Question From: Cañon City, Colorado, United States
Q: I keep impatience inside for summer planters. Recently the upper leaves here and there have begun to show little pale dots. They can be seen only when light is behind the leaves. Begin as a few dots and gradually cover the leaf. Then tissue can be seen on the top of the leaf to be dying, or suffering in some way. May be beginning this dot happening on nearby geranium leaves too. Dots seem to be within the leaves. Doesn't show on the leaf top till well advanced. So far, dots only begin on the more mature leaves. I'm thinking of cutting the plants way back to remove the older leaves and surrounding growth. Or are the lacking in some nutritional thing? What to do?!
A: Your inpatience probably have spider mites. You will be able to see them with a 10 x magnifier. I use a product with azadiractin, such as AzaMax. It's organic, OMRI listed and safe to use indoors. Be sure to spray the undersides of the leaves. Cut them back when new growth begins some time in March. I would then fertilize with fish and kelp fertilizer such as Neptune's Harvest. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy
