticed what appears to be chlorosis and some dead foliage, so that and the fact it's far from the high point of the growth cycle might factor into the 'why' of things.

ToC - Oh it works great for a variety of pests - I wasn't being critical of its (hort oil) use at all. I'd be surprised if you didn't have good luck with it. Better all around than using harsher chemical intervention, too.

Al

Yes, the palm was a clearance buy with a sign quite literally claiming it was being thrown away if no one wanted to pay $1.00 for it...so I paid the $1.00. It seems to give off new leaves & then they brown on the edges...how can I rectify that? I trim the brown & I've added a humidifier to the room...at this point I'm just wanting everything to survive until the warm humid summer arrives.

You mentioned you were going to treat the pests, and that would rightly be high on your list of things to do. After that, I would suggest that you make sure you're monitoring water needs carefully. I would allow the plant to dry down until moisture is barely detectable in the deepest part of the pot (using a wooden dowel or bamboo skewer to test the soil for moisture works very well). At that point, the plant will still be able to extract water from parts of the soil that might feel dry to the touch. The first time you water, I would flush the soil very thoroughly by pouring room temp water equal to at least 10X the volume of the pot it's in through the soil slowly. This will rid the soil almost entirely of any salt concentration that might have accumulated if it was being watered in sips. After flushing the soil, you should apply a light dose of fertilizer. Even 'sick' plants need a full compliment of nutrients in the soil to grow and to keep their systems orderly.

One of the potential issues that could have caused the spoiled foliage is over-watering; and it might also have reduced vitality (and the plant's defenses) to the point it was an easy target for the pests now having their way with the plant. I'll help you with how to guard against too much water in the soil, but first I need to know how large the pot is. Ideally, you want the soil to be uniformly moist with no soggy/saturated layer of soil at the bottom of the pot after watering. Pot size?

Al

Al, now worries. I took that as sound advice.

Blythe, good days are quickly coming back. Light levels increasing with longer days helps the plants recover quickly. Just have to be careful with watering though.

I guess I thought the brown meant under watering or it being too dry. Glad I'm learning the opposite!

So as long as I'm getting communication on this post...I have another question.

This guy! Aglaonema a got around Christmas. It is still in the original soil from the store which I know isn't ideal but I'm hoping to hold out until spring. He just looks "sad" for lack of better verbage & it's concerning. Hoping for feedback on if anyone else agrees, and tips. Or perhaps I'm overreacting. I can take other pics as well.

Oh, and this Algaonema is sending up a flower/spathe...should I cut it off so it can focus energy on the leaves?

Leaf tips/margins can become crispy from under-watering, but that's highly unlikely unless the condition was accompanied by at least one serious episode of wilting. If you haven't found your plant in a wilted state and you're in the habit of watering while the soil is still fairly moist, it's VERY likely that over-watering and/or a high level of dissolved solids (mineral salts from tap water & fertilizer solutions) in the soil (solution) are in play.

The bract and bloom cluster is a strong energy sink (energy sink pecking order: flowers,
fruits, leaves, stems, roots - in that order), so if you don't mind, removing it would be helpful to the plant.

You're going to gain the most traction by refining (getting it right) the triangle of soil choice/ watering habits/ nutritional supplementation, and getting the light level/ temperature in the sweet spot. Problems arise from our tendency to ask the plant to deal with cultural conditions Mother Nature never intended it should deal with. IOW - when we ask the plant to operate at the limits of what it's programmed to tolerate, stress is the result - and plants don't like stress any more than we do.

Al

"Aglaonema a got around Christmas. It is still in the original soil from the store which I know isn't ideal but I'm hoping to hold out until spring. He just looks "sad" for lack of better verbage & it's concerning."

I bought a different variety of red aglaonema on 12/7/15 and I also haven't repotted. I think that your plant looks fine, except for, maybe, a slight nitrogen deficiency as evidenced by older leaves becoming prematurely chlorotic. But, how much has your plant grown? Since 12/7/15. each of my plant's three stalks has grown three or four new leaves and new stalks are coming out of the soil. The mass of my plant has approximately doubled.

Honestly I don't think this plant has given me many new leaves at all. I seem to just cut off sickly ones. So I'm saddened. I had to look up chlorosis (learning curve here), so that means there is a deficiency of some kind?

