help in a hurry with cuttings

I stuck jatrophas and hibiscus in this lousy weather...kept them on a heating mat until I saw roots...now I have them under gro -lights....when I looked at them this morning, I see some of that yucky white 'mold''?????. The soil is still drenched, so my question is: I have both Banrot and hydrogen peroxide .....but that will make the soil even wetter than it is...the mix I made was 1/2 potting soil and 1/2 perlite..thanks

what if I just spray a mix of one of the two on the cuttings....that is the only place I see the white fuzz?

This message was edited Feb 3, 2007 10:34 AM

right now, I have all me seedlings and these cuttings under a ceiling fan on high...

This message was edited Feb 3, 2007 10:38 AM

Just an idea, can you replace the soil? That's what I'd try.

bettygail-where did you see the white "mold"? On the cuttings or in the dirt? Do the cuttings have roots now? ( If so, then start to really dry out the soil) Banrot is a combination of Truban and Clearys-the Truban is used to treat pythium and phytopthera fungus in the dirt ( so you would drench the soil) and the Clearys is for foliar fungus ( but it is a systemic, so you could drench with it as well as get the leaves wet with it) White mold is not a sign of pythium or phytopthera, so I would hold off on the Banrot. Spraying some of the hydrogen perioxide ( diluted half water ) onto the mold would probably be your best bet. Also trying to scrape it off and throw away the stuff so it doesn't spread ( turn off the fan while you do it) I think the cuttings will be ok-they look fine in the picture from what I can see

both of you nice people, I could mix up some new soil???? the white stuff is on the cuttings and not the soil...but the soil is really wet.............give me yur best shot>>>>>>tigerlily, you must know a lot.....all I know is that sometimes I use a banrot mix when plants are in the big containers and already growing in our humidity.....
if I spray the peroxide mix on the cuttings, do I use an old toothbrush (sterlilized) to scrub the white stuff off

This message was edited Feb 3, 2007 11:53 AM
I am going to do what tigerlily said .....have got to quit making people hold my hand...
thanks

This message was edited Feb 3, 2007 11:57 AM

I grow them for a living so I have learned ( the hard way sometimes! lol) Is there anyway that you can take a close up picture of this white stuff before you remove it? I would just use my fingers and maybe a paper towel soaked in the hydrogen per. and then you can let it dry out. The fan is good for air circulation.

But do the cuttings have roots? I wouldn't switch the dirt-the mold is on the plant ( and in the air). You have to keep the soil wet for cuttings-I water my once a day in the am with warm water.

this is weird, tigerlily..............when I sprayed the cuttings with the peroxide mix, I can't even see the white stuff anymore...I will see when the fan drys all of it.....the roots are just barely little roots about 1/2 inch....only disturbed a couple of them...so, do they need to be under lights? under lights they still have some warmth because the shelf is warm from the gro-lights attached to the bottome of the shelf...

Ohhh, MEALY BUGS - another yuck bug, but easy to get rid of by drenching with Bayer's Tree and Shrub liquid insect killer - I LOVE this stuff - no bugs when this is used at every other watering!

That is what I was thinking too-mealy bugs. Thats why I wanted to see it up close. I would take a solution of half rubbing alcohol and half water and spray the mealies when you see them again. I would not use the Bayers right now-the cuttings don't have enough roots to take it up, and if there is only a small infestation-then the rubbing alcohol should handle it. You have them on another plant-the mother plant that you took the cuttings from, is my bet. I would spray those as well. Look in the crevises of the stems and under the leaves.

Since the cuttings have rooted-then I would come off the watering some and let the plants start to dry out -you will have better roots with more oxygen in the soil. Water in the am-roots grow at night and want dryer soil then. Keep the heat under the plants if you want-they will grow faster with bottom heat.

Don't put the fan directly on the plants-they are tender right now and it is a stress of sorts to them-but keep it in the room near them.

