Fertilizer burn, powdery mildew, and thrips oh my?!

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Howdy roo! So...i have like a mess of maybe more than one thing going....my newest av additions that i had a hunch something was wrong with them...have thrips..i have no insecticide for that..so any suggestions would be great..i'm afraid of spraying anything on them.

What caught my eye were these spots that were lighter..not white..not really yellow..so I'm having a tough time figuring out what they are caused by. But the brown spots..is giving me a big concern..so I'm thinking fertilizer burn. I dont put full strength..so i'm thinking that when i make a fresh batch and start watering things..the fertilizer is accumulating..and its getting to be too much?? Ive had fert for maybe 3 weeks to about a month..i started out very small..so they looked fine until lately..

i've taken everything off my shelf..tried to leach everything (which i havent done and needed to)..clean out the jars..which created a huge mess..some filled up too much..and slow to drain..i've got them in the sink drainer letting them drip for a while before putting them back in their jars with fresh no fert water.

sorry if its pic overload..and if you see anything else..do tell..dont worry all water was cleaned up..i was taking pics while leaching, draining..inspecting..

^excuse the compacted soil look..I got too water happy...and she was not wanting to drain

^ powdery mildew?? only one i see it on..I do have a fan going at all times..when I sleep I have ceiling fan and a floor fan pointed at me...when i get up I turn the floor fan on low towards my plants

^i'm hoping the light center is okay? I think I have one that the edges are that light color..like haloing..the chunks are perlite..i'm ashamed to say i cleaned off all of the leaves with a brush a week ago..and they've gotten dirty again

sorry no thrip pics..I spared you all of that..i did take off the flowers and pruned them a little further...but i'm not about to go through a bug issue..mealy bugs on succulents are a pain enough..

Featured Answer

aegis1000

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hi Heather ...

Some good news ... your brown spots are not a real concern. It is common to have small blemishes on some African Violet leaves. If whole leaves start to turn brown, ... that's reason for concern.

You plants and leaves all look good.

I do see some Powdery Mildew. You'll see that from time to time. I'd assume that most of your plants are Optimaras, or some other widely sold variety, ... which will show Powdery Mildew sometimes (especially in warm humid weather), ... BUT not to the detriment of your plants, generally.

Some African Violet varieties are MORE PRONE to experience Powdery Mildew than others. I have one plant with a touch of it now.

Also ... thrips come with the territory with plants from local retailers )i.e. WalMart, Home Depot, LOWES, etc.).

Thrips can be successfully eliminated. I use Bayer Tree & Shrub Protect and Feed Granules. Typically, you can get a supply of this product for about $20-$25 dollars. I put about a teaspoon of the granules in the saucers for my violets ... and then water (from the bottom) with plain (i.e. non-fertilized) water for a few months.

In time, the Thrips will be gone.

Note that the granules have a strong smell when you first start to use them, ... but after a day or so, ... the smell will be gone.

And be careful to NOT FERTILIZE during these treatments ... as the granules have fertilizer in them as well.

P.S. Thrips are not nearly as bad as mealy bugs or mites. They are a nuisance, ... but manageable.

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Comments (6)

User
Original Author
9 years ago
hmm i may need to find a much cheaper insecticide...

okay good..it just happened so suddenly with the spots..as they've not had any of those markings until very recently..if it was just one or two i would of shrugged it off..but with so many..i got worried..
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irina_co
9 years ago
Cheaper insecticides do not work. You can spray 3 times with "Merit" -it is the same active ingredient - but soluble... you get a bottle for $40 - but it lasts for 10 years - and thrips will be back next year anyway.
User
Original Author
9 years ago
Yeah I understand what you're saying but....I dont have that kind of money..
User
Original Author
9 years ago
thank you to both for commenting
irina_co
9 years ago
Disbud. Get an inexpensive insectide from Home Depot. Or antilice shampoo - teaspoon per quart. Spray consistently 3 times week apart trying to soak all nooks and crannies. Make sure that you spray everything in a house. Never bring flowers from outside - thrips are there in zillions. Good Luck!