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Kalanchoe with scale
James 11
Posts: 35
Hello, I got this plant from a friend who wasn't doing so well with it, and I recently that it's not meant to have little black lumps on the stems (I thought they were potential shoots or something).
I think the black lumps are scale, as the surface under the plant is sticky and there are little sticky globules on the plant too. I've attached pictures so you can check
How do I get fix it? Also, it hasn't flowered in ages, is this a symptom or just not the right nutrients in the soil?
Cheers for any help!
0
Posts
If they're scale insects , wet a cotton bud or wad of kitchen paper with methylated spirits and dab each one. they should wipe off.
I have the same insect lumps on my plants. I could never get mine to flower again, and eventually I asked a specialist at a flower show how to do it. She asked me if I was feeding them, and I said I was giving them baby bio. She told me this was what I was doing wrong. I was encouraging them to make a lot of nice green foliage, but no flowers. For the last few years I have given them nothing but water, and they seem almost never to stop flowering! So, if you are feeding your plants : just stop!
@fidgetbones - great tip with the meth spirits, it's taking them off, the honeydew is slowing things a bit though. Do you think it might be work putting the spirits in a spray bottle and then finish off with a cotton bud?
@gardengirl6 - that makes sense about feeding, I havent been using fertiliser (was thinking about it though!) but I repotted it to a larger container with fresh soil, so hopefully flowers in the next year. Thanks for the heads up
Did you get rid of the bugs on yours with meth spirits too?
I wouldn't spray the whole plant. You're not trying to get meths on the plant, just the insect. If you dab them they usually come off easily. You're sure they are scale insect?
pretty sure it's scale, I think I got most of them off, but I'll probably have to do it again in a few weeks for any I missed. Might have sprayed it before I got your reply, fingers crossed it doesn't do too much damage..