Brown/Dry spots on Ensete leaf

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Hello,

So my ensete maurelii has recently recovered from having the majority of its leaves collapsing on themselves.

Then today on the new leaf that is opening up there are 3 quite large brown spots on the leaf. It's only on the new leaf and no where on any of the older leaves...Don't really kow what the cause could be. It almost looks like it got burnt.

I water when it's dry down to about an inch and it sits directly in front of a Large south window. It does have some problems with mites, but this doesn't look like mite damage.

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Comments (3)

aruzinsky
10 years ago
Unless the necrotic spots enlarge, I wouldn't worry much about it. I often see that kind of thing go away without doing anything.

Mites shouldn't be ignored. A relatively small volume of mites can kill a large plant within a few weeks. I suspect that mites do that by injecting a venom that digests plants from the inside. See http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/TXR-200057848?journalCode=itxr20#preview .

I would eradicate the mites immediately by spraying with a combination of Avid and Cygon 2E. Not just the plant you see them on, but, also every plant around it. Really, don't screw around with mites.
MrBlubs thanked aruzinsky
MrBlubs
Original Author
10 years ago
Yeah, I thought it was kinda odd to just happen out of the blue one one leaf. It's too bad though as this leaf is gonna be massive!

I'm not ignoring the mite problem, I just can't effectively get rid of them in the long run. The plant is 7 feet tall and it's leaves spread out about 7 or more feet to so There's no place I could spray it. It is still too cold outside and any near shower is either up stairs or down stairs which just isn't possible to carry it too without major leaf damage. Thus I can only get rid of them by wiping down the leaves with insecticidal soap, which works for a bit before they come back. It's dying to get outside but that won't happen until at least May.

I wouldn't want to use a toxic spray on any of my house plants. Maybe if it was the summer and it was outside but since it's in my living room and I have pets and people around I dont think it would be the best to use....
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aruzinsky
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Every plant that you bring into your house should first be treated to eradicate mites before you bring the plants into your home. Effective miticides are very expensive because the manufacturers know that they are selling to desperate customers. There are no cheap remedies for the more virulent strains of mites. You should combine at least two effective miticides to reduce the probability of a mutation that resists either. Small quantities of Avid and Floramite are sold on Ebay but, I am uncertain that they are chemically compatible. Otherwise, I suggest that you, at least, study the prices of miticides sold for professional use:

http://www.growersupply.com/miticides.html

I have 8 oz of Avid and can testify that it has a very long shelf life of over 10 years. Be aware that Avid kills ferns but has very low phytotoxicity on other plants. You can use double or triple the recommended dosage without harming those plants.

Miticides and insecticides should be combined with a surfactant to prevent the spray from beading on foliage. The best surfactant, in my experience (and I have tried many), is Triton X-100 available here:

http://apps.bnt.com/ecom/catalog/product_specific.cfm?ClientID=15&ProductID=17342

2 tsp/gal is enough to cover even the glossiest leaves.

You need complete coverage of the plants, especially the undersides of the leaves. This is easier to do on potted plants by turning the plants on their sides. Also, with potted plants, it is easier to be upwind when you spray.