[ADMIN]

I live in Chandler, Arizona and don't have anyone to turn to around here. I think this is my 6th try at growing brugmansias. They all became infected with spider mites, lost their leaves and died although I would mist them with water to give them more humidity. These last two, had spider mites but looked like they could be saved. I've put them on trays into a bathtub filled with water and I try to mist them as often as I can. The one is doing nothing, the other has 5 or 6 leaves but they are not flat like they should be but rather are "spoon shaped". Any advice would be greatly appreciated because these are truly beautiful plants.

Thank you
Daria

[lindawre]

Daria spider mites can be a real challenge. I've lost a few to them myself. I take mine out side and turn the hose on them, with quite a good strength of spray. I also use, more effectively, a mitacide spray that's available at my local nurseries. When all else fails, I have to cut off the branch ends that are affected and hope for the best.

Good luck with this pesky problem.

[Monika]

Diana, to fight spider mites successfully in your climate, you should treat the brugs with a mitacide like Avid + misting. To make life for a spider mite as hard as possible, Brugmansia should not be planted at the south side wall of a house but in the garden, where the humidity is higher and the possibility of a light breeze is given.

[Brugs_In_San_Diego]

I use "Safer soap". I bought it at Lowe's. It killed the Spider Mites with 2 applications and they have not returned. It is an insect killing soap and it works well. Green spray bottle. It is potent stuff and you should spray with no wind and wear gloves, latex or something similar. It did not harm the plants. I hate to use something like this but it saved 2 very delicate baby Brugmansias. The leaves were completely spotted with tiny shiny yellow kind of reflective dots. Hope this helps. John

[Brugs_In_San_Diego]

Follow up to last post!!! I bought a new bottle and it must have been re-formulated. The bottle is blue-green now instead of dark green. BEWARE, it burned a couple of leaves. So I can NO LONGER recommend this product. John

[Mary A]

Mites are a way of life in warm dry climates. When I just had a few brugs in the greenhouse it seemed easier to control them, and even curb the problem with some neem oil at first sight .... but not any longer. Now it takes Avid or Forbid to knock them back for me. I feel like it's war most of the time. I know the warm dry climate makes it a good environment for them to thrive, and they're the worst problem I've ever had with the brugs.

Mary

[dan]

I used Pyrethrin and neem oil mixed with dishwashing liquid and sprayed my garden twice last year when the spider mites seemed to be out of control. There were no spider mites for the remainder of the year. I sprayed they in July. :lol: