Hey guys, I’ve been trying to treat my Croton Petra from thrips. This is week 3 and I’m lowkey contemplating if I can still save the plant. I’ve been spraying the soil and leaves with neem oil for the past two weeks. I just did an oil drench as kinda a last resort. Any hopeful stories or advice? Just trying to be a better plant dad haha
Try 70% alcohol. Spray it directly on the plant. Literally soak it. Keep it out of direct sunlight until it’s dry.
1 likeThanks! But wouldn’t that damage the roots? Did it help for you too?
0 likesDon’t spray the soil directly. Only the foliage. It has helped me every time. You may need to spray more than once because those suckers can hide in all the crevices.
1 likeThanks! I’ll give it a go
0 likesForgot to ask, how long should I do this for?
0 likesAs long as it takes.
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I’ve battled thrips twice. I have about 400 houseplants. What I’ve learned is to use Captain Jack’s Dead Bug spray on the plant and any plants that are in the same room. Then repeat that in 5-7 days. I also treat all new plants that I bring in by rinsing thoroughly, spraying with insecticidal soap and putting systemic granules in the soil. Then I quarantine them for 2-3 weeks before putting them where they will live. Alcohol is fine to spray on the foliage. It won’t hurt the plant and it will kill any live bugs but it won’t get to the eggs. Stay consistent and you will win the battle. good luck
1 likeThanks! But isn’t the spray for outdoor use only? Maybe there is a houseplant version I haven’t ran into yet? Just making sure I’m not putting my plant into a more stressed state
0 likes No the Captain Jacks is for indoor plants as well. Ive used it on my entire collection and it didn’t harm any of them.
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These are incredibly picky and will die if you look at them wrong. It’s not your fault 🤍
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Try neem oil
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