Quick background - I recently moved from a home in which my 30-ish houseplants had 3 large windows in the living room/kitchen to enjoy into a transitional space in which they face a different direction & all share one window for the next few months. (Previously west facing now east facing.) The majority of them seem to have transitioned without much difficulty, but some seem to be struggling (not that they were prefect prior to the move...the two in this post have been on my watch list for awhile). My giant "goal" is the get the ingredients for the "gritty mix" so frequently mentioned within these forums & overhaul all the plants in the spring. So, at risk of sounding totally ignorant I will ask if this is a good idea? I have what is likely fairly "low-key" houseplants...spider plant, aglaonema, pothos, dracaena, peace lily, ficus, the aforementioned banana palm, jade, prayer plant...my concern with the overhaul is failure. User error. Is there a suggestion for what to use for food/fertilizer once in this mix? And will optimizing the medium they live in help them better hobble through this transition until we are in our new home with more room/windows? Am I just going to screw it up & kill all my (panic mode here) plants? I also have a few gooseneck lamps with "plant bulbs" in them aimed at the plants - my attempt to tell myself I am helping with the light factor, though I would prefer now to hear the harsh reality if those are indeed pointless or even harmful.

Whew. Sorry.

Notice the lamp...it has a "plant bulb" in it. I feel embarrassed to share that I'm doing this but it's my desperate attempt to reassure myself the plants are getting enough light. These guys don't have prime space in front of a window right now.

You're going to be hard pressed to give that first ag enough light because of how little green it has on the leaves. Red ags need much more light than their green cousins. South window would be ideal, then West. It's getting chlorotic which could mean lack of light sufficient for photosynthesis. It can also mean a deficiency and if it does not have enough light, the plant could have problems utilizing what nutrients it has. Your ags would probably do better in the 5:1:1 mix as opposed to the gritty mix.

May I ask, please, what is in a "5-1-1" mix?

And the difference between that and the gritty mix?

" is this the other type of aglaonema you purchased? "

No, according to the photos at

http://www.costafarms.com/plants/red-aglaonema ,

apparently, I have Red Emerald whereas your first appears to be Anyanmanee and your second appears to be Siam Aurora. This is a photo of mine taken on 1/10/16:

http://www.general-cathexis.com/images/WindowSillLEDs2.jpg

Initially, I thought my plant was Anyanmanee but I just revised my thinking based on seeing your photo.

"I had to look up chlorosis (learning curve here), so that means there is a deficiency of some kind?"

Not necessarily, but when older leaves turn yellow and die sooner than normal, it could be because the plant is recycling certain fertilizer nutrients, that are lacking in the soil, from the old leaves to new growth. Off the top of my head, nitrogen and magnesium can be recycled. Some nutrients, e.g., calcium and iron, can't be recycled therefore deficiency symptoms first appear on new growth. A deficiency of nitrogen, magnesium, or iron can cause chlorosis.

Short answer: 5-1-1 is made of sifted bark (5), sifted perlite(1) and spaghnum peat(1). The ingredients are generally easier to find and a great starting point for experimenting with container plants.

Gritty mix is a more durable mix composed of crushed granite(1), turface(1) and bark(1) all sifted to remove the small and large particles.

There are variations of each of these types of mixes to fine tune it to specific plants. But the common theme is to have a well draining mix that allows just enough water retention and air space for a healthy root system.

For a more detailed answer look at this container-soils-water-movement-and-retention-xxii. It has much more detailed info and discussions on the merits and suitability of each type of mix. And this is the best time to research and learn and get ready for spring.

Thank you all so much. I will ready a new medium for my plants.

As some of my plants are looking quite forlorn, would it be ok to move into 5-1-1 soon, although it's not quite the ideal of spring yet? I would just have to make the change indoors.

From the pictures the plants do not look terrible to me. I do not have the kind of plants you have and so do not know how well they will take to being disturbed. For tropicals June is a good time to repot. If you think it is in a bad shape carefully take out one of the plants from the pot and see if it is a soggy mess below. If so, then it can be a good idea to change the soil.

I just repotted a Pothos. Not that it needed it - just wanted to muck around and give it a better looking hanging pot. But then Pothos are pretty forgiving plants too.

"As some of my plants are looking quite forlorn, would it be ok to move into 5-1-1 soon"

If your red aglaonemas are from Costa Farms, I suspect that they are not planted in anything resembling 5-1-1 . The potting mix I see in my Costa Farms pot has almost no coarse particulate matter. I see only three small pieces of perlite on the surface. And, your banana plant certainly won't like bark.

I did not notice a banana plant in there. Getting old. But Banana plant will do just fine in bark-perlite mix. Have been doing that for over 10 yrs. It grows much better than any other regular medium. Needs extra lime to raise the Ph. The problem is that plant is heavier than the pot and so it needs to be anchored well.

Blythe - if you can muster the patience to hold off for a couple of months, I think your repotting session(s) will go better. As days grow longer, your plants will start growing more earnestly, and hopefully they'll have the opportunity to acquire the energy reserves that will help them shrug off the stress of repotting - assuming you're thinking about repotting as opposed to potting up.

In the following order, I'd flush the soil, fertilize, keep your watering under control, and plan on repotting in June. In the meanwhile, you can decide on what you're going to use for a medium at repotting time; and don't worry, both the aglaonema AND the banana plant will be VERY happy in a bark-based mix that drains well.

Al

" But Banana plant will do just fine in bark-perlite mix. Have been doing that for over 10 yrs."

Here are photos of banana plants that I grew in 1987 and the "Fat Ass" in the last photo is me:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1733609/old-pics-of-coccinea-and-ornata-bronze

"I am not sure what point you are trying to make."

Probably the same point that you were trying to make with, "Have been doing that for over 10 yrs,".

" I am assuming may be it is your another handle/id."

What an unclever way to call me a liar. You have no valid reason to assume because I told you that it was me.

"It does like to be in a large pot - it will quickly fill a large pot if it is warm and well lit."

Especially when the pot is filled with chunks of bark that the roots can't penetrate. Those bark chunks may as well be rocks in that they simply reduce the volume within the pot that roots can occupy. As for what media I used on my potted bananas back then, I believe it was Sunshine Mix No. 1 which is just Sphagnum Peat Moss, Coarse Perlite, Dolomitic Limestone. You can see the pot size in one of the photos of the flowering musa ornata 'bronze' and it is not "large". And, musa ornata is suitable as a houseplant therefore it is not off topic in this forum. It is esoteric useful information.

"Now for some tid-bits on banana and completely off-topic"

That's right, it is off topic. And, yet, you question my point. According to you, I need a point and you don't. That's called "hypocrisy."

Azurinsky: I have no reason to believe you were lying. A simple 'that is my friend posting' would have been sufficient. A lot of people here are friends or related in real life. I find it interesting to know that.

No, bark does not impede the root growth. Banana roots are quite powerful to displace a bark perlite mix. In fact, I scoop out the loose mix from top every now and then since roots will lift the medium up in the pot.

Your banana plants and flowers are truly beautiful.

A house plant is in the beholders eyes.

I am sorry that my off topic info bothers you. But my hope is that others may find that interesting when they come across this thread. For me at least I find it interesting to find such things when I am surfing through the posts in various forums. Most people do not have time to write detailed info. I know I do not. But when someone does I appreciate that a lot.

Aruzinsky,

I've noticed that you always seem to start conflicts in posts where there are none. So my question is why start them?

Your methods may work for you and may work for others, but that doesn't necessarily mean your correct all the time.

There are some VERY experienced gardeners on here who've kept houseplants for many years. They're here to share their knowledge to help people. There not here to quarrel over who's method is the best. You can't say their infomation is wrong if they've kept houseplants alive for 30+ years, or until you try it. Even if you try it and it doesn't work out, it also doesn't mean theyre wrong. It just means that method didn't work out for you.

Arguing is what gets the post off topic and confuses the poster.

Now, I'm not saying youre not experienced as I believe you have many years of taking care of plants behind you, or that your giving off the wrong information, just don't turn an innocent comment into a personal attack.

" I have no reason to believe you were lying."

True.

"A simple 'that is my friend posting' would have been sufficient. ... I find it interesting to know that."

Saying nothing was SUFFICIENT because you didn't ask. Instead of asking, you made a public declaration about assuming my previous user name.

"No, bark does not impede the root growth. Banana roots are quite powerful to displace a bark perlite mix."

I said "penetrate" not "impede."

" In fact, I scoop out the loose mix from top every now and then since roots will lift the medium up in the pot."

I don't have that problem and good thing that I don't because usually roots can be seen growing on the surface.

"You can't say their infomation is wrong if they've kept houseplants alive for 30+ years"

Who kept a banana plant alive for 30+ years? I don't remember seeing anyone profess to doing that.

tropic

I find 'off topic info' about bananas very interesting...didn't know that other parts of the plant are edible. Great post!

I've been growing bananas for over 30 years and knew the flowers were edible. But didn't know that the actual fruit stalk was edible also. No matter how much you know (or think you know), you can still learn something new!

Asian stores sell them. Cook it like zucchini.

Thanks, ToC ....... enjoyed your contributions.

Al

"I find 'off topic info' about bananas very interesting...didn't know that other parts of the plant are edible. Great post!"

Why didn't you previously pursuit your interest in bananas by looking for information on Wikipedia?:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#Food_and_cooking

All of that information is there. Making an off topic post that paraphrases information that can easily be looked up does more bad than good because it wastes the time of people who had the foresight to previously satisfy their interest by LOOKING IT UP! Of course, on planet Bizzarro, people with foresight are punished and people without foresight are rewarded.

"But Banana plant will do just fine in bark-perlite mix."

