But I'm probably delusional. Thoughts, good plant people?? š
I haven't watered her yet because I just got her 5 days ago and the soil has been very moist since bringing it back. It's in indirect light for most of the day and semi direct light through blinds for 1-2 hrs ish in the evening
by incognitocandito
5 Comments
spidermites. bad.
It looks like what my pinstripe had which ended up being spider mites that spread and wiped out a lot of my collection. I just donāt do calatheas anymore because they simply attract too many pests. I would throw this plant away.
I’m going to cry.
Spider mites, but itās okay! Theyāre very treatable, just annoying!
I start by rinsing the plant down in the shower to physically remove the adult bugs, then I wipe the front and back of every leaf with a microfiber cloth soaked in diluted peppermint Castile soap (Dr. Bronnerās is my go-to but any Castile soap should work). This ensures all adults are gone, which stops reproduction, and the soap will also make it harder for the eggs to hatch and grow.
You can optionally spray with Captain Jackās Deadbug Brew at the end and let it air dry. As new eggs hatch, youāll have to repeat the soap treatment 1-2x a week to kill off any new young mites and prevent them from reaching adulthood when they reproduce.
[this](https://youtu.be/PJDLK7Tc8q0?si=Vfc1v8UefNUC41_M) is the easiest and fastest way to get rid of them that does not harm the plant in any way.
I donāt even worry about buying plants with spider mites anymore. Theyāre inevitable. I donāt buy any plants, open a window, and bam, there they are. So if I check a plant at the store and I see thrips, plant goes back. If I see spider mites it still comes home. Whatever.
I just preventatively treats all my calatheas this way at least once a month, more when I notice an active infestation or theyāre looking poorly.