Re: [gardeners] Where'd everyone go?
Billie (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 13 Apr 2002 19:21:24 -0400
on 4/13/02 3:27 PM, George Shirley at gshirl@bellsouth.net wrote:
> We've a schiffalera (sp?) that has lived in our living room for about 10 years
> now. We've purposely
> kept it small by judicious pruning and keeping it fairly well root bound.
> Never saw one drop sap so
> I suspect you may have aphids. Check very closely on the bottoms of the
> leaves, if you see little
> translucent critters that's probably what is doing it. Take the tree outside
> and hose them off with
> a fairly strong stream of water, let it sit awhile, check again, and hose
> again if necessary. If
> it's aphids that should solve your problem. 70F in the daytime and 50F at
> night shouldn't bother it
> too much if it's a strong tree. You would have to acclimatize it though, too
> much change all at once
> might affect it.
Well, thanks to all who answered about the aphids, etc. Duh!!! I have fought
the pest thing with a lovely ficus in my office for years. I guess the
stickiness on this tree at home was so much that I just knew it had to be
sap - didn't think aphids could create such huge amounts! But then again
it's a big tree, so...
I did inspect it and it does not seem to be infested with anything, although
there are some brown spots on the backs of some leaves. On the fronts of the
leaves though it is covered with goopy sticky blobs. :( Yuck.
We'll take it out and hose it down good. I think the spot I have picked out
for it out there will be a good one, at least the way the weather is now. It
would be in shade with some very filtered sun for a portion of the day -
much like it gets inside. And it's right by the hose so I can really hose it
off each day and try to get the bugs/goop off it.
I wouldn't think we'd have too much of an aphid problem in here considering
the number of ladybugs we've had milling around! :)
Thanks again - back to the yard to help my stalwart husband!
billie