Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Lobelia red spider mite

gardenman91gardenman91 Posts: 429
in Problem solving
Evening everyone

So I have what (I think) is red spider mite on lobelia so have spayed it with a mix of some washing up liquid and olive oil, will this help get rid of him? The plant is in a pot outside.

Many thanks!

Posts

  • gardenman91gardenman91 Posts: 429
    Bump
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited June 2020
    It may deter it a bit, maybe..
    Depends if that is what the problem is.
    Ideally a photo of the problem would help along with a description.
    The problem with some oils is that they block the breathing parts of leaves on plants, so can sometimes cause unintended problems.
    Have you noticed any little webs on the plant?

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • gardenman91gardenman91 Posts: 429
    Hi Pete thank you for your reply. I tried taking a few photos so I hope these help. In better light the mottling looks very similar to what I think is iron deficiency? 
  • gardenman91gardenman91 Posts: 429
    With regards to the webs, no I don’t think so? I’ve seen a few webs but I think that belongs to the bigger spider on the plant :)
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Hi Margaret - I can't see anything obviously wrong, and I can't see the yellowing that would be associated with iron or magnesium deficiency.
    The tops of the leaves look as if they may have tiny spots on them - is that right?
    If so, it's possible it is spider mite, but likely the 2-spot spider mite which you would need a magnifying glass to see on the underside of the leaves. You could check that if you have one - there can be hundreds on a single leaf.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • gardenman91gardenman91 Posts: 429
    Hi Pete, yes I believe that’s right. I do have a magnifying glass and can sometimes brush something off with my finger. I’m an organic gardener so don’t use any pesticides so not too sure how to get rid of them. It has flower buds on it though.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    They are not easy to get rid of Margaret.
    They are spiders and most bug killers are formulated to not kill spiders.
    If I have a plant that gets a bad infestation (usually a house plant) I replace it.
    There are sprays available and I've heard good results from people who have used Neem Oil (organic) to get rid of them.
    The mites like hot dry conditions, so cool and moist would slow them down.
    Hope you manage to evict them.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • gardenman91gardenman91 Posts: 429
    I’ll let you know how I get on Pete. Fingers crossed!
Sign In or Register to comment.