Over at a friends house and this infestation is insane! I want to help salvage it, but i am unsure if its too far gone… Every single stem looks like this. I believe it is powdery mildew and mealy bugs. On top of that, this plant is still in its 8” nursery pot after a couple of years. Unsure the state of the roots, but they want to save the plant and repot.
i’d personally set it out for someone else to deal with but i know people say 70% iso alcohol spray .
2 likesMealy bugs are the bane of my existence! Google mealy bug solution (the recipe I use calls for 70% isopropyl alcohol, dish soap and water); that will solve the immediate problem. Indoor plant insecticide will keep them away. I use Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control (available on Amazon). I wish you and this sweet plant the best of luck!
1 likeI do not think this plant is too far gone, by the way. The leaves and all look healthy. I have started using the mealy bug solution on all my plants when I bring them home, and immediately putting down some of the insecticide I mentioned. This has significantly reduced the possible bugs I am bringing to my plants too. Sorry for the wall of text. Also, make sure to spritz that entire plant (make sure to get it everywhere) with the solution if you go this route.
2 likes okay thank you so much! i am very familiar with the homemade solution🙂↕️ i use it on my plants, but my friend wasn’t aware of mealy bugs so it got out of hand
0 likesUse a q-tip soaked in isopropyl alcohol to kill any visible mealies (just touch it to them and rub them off). repot and replace all the soil. Treat the whole plant with a preventative insecticide like neem oil. Monitor the plant going forward, spot treat with alcohol when you see any visible mealies, and redo preventative treatment every 5 days. Check other plants to see if they also have mealies, and isolate this one to quarantine it. If you go a full 2 months without seeing any mealies, you're done with treatment. I see no signs of powdery mildew
4 likes
I think it’s salvageable! Fortunately, mealies are the easiest to treat (in my opinion). Everyone gave great instructions on how to take care of them, and I would 100% repot it. I just repotted my monstera ‘cause it was still in the nursery pot from a year ago… holy guacamole, the roots were insane! I literally had to cut the pot off! I can’t even imagine what the roots are gonna look like on your friend’s monstera after two years!
2 likes
looked way scarier than it was! We got her back right today! Also we have some support on the way so it can grow big and strong.
