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fungicide alternatives
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Posted by
seattle639 6 or 7 (
My Page) on
Mon, Feb 26, 07 at 6:54
| Well I finally got rid of the bug problem on my ficus tree, but now another problem has popped up. I am spotting white mold(?) that looks like fine cotton. Normally I would just go to the nearest garden store and buy a fungicide and treat until the problem goes away, but I have not seen fungicide in any of the stores here (germany). It is quite frustrating. I know that the plant is not overwatered, because I keep a toothpick in the soil to check for moisture and the drainage tray never sits in water. Could someone tell me of any alternative to using a store bought fungicide? Thanks for any help that you could give me. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: fungicide alternatives
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| You say you're using a toothpick, but that's not adequate for some trees. Basically, ficus needs to almost dry out (most of the pot) between waterings, which should then be done from above, very slowly so the water sinks in, and then reaches the drain hole. The soil should not be for house plants, but full of small grit, for fast drainage. And mealy bug show up when conditions are much too wet and air circulation is bad. I don't know how to get rid of them without fungicide. You should use a wide tray of stones under the pot for humidity, just be sure the water's never high enough to reach the pot. You may find worse mealy bug around the roots inside, so it may not be enough to allow the top to dry. |
RE: fungicide alternatives
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| It is not in soil for house plants. It is in soil that was made spefically for bonsai trees. |
RE: fungicide alternatives
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| Also, I really don't think that is mealy bugs, because there are no bugs. It is not on the plant, just on the top of the soil. I can wipe the mold off, but it returns. |
RE: fungicide alternatives
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| Have you tried a little fan 2' away for a short time every day? Or what about just lifting the soil and replacing it? |
RE: fungicide alternatives
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| I will try that and see if it works. Thanks again. |
RE: fungicide alternatives
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| You may have powdery mildew, and that's definitely from too much wetness and lack of air circulation. |
RE: fungicide alternatives
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| I got lucky today and actually found some fungicide/incesticide. Hopefully that will take care of the problem. I was examining the soil again today and realized that the pests it had before returned. They seem to be the source of my problems. Thanks for your help lucy. |
RE: fungicide alternatives
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Dear Seattle639;
I offer a possible alternative to store-bought fungicides:
Lime-sulfer solution is painted onto bonsai jins to keep the wood free of fungus attack (FYI - you may already know, jin is dead wood kept on bonsai for appearance sake). According to the label on the bottle, diluted lime-sulfer solution can also be sprayed on certain fruit trees to retard/prevent fungi attack. Perhaps a fine mist of diluted lime-sulfer solution applied to the white mold(?), would help. It can be ordered on-line from many bonsai material suppliers. Don't know if shipping to Germany is a problem. It's not like a pesticide or herbicide with environmental hazard issues.
I hope this helps. |
RE: fungicide alternatives
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| Thanks so much biodegradeable. I finally got the mold and pests under control. |
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