JFK

Another really good preventive measure for all indoor plant pests is to cover the soil with stone, pumice or coarse perlite. Having a circulating air around the leaves is great for keeping them down as well. Put a fan on the plant and it will make it very difficult for them to get a foothold as it's a constant battle for them stay in one place. Obviously you have to watch humidity and wind burn while using a fan, but good air circulation is key to preventing mites.

saltydad

Found this interesting piece in the Hidden Valley Hibiscus Newsletter.

DROWNING SPIDER MITES

This is our favorite method for all hibiscus growing in small-medium pots and for houseplant hibiscus. You only have to do it ONCE to kill all spider mites and their eggs. It kills every kind of spider mite, even the most microscopic ones that can hide in cracks in the bark. This method does require precision and care. You'll need a timer and a thermometer - a kitchen "candy" thermometer is perfect. If the water is too hot or you leave the plants too long, you can damage the leaves and they will all fall off after treatment. If the water is much too hot and you leave the plants much too long, you could actually kill a very young plant. But if the water is too cool or if you don't leave the plants in the water long enough, you won't dissolve the covers of the eggs and kill the growing larvae, which means the infestation will come right back.

1. Lay several hibiscus plants on their sides, pots and all, in a bathtub. You can put many of them close together in a single layer in the bottom of the tub.
2. Fill the tub with water that is 110°F (43°C). Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Be careful not to go above 120°F (49°C) or you will cook your plants!
3. Fill the tub until all the plants are covered, and weight the plants down to make sure all parts of all plants are submerged in the water. (An easy way to weight them is to cover the plants with two large towels, then to pull the two shelf racks out of your oven and lay those carefully over the top of the towels.)
4. Set a timer for 10 minutes. (Don't count on your ability to watch a clock! If you leave the plants in too long, you may damage the leaves badly.)
5. Drain out the water and stand the plants up in the tub until the excess water drains out of the pots.
6. Scoop any soil in the tub back into the plant pots.
7. Leave the plants out of bright light for a few hours to rest, then put them back where they belong. Be careful not to water until the soil dries out after this thorough soaking.

Unless plants are recontaminated by exposure to another infected plant, plants should remain free of spider mites for 4-6 months or more. This method has the added advantage of leaching out any build-up of fertilizer salts in potted plants, which needs to be done once or twice a year. So it is two plant-care activities in one

__________________
Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men"

"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon





"If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal."
John F. Kennedy, September, 1960


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