Kayjones-I have never used Bayers but using it every other watering seems like a lot-it is a systemic-and they usually last from 15-30 days or more. You may injure the plant by using it so much. As well-pests can build up resistence to a pesticide if used too much. It s good to alternate pesticides when possible just like with fungicides.

good solid advice....I know the mother plants have that stuff...I looked at them...I have just hated spraying them in this cold weather (45 degrees) but i will do it..............am going to get out of the house now before i go stir crazy and will pick up some alcohol as you said............thanks for all the good help....I have something down at the barn that I use for mealy bugs on the big plants outside....will get that done in the next day or two.........cuttings come first.

If the mold is just on the soil surface, you should be able to scrape it off without much trouble. I agree that you don't want to drench with anything while your potting mix is still so moist... but you could probably mist lightly with a solution of hydrogen peroxide or the anti-fungal stuff you had.

For future reference, "drenched" is probably not the best thing for cuttings, as they don't have enough roots to take up excess moisture. I stick cuttings in barely moist mix, and then put them in a high humidity environment (dome or plastic bag with a couple of holes to make sure things don't get too moist). But your ceiling fan and light mix should take care of things!

thanks and problem solved.....I did spray with peroxide ....
gail
how do you mark it solved???

LOL.... I still had this window open from much earlier, forgot to check for updates before I posted!

Sounds like you've got things well in hand. :-)

You can't mark things solved on here--only certain forums like ID, coops, and trading have options to close threads.

Critter-I think she has mealy bugs -not mold. But I wasn't telling her not to drench because her soil was too wet. When I have to do a drench, I prefer the soil to be wet, the fungicide will push out the water. I think its harder to drench with dryer soil- but at any rate, when you have a fungus and you need to spray/drench-how wet the soil is is irrevelent. It doesn't hurt the soil/plant to get a drench if the soil is wet. Actually its better to get the fungicide in the soil, and then let the soil start to dry out. Same with fertilizing. In fact, it can be bad to fert really dry soil because as the soil dries out, the salt from the previous fertilizing accumulates at the top and with the added fert, it can be enough to burn the plant. I always try to fert while the soil is still fairly moist or I have to water and fert another day.

lol I don't know how to mark it solved...you just have to keep listening to us all day!! lol

I don't have anything in my life 'well in hand' (LOL)....I thought I was supposed to mark it solved...........what do I know

Tiger, she said the cuttings had roots. Also, a weak solution of Bayer's (1 tsp./gallon of water) every other watering has made MY PLANTS insect-free. Every chemical has a half-life, so my plants are protected between drenches. I drench with my solution on semi-dry soil and have had complete success - NO BUGS whatsoever!

I took Q tips and wiped the cuttings down good with alcohol and it seems to be working fine...just in case, I have never heard of Bayer's.....I have Banrot should i need it, but don't have enough roots yet....can you tell me KayJones where you even get Bayer's?

KayJones-I just read about Bayers-the active ingredient is imidacloprid ( which I encourage everyone who wants to use this product to google and learn about it). This product is NOT labeled for indoor use-this is a serious enough chemical that you should be very careful with it. Also the half life of it is 48-190 days. It says that one application lasts 12 months-which may or may not be quite accurate but certainly is a far cry from every other watering. It also is a chemical that has shown, when overused, to have a capacity for insects to develop a resistence to it. That affects everyone. It is far better to wait until you see a pest before using a chemical repeatedly on a plant. And then use a less abrasive method-like rubbing alcohol, Neem, horticultural oils, insecticide soaps etc, before you bring out the chemicals. I am not against chemicals-I use them all the time-I have to to if I want to stay in business, but I try my hardest to use them responsible manner.
I really encourage everyone to use these chemicals carefully, and to follow the directions.
This is similiar to how doctors used to overprescribe anti-biotics, and now some bacteria such as staph and strep are showing serious resistence to them. Bugs and fungus are doing the same now. Thats why I try to alternate chemicals in treating anything.

I don't mean to sound scary-but chemicals are serious enough where you really do want to know what you are doing ( read and follow the label).

Also, .5 " of roots is not enough of a root system for the plant to start taking up a systemic in an effective way. It is not a mature enough plant.

I'm not opposed to using chemicals either but I'd hold off on going straight for the big guns like imidacloprid and I'd definitely not use that product indoors. Tigger raises some very valid concerns.

