I didn't realize it was this bad until spraying with soapy water. I plan on putting this lemon tree and all adjacent plants in the tub and spraying with organic insecticidal soap (Natria). If you have any other tips or advice I would greatly appreciate it. It looks like this across 50%+ of the branches when sprayed with water. Plant overall looks healthy and I imagine it will do just fine with treatment but definitely concerning seeing this. This plant gets 4 hours of direct sunlight (1ft from east-facing window) and 8 hours of supplemental light from a 40W grow light about 5 feet away.
by marmalade_marauder
4 Comments
Drench it in strong neem water mixture. Like real strong. Wait 5 minutes, then hose the fucker down with as strong a water stream as the plant can handle. Really go at each leaf and crevice without breaking the plant.
Repeat again in another week.
Spidermites aren’t too bad. You just gotta get em all off.
I used all the sprays and remedies people suggest and could never get rid of them. I did a couple cycles of predatory mites and and haven’t had spider mites since.
The most effective option is a miticide like avid
Copied from an older post. I’ve had great success with DE on aphids. All the best!
Not a wide spread infestation, but I’ve had very good success with Diatomaceous Earth.
DE is very good at killing all bugs, good and bad. Food grade DE safe for oral consumption, for both kids and pets, but the application process can be harmful for the lungs and eyes, so please wear a mask and eye goggles. Try to do it outside or in an isolated room with lots of ventilation.
You can dust the entire plant with dry powder, or mix 1-2 tbsp in 1 cup of water and spray the whole plant. Let it dry on the plant and leave it for a few weeks until the infestation clears.
DE is like walking through broken glass for those bugs and literally kills them as they move around.
You can do this! Don’t give up on those beauties!
Notes:
DE can leave a huge mess during application, so do it in a bathtub or shower.
Also, WEAR A MASK AND EYE PROTECTION. DE is an abrasive powder and can cause lung damage and scratches on corneas.
Also, DE only works when its dry, so if you live in a very humid part of the world, DE won’t work for you. I live in a very dry state and liquid treatments don’t work because they don’t stay wet long enough, like those orchid spray fertilizers.