"Here I got blossoms may be a couple of times and once it did manage to set fruit even - but it promptly shrivelled and dropped. And it had to do with not enough warmth and light to sustain the flower-to-fruit stages."

In other words, your potted musa did NOT grow FINE, but, you know why you failed and it had nothing to do with bark. But, you never repeated the trial while making alleged corrections with success. You are just so sure that your failure had nothing to do with bark that it qualifies you to give advice about growing potted banana plants.

And, neither of us know the species of musa that the OP owns. It may be one of the easily fruited species. e.g., musa velutina, that is easily grown and fruited.

Ok - "flushed" this banana & the few other plants I questioned & resisted the urge to repot now before spring. Watered then with ferilizer.

Thank you all & I will be diligently monitoring as the sun & temps continue to improve in MN.

All the new growth at the base gives me hope?

Based on growth habits, there are two kinds of banana plants, one kind has a main trunk and does not sucker freely until the main trunk dies, and the other kind that suckers freely and produces large clusters of plants, similar to the growth habit of heliconias and cannas. Judging from the appearance of your main plant and the numerous suckers at the base, the main plant is dying. You should remove the suckers immediately, repot them in fresh potting media and throw away the rest.

It bothers me that the decorative pots that you use are less than ideal in that they foster overwatering. Modern plastic nursery pots resist overwatering because they have multiple holes in the bottom with some holes that extend up the sides. I suggest that you use these kinds of pots even though they may offend your aesthetic sensibilities.

See

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/179-0620789-4667144?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=nursery+pots&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Anursery+pots&ajr=1

Appropriate pot size is determined by soil choice, not by current root or soil volume as compared to the volume of the pot one is bumping a plant up to. When using media that support no or very little perched water, there is no limit to how large a pot might be in comparison to existing pot size or root mass - you can pot a plug in a 10 gallon nursery can with no ill effects. When using media with excessive water retention, one must be very vigilant when it comes to increasing pot size to accommodate a root/soil mass that has become congested.

For those that don't know, the term 'container capacity' refers to the volume of water retained in a container medium at the moment it has just stopped draining, subsequent to it having been watered to beyond saturation. It tells us how much water a medium holds against the force of gravity.

How many holes there are in a pot has no bearing on how much water a medium retains at container capacity. If using identical pots and equal volumes of the same medium in those pots, the only difference being 1 pot has several large holes in the bottom and sides and the other 1 small hole in the bottom, the volume of water retained at container capacity will be the same in both pots at container capacity. A pot with many large holes will drain FASTER than a pot with a single small hole, but there is nothing significant to be gained when using the pot that drains to container capacity in 20 seconds vs the pot that takes 2 minutes. There might be a small difference in the amount of water that evaporates from the medium between waterings in pots that have multiple holes exposed to moving air, but that difference would be relatively inconsequential, based on the description.

Al

"A pot with many large holes will drain FASTER than a pot with a single small hole, but there is nothing significant to be gained when using the pot that drains to container capacity in 20 seconds vs the pot that takes 2 minutes."

The issue is not 20 seconds versus 2 minutes. The issue is 20 seconds versus never. A pot with a single small hole will more likely become completely clogged. The manufacturers of those nursery pots know what they are doing.

That's playing the 'what if' game (what if the hole gets plugged?). It goes w/o saying that IF a drain hole gets plugged, over-watering becomes an inherent concern with a conventional container set-up. Rather than assume drain holes are/will be plugged (very rare), let's assume they are not; then, there is nothing significant to be gained when using the pot that drains
to container capacity in 20 seconds vs the pot that takes 2 minutes. Not that it matters, but I regularly use pots with single small holes and have not once found them to foster over-watering.

Al

Suckers are no indication that the mother plant is dying. It does rob the mother plant of resources. In commercial production, the suckers are removed instead to let the main plant grow and produce bananas. Usually a couple of suckers will be chosen to be left to grow till the mother plant produces fruit and at that point the mother plant is removed to let the suckers grow. In nature the suckers barely will get a chance to grow fast since the canopy of the mother plant(s) will heavily shade the suckers - until it is removed.

In a container, they will contend for resources. Usually, the mother will win but sometimes a sucker can take off and start growing rapidly. But no harm will be done to any of the shoots. You can wait till summer to divide them into individual pots or leave it alone. I give them away and just keep one. Sometimes I keep the mother plant and at other times I keep a sucker. I do not have the space to let them grow big.

Yes, that's the way it's normally done. Three stems, the main one around mature, the second about mid size and the third a sucker. All other suckers are removed until the main one finished fruiting and is cut off. In a pot it's a very tight squeeze for that sort of a set up and it would probably be best with all secondary stems removed and put in separate pots if they're going to be kept.

Thank you, I removed the suckers & potted them up separately.