jlyonia Posted May 5, 2008 Howdy - One bunch of my pereskiopsis are yellowing, the others are not. The ones that are share a bottom watering tray. Would I be correct in thinking this is probably too much water given that they are indoors with an unchanged light source? Ciao, J. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark80 Posted May 5, 2008 Howdy -One bunch of my pereskiopsis are yellowing, the others are not. The ones that are share a bottom watering tray. Would I be correct in thinking this is probably too much water given that they are indoors with an unchanged light source? Ciao, J. I doubt it, my guess is poor nitrogen if they are going collectively yellow then the soil is porbably poor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
watertrade Posted May 10, 2008 I recently had a problem with my peres. a few days after posting about how much my plants love heaps of water and they can't be killed etc etc a number of the smaller ones started going red at the edge of the leaves and they started to wilt. It turns out they were to wet and some of the roots had rotted. I have repotted the worst of them and they are bouncing back with drier conditions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ENtiTY Posted May 10, 2008 In my experience with growing peres I have noticed that a lack of nutrients tends to result in slow growth with deformed leaves and stem. In the cacti world I attribute yellowing as a sign that there is a lack of light intensity and seeing as your growing indoors and the little info I have to go on as far as your plants environment is concerned, thats what I'd bet on. WT re the red edging on the leaves, I have had this also but only see it in the tips when they grow up close to the fluro. Wilting tends to happen suddenly at this point probably due to the large increase in transpiration to regulate temps and growth that close to the light. I was also of the opinion that excess water wasn't a problem with peres, you didn't notice any fungus gnats buzzing around your peres did you WT? They cause damping off and love wet soil as they are attracted to the fungi that grow in such places. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
watertrade Posted May 10, 2008 WT re the red edging on the leaves, I have had this also but only see it in the tips when they grow up close to the fluro. Wilting tends to happen suddenly at this point probably due to the large increase in transpiration to regulate temps and growth that close to the light. I was also of the opinion that excess water wasn't a problem with peres, you didn't notice any fungus gnats buzzing around your peres did you WT? They cause damping off and love wet soil as they are attracted to the fungi that grow in such places. I did actually - I have been battling with fungus gnats for ages. I was winning the battle with some neem product but I ran out - they won. ! I have had a few for a while with no probs. I'm pretty sure my roots just rotted in the moisture - when I repotted there were not many roots left. I am however working on the fungus gnats - some people will think this is terrible but I'm using CONFIDOR. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ENtiTY Posted May 10, 2008 (edited) Yeah I've got'em to. At first it was just a couple and now I pick up a pot and half a dozen fly off, another week or so and they'll be a plague. Gotta do something about them but don't really wanna use chems... may have no choice. Was thinking of using a residual insecticide on some yellow card and hanging them around the prop area to hopefully kill the gnats as they emerge before they can reproduce. Would use nematodes or mites but with the temps droping I don't think they would be very sucessfull this time of year. How are you applying the confidor WT? Edited May 10, 2008 by Harry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
watertrade Posted May 10, 2008 How are you applying the confidor WT? I'm spraying like a mad man. Really only on the soil, I'm trying to break the lifecycle and hopefully wipe them out all together. After two applications I think I'm not far from been fly free. The neem spray ( neem gold) did work, but like I said I ran out. I was worried the Confidor was going to do something nasty to the plants but as yet they have not been effected. Can you use your experience with Carnivorous plants at all? Actually since this has come up - I was raising a few Hyoscyamus albus (henbane) seedlings in the same growing chamber and the fungus gnat seemed to be attracted to henbane and get caught in the fine hairs on the leaves. It was getting a bit ridiculous with all the flies stuck on the leaves. Cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
watertrade Posted May 10, 2008 Was thinking of using a residual insecticide on some yellow card and hanging them around the prop area to hopefully kill the gnats as they emerge before they can reproduce. I once heard of someone useing double sided tape to catch gnats while growing mushrooms - at the height of my frustration I considered taking the plants out of the chamber and spraying surface spray on the walls. I'm sure it would work but.... don't really like the idea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ENtiTY Posted May 10, 2008 Yeah I was trying to avoid using chems directly if at all but it seems as if there are no other options. Insects are attracted to yellow or light blue and you can buy sticky yellow cards to catch the gnats but their main use is as an indication of infestation levels not as a control measure in themselves. Drosera's might reduce the population a bit, they mainly work by luring insects with sweet nectar and as fungus gnats are attracted to fungus I doubt they would be anymore effective than the yellow cards. Worth a try though, I have a variety of Drosera seed here somewhere, good excuse to grow them . Pitchers might be more effective in luring the lil blighters now I think of it. As things are I think I'll try the neem to kill them off and experiment with companion carnivour growing to maintain numbers when they re-appear. Cheers for the carnivour idea WT Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
watertrade Posted May 14, 2008 how are they going Jlyonia? any improvement? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlyonia Posted May 18, 2008 how are they going Jlyonia? any improvement? I've re-potted them and withheld water for a wee while. I've yet to see any direct improvement, but they have stopped getting any worse. I also seem to have picked up some little tiny flies, (scarids??), that I am beginning to wonder whether or not they have anything to do with the issue... I'll update accordingly when things become clearer. Thanks, J. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted May 18, 2008 Check the roots for mealy bugs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ENtiTY Posted May 19, 2008 Those tiny lil flies are almost certainly fungus gnats as you suspect and I doubt they are directly responsible for the condition of your peres. You would see similar damage though out your peres stock not just in one tray. However as your peres are weakened I suggest you treat the fungus gnats before they get out of hand or they will be the straw that breaks the camels back so to speak. Aren't mealy bugs fluffy white sap suckers that hide on the underside of leaves and on stems? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted May 19, 2008 (edited) yes but there are also 'root mealy bugs' which are basicly the same but they will go down into the root system and feed from there, they are very common with cacti and succulents. I had a mjaor infestation in a batch of pereskiopsis once that wiped out about 2 individual potted plants, they ended up with similar symptoms that lead to serious root rot with the plants rotting from the inside, hollowing out and collapsing into mush. Ive started mixing in crushed up moth balls into the mix which I think it doing a good job of keeping them at bay. Edited May 19, 2008 by AndyAmine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
