Seems to be on many of my violets, but not necessarily only on them. Soft, maybe fuzzy, and comes off if rubbed over with a cotton swab___. I've never seen this in over 50 years of raising violets.
I just pulled leaves from a large plant for some new starts which seemed to have it right down in the heart of the plant on the stems.
Hey Jamlover :)
Looks like mealies ::(( Mealy bugs are almost impossible to get rid of and will spread quickly to other plants. I hate to say this but if they are all over the plant it's best to toss and replace.
http://www.optimara.com/doctoroptimara/diagnosis/leafmealybugs.html
Connie
I agree with Sister Connie.It sure looks like mealies.
If you have a few healthy leaves you could try dipping them in very weak bleach solution.like 9-1 water,letting them dry thoroughly,then potting up to root (in strict isolation).This could harm the leaves,but probably won't.You have little choice except touching every single bug with alcohol and if you have root mealies that will do no good.
Lynn
Thanks for the info. I never see this stuff 'moving' on the leaves, but maybe it hasn't hatched yet. I went over a couple of plants with rubbing alcohol and moved two new ones away from the culprits. Will keep a close watch to see what happens.
Are root mealies a different 'breed of cat', or just leaf mealies gone underground?
This message was edited Aug 6, 2014 3:11 PM
They are a different breed of cat and much harder to get rid of!You won't really notice mealies moving.They just appear to be sitting there and sometimes look like cotton.
Her's an old thread with a lot of info.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/680403/#b
I had those years ago. I got a spray bottle and filled it with rubbing alcohol. I took the plants outside and sprayed the plant leaves, stems, underside and top of soil till it was wet. I dabbed the crown with a tissue because I didn't want it to stay wet too long. Every week I would spray the plants for about 4 weeks. Then I waited and if I seen anymore, I would spray again. Eventually I didn't have them anymore. Also need to wash the pots and shelves. It would have been easier to toss the plants, but some were my moms and they were special to me.
tish
It is mealies, and I agree with Connie...
Toss the plant and hope the rest of your collection was not infected.
I went through this in 2007, and by trying to "save" some plants, I lost nearly everything I grew. I didn't start again for five years.
Karen
Thanks for the old thread. Lots of advice there.
Your welcome.Hope it helps.
Lynn