I actually spoke with Bayer about how I am using this drench and was told that in the dilution I am using, it is quite harmless unless I drink the liquid or eat the plant.

I agree, everyone should research before using any chemical. I keep my plants in the heated basement, under lights during the fall/winter, and they have given me no ill effects. I keep the heat vents closed. Since I am the only one around my plants, I feel safe doing what I am doing, as I have been doing it. I do appreciate your concern, though - thanks!

I don't feel that my procedure is as harmful as the truck that comes around, on a hot summer evening, spraying EVERYTHING in it's path, in order to kill mosquitos.

KayJones, you need to come and buy a house by me. Our Village banned spraying for skeeters years ago. Other villages and cities have or are following suit. Nasty stuff.

Its not that you choose to use a pesticide inside that concerns me personally-although I can't believe they told you its ok in a closed environment like that...usually the big factor in using these chemicals in a grhouse is the REI-the reentry period of time. Once you spray, you are supposed to stay out of the grhouse for a certain period of time until the fans can clear the air. In your case-the air is never cleared out-so that surprises me! It also surprises me that they would tell you that its ok to use it the way that you are-if it is supposed to last 12 months with one application-and they say that its ok to use 24 (?) times a year-even diluted is ok? And that its ok to use it in such a diluted form? Most pros will tell you that you can do more harm than good by diluting a solution repeatedly-that also allows an insect to build up a resistence to it.


its the promoting of a using a pesticide in a way that is not according to the label that concerns me-as a grower-because when an insect builds up a resistence to a certain pesticide-that affects all of us. Its one more pesticide that is not available to me .

BAYER- 877-229-3724, 8:00 am - 5:00 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday

Probably a good number for everyone to have on hand.

I spoke with the Bayer rep that was stocking the product at our local Lowes. He told me he had been a rep for quite a few years, so I felt comfortable with his ok-ing my use of this product. I am not trying to encourage anyone to use chemicals - that is their choice. I am just stating what works for ME. I started doing this procedure about a year ago and have never had such success with insect control, and because of having no insects, my plants appear to be healthy and lush. Hmmmmm, makes me wonder............

Kayjones, I don't think you have heard a word of what I have said! I don't think you want to, and I am sorry to think/say that, as this is how I put food on the table, as do other growers, and your using this chemical against the label can have the potential to affect myself and other growers.

As a rule chemicals have no place in my garden but I do use Advantage on my dog; fleas are a real problem here I believe imidacloprid is the active ingredient in the topical flea meds many of us use on our pets.

I'm a major proponent of public health so therefore my concerns are somewhat different. Using chemicals like we Americans do just flat out scares me. When I go to Walmart and when I go to Home Depot or to Lowes or to my corner hardware store it never ceases to amaze me how many aisles of chemicals there are available to the public. These chemicals are engineered to kill. When we travel overseas, I never see aisle after aisle of chemicals. Blows my mind at times and I I really have to wonder why there are so many cancers out there and it seems as if every time I turn around somebody else is diagnosed with cancer. When we use chemicals in yards, where do they go? I can't believe they aren't ending up in our water supply. We repeatedly have boil orders in my area because of the Canada Goose as well as the White-Tailed Deer feces. Can we boil water and remove the chemicals from my neighbors' lawn services that come once a month? We Americans are into quick fixes and are always looking for an easy way out it seems and ultimately I believe we are all going to pay the price either directly or indirectly. We don't live in a bubble.

You are probably dealing with pithium fungus, due to high humidity nd low pH. sprinkle lime on the surface to change the pH to a pH too high for them to thrive Frank

It's a long thread Frank. I think back many posts ago the person who started it came to the conclusion she had mealie bugs and that's what the yucky white mold looking stuff was. I suspect by now bettygail has ditched her Hydrogen Peroxide and has discovered rubbing alcohol and moved on from there. Regarding Pythium spp., I suppose lime could afford some relief. I'm afraid of most fungicides so I'd probably opt for Baking soda but then the beneficials would be suppressed too. Pythium infections are extremely frustrating. In small pots such as what she photographed above, it would probably just be best to throw out the plants and avoid a lot of aggravation. Seems as if about the best one can do with a Pythium infection is suppress it and try to stop it from infecting other plants.

