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Mon, Oct 14, 13 at 1:44
| I thought I'd ask this of the most knowledgeable gardeners I know, though the forum isn't appropriate. I acquired a sarcococca some months ago and let it sit in a pot through the summer drought, never having taken a close look at it; the first fall rains arrived and I went to plant it, but I find it's covered in scale. Oops. Some excuse for my stupidity may be found in this being only the second time I've seen scale on any of my plants, and I don't think of it as a potential problem to keep an eye out for....well, now I do. Anyway, is there a treatment for scale that doesn't involve the use of pesticides? I've been rubbing it off with my fingers, and plan on going to work with an old toothbrush, but would like to hear any suggestions you all may have. My impression is that scale is not a problem one leaves to resolve by itself. I was quite surprised to find it on a sarcococca, a plant generally very little prone to problems of any sort, at least in my garden. Thanks for any suggestions or observations. Melissa |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Horticultural oil, but the timing depends on what kind of scale it is. For a detailed description, follow the link below. Of course you may have entirely different scale insects, but at least it is a starting point. And good luck! Rosefolly |
Here is a link that might be useful: UC Davis Pest Notes for Scale
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| I dab a cotton swab soaked in mentholated spirits on the scale and that seems to kill and loosen it. I then rub it off. |
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| Sorry. My iPad decided to correct my spelling so I'm now correcting IT'S spelling. I meant to say methylated spirits. |
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| Yep, I also do the cotton bud with meths treatment (although it's fair to say I mainly use a wad of loo roll). I also use my fingernails as my citrus always succumbs to scale. As for sarcococca, I have never seen scale on one but my next door neighbour has a relentless battle against scale on her hydrangeas so I would guess there are quite a few woody shrubs delectable to scale. Also, by the time I spot scale, the insects have often departed, leaving only the scaly exoskeleton (or whatever it is called). Re-reading this, I am appalled at how ignorant I am about scale (and heaps of other pests and diseases). Living permanently in the delusional and optimistic gardenland (where, no matter how desperate, there is always next year), I tend to ignore pests and disease (P&D as my hort. tutor always referred to them) until I am forced to take action. Naturally, I will spout on about prevention being better than cure blah blah......while utterly ignoring my own advice..... So, Melissa, your moods are somewhat mercurial - could you also be afflicted by the eternal hope syndrome or am I being fatally presumptive? |
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- Posted by daisyincrete 10? (My Page) on Mon, Oct 14, 13 at 5:43
| If there are only a few, I use a cotton bud dipped in surgical spirit. If there are a lot I wipe the leaves and stems with an old cloth dipped in surgical spirit. Daisy |
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| Multiple sprayings with any oil will do. Anything to cut off the oxygen to the scales and their offspring, and leave them gasping for breath before death. And most if not all vegetable and fish oils will degrade when they hit the soil. I did clean the scale off a small cycad (two galloon pot) one time with q-tips and nothing else. On the cycad the scale was only on the woody parts not on the green leaves. |
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| I use an old toothbrush dipped (repeatedly) in rubbing alcohol for citrus. If a houseplant, the scale would always eventually come back. If in the garden, natural predators would keep it at bay after the alcohol treatment. However one day ( in a moment of "let's see what happens if...") I drenched the plant and soil with a beneficial nematode preparation and the citrus stayed clean for about a year and a half both in and out of the house which is more than 6 times longer than the alcohol treatment alone. Someone (IIRC it was Dr. Manners) later commented that some times scale infests the roots. Cath |
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| This has been very helpful. I've used rubbing alcohol with varying degrees of success, but I think I'll try Ann's oil. I'll just drench the plants in cooking oil.. |
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- Posted by melissa_thefarm NItaly (My Page) on Mon, Oct 14, 13 at 23:45
| Paula, Rross, Suzy, Ann, Cath, thank you all for your most helpful responses! I knew I could count on you guys. Now I know what to do (and it doesn't involve pesticides). Suzy, sometimes I, too, am shocked about how little I know about pests and diseases. Most of my boxes have SOMETHING on a fairly chronic level: they continue to live and grow, and I to ignore whatever the pest is, though it compromises their beauty (it may be box mite). So far the garden has come through all its plagues and infestations reasonably intact, enough so for my standards, so I don't worry too much about disease. On the other hand there's RRD. If it ever got over to Italy and into my garden it could cause massive destruction, indeed. So there's reason to keep an eye out for odd plant behaviors. In general, though, I agree with Henry Mitchell: if the problem's serious enough to require the use of a "-cide", the "-cide" won't do any good anyway. Melissa |
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