So Iāve had this calathea for a while now and it has been infested with what I think is spider mites (if itās not pls let me know) and I was just thinking would it be such a crime to just get rid of it? š¬ it pains me but Iāve done everything from taking it out completely and spraying it down with neem to the dawn dish and isopropyl method it just really wants to have bugs.
Iām of the mind that if the plant is not bringing you joy any longer for whatever reason, thereās nothing wrong with getting rid of it to save your sanity. This hobby is meant to be enjoyed and if the plant is taking that awayā¦ š¤·š¼āāļø
5 gillningar I needed that little push šæš«¶ thank you
3 gillningar Itās hard! We put all this time and energy and love into caring for these plants so I totally get the hesitancy. But once the care of the plant turns into a chore (derogatory) instead of a chore (affectionate), itās ok to let it go once you think youāve reached that point. It sounds like you did what you could to recover the plant, but to my (second hand) knowledge, if it is spider mites, theyāre a total pain in the tushy to get rid of. One of my friends has been battling them for a bit so I hear all about it.
2 gillningar
Unrelated but the dog in your PFP is so cuteeee!!
1 gilla Thank you! Sheās such a sassy girl and my neediest plant and I adore her.
0 gillningar
I 100% agree! I just threw out the same plant yesterday - itās been an ongoing battle with spider mites. Itāll do good and recover and then a few months laterā¦ spider mites again. Tired of treating and dealing with it even tho it was hard to throw out cause itās soooo pretty!
1 gilla
I assume you may have taken action in the last hour, but if you still have them sitting around and find yourself eoth the extra energy, I highly recommend a mixture of 2 cups water, 6 drops or a teaspoon isopropyl alcohol, 2 tablespoons neem oil, and 1 tablespoon peppermint castile soap. All that in a spray bottle either is worth a shot, or if im too late should help clean up any stragglers trying to get into any other plants.
1 gilla Thank you I already gifted it to the hillside behind my house but Iāll definitely use that to spray my other plants š
1 gilla
For future reference: Dr dooms insecticidal super soap. I unpotted all my infested plants, tossed them in the shower and sprayed the hell out of them in every little crevice. Then basically drowned them in the soap. Let them sit for a minute and then sprayed the hell out of them again. Also sprayed the area (walls/table/shelf) that they were kept. Few days later I saw very minimal amount on one plant, just sprayed it with the soap again and havenāt had them since. Iāve tried neem with peppermint Castile soap and alcohol before but didnāt like that it left a coating Iād need to wipe off or risk the plant burning/suffocating.
1 gilla
If youād still like to try saving this one, Iāve had some luck and spraying mine with Arberās insecticidal spray. That one doesnāt seem to smell too bad š Then, leaving my plant outside (if possible). Natural predators will eat a lot of what the spray doesnāt kill.
1 gilla
Easiest way to get rid of them is give the plant a shower every couple days for a while. I use a hand held shower and gentle spray. Itās worked for me a couple times. But just in case, keep it away from the other plants. Iāve just let mine sit in the shower on the bench. And it was in there during showers.
1 gilla
Burn it
1 gilla Love this energy. I threw that thing over the hillside with a lot of force for all the pain and suffering it caused me :)
0 gillningar Your awesome.
1 gilla Is there a way to like follow you?
0 gillningar Lmao unfortunately I donāt think so !
0 gillningar
Let me tell you! Dawn soap in water dunk got rid of spider mites for good on two of my plants. I just filled a bowl of water with Dawn and dunked her in there! Then I rinsed her and dried her off.. boom! Pests be gone!
0 gillningar