This is exactly why I purchase my plants from reputable nurseries that I have had good experiences with and even then I quarantine all new plants I buy. I expend a lot of time and energy researching how to care for the plants I do have and I have some nice healthy plants and definitely don't like buying plants that come bearing "gifts" so to speak. There are nurseries and gardeners out there who think Pythium spp, and mealie bugs for that matter, are no big deal. They sell a plant that has been treated and symptoms are suppressed and... well, you get the idea.

Maybe I am just being stubborn...but i am not giving up yet...going to soak the zip locks in clorox today that i use for humidity covers, but the alchol swabs seem to be working???????????????? am going to post several of them up close (just learned how to use my camera yesterday)...you all can tell me if i am being stupid...it is ok with me....remember the white dots you see are perlite, not mealy bug. This is one of the red jatrophas

even the pink one that is woodier and harder to start has a little green bud....

the hibiscus cuttings

and one more...even though I have lots of them...help, Tigerlily!!!!

Ah ha! You did discover rubbing alcohol!

Rubbing alcohol can be very effective against some types of mealies. Make sure you watch the crotches on your plants. Mealies are particularly fond of those areas.

Plants often succumb to secondary infections when they are already stressed so I think it was a very good idea to soak the ziplocks in bleach. Good thinking!

Looking good bettygail! Looking good!

thanks and i will go forward until i get hit in the face with something i can't manage...

Gail,

Should you ever need the Bayer systemic products mentioned in this thread, you can find them at Lowe's in Aransas or CC. I have never used Bayer, but I did consider it this past summer when I had a horrible problem with what I think was mealies but might have been scale. It was all over my jatrophas (which seems to occur every summer late in the season) and then I noticed my esperanza had it bad too and insecticidal soap spray just wasn't cutting it. I finally just trimmed them way back cutting off most of the infected limbs and used something else I had on hand. It's really hard to get rid of that white stuff once a bad case sets in.

Patty

I'm like you to one degree or another. Just wish I was better at recognizing things I can't manage out the gate. Mealie bugs are manageable based on my personal experiences with plants that I either received as gifts or purchased. Nobody likes inheriting any type of an infection/infestation. Very frustrating.

Bayer products have their place. I've used them before but more so on trees and shrubs in the landscape. Orthene (also a systemic) might be a more appropriate product for what was described above if it had gotten out of control and spread to her other plants.

Patty and Equlibrium, I intend to use the spray I have (?? down in the barn) sometime this week on the big ones outside....plus the hibiscus....I usually just spray for several days in a row.....I take them off the screened in front porch and spray outside....we have pretty weather this week..........then i go back on the mexican tile and clean the whole porch like a mad woman!!! I will remember the Orthene systemic if I need it.....

bettygail-I put the rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle with the water-much easy to use than a q-tip.

When you say that you spray a few days in a row-do you mean one plant gets sprayed several times? If so, its not needed-just once is all-you would be wasting your money to do it more. If, after a week or 10 days you need to spray again to get the babies that have grown up-thats good to do.

When I am spraying for a pest-I try to find out the life cycle of it, so I can spray every 5 or 10 or what ever the amt of days it is, to make sure that I can get the bug in all the stages that it has-larvae, juvenile, adult etc.

edited to say that I forgot to say how great the cuttings look-they will be ready for some diluted fert soon! Great job! We are going to have to trade, I think, for some this year!! I have had my eye on them...maybe your second batch.

This message was edited Feb 5, 2007 10:55 AM

tigerlily.....I will put the alcohol in a spray bottle for the babies....thanks so much.
The mother plants outside are not bad at all with mealy bugs.....I was going to use the spray called HiYield....on the big plants....I would never use that Hi Yield on the babies.....do I just use my houseplant fertilizer by Schultz on the babies???
thanks for everyone's help....yes, I plan all summer on growing more of these as I love them so much......