White spots
+24
Does anyone know what would cause this?
27 answers
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Is it possible you used a fertilizer and some of it got on the petals?
Douglas Hunt
on Jul 01, 2013
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It could be sunburn. Did you water it during the heat of the day?
Lydia Whitehead Torres
on Jul 01, 2013
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Hmmm...not sure. It was infected with aphids at one point and I had to spray, but that was a couple weeks ago? Those blooms are new. Could it have affected future blooms? And it's not all of them. Only one, or two. And it's only affecting those flowers. Not the Impatiens, or Pansies. No, I didn't really water during the heat of the day. Should I make an effort to do that then? Thanks for replying. :-)
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 01, 2013
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I don't think the spray would affect future blooms. Definitely do not water in the heat of the day unless you can make sure you do not get any water on the blooms or foliage.
Douglas Hunt
on Jul 01, 2013
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Really? That's interesting, but it makes sense. I don't really recall watering during the heat of the day that often, but I may have a couple of times and I know I did spray the blooms in those pots. I'll avoid doing that and see what happens. Thanks to both of you!
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 01, 2013
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After I water soft-petal, shake them to get the water off the petals. Could still be a little bug like thrips. Won't hurt to spray them with soap when it's cloudy. In MI, watering in the "heat" shouldn't be a problem. It's not the same kind of heat we have in GA and FL. ;)
Caley's Culinaries
on Jul 01, 2013
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Okay. I'll definitely keep the water off the petals. Will thrips make the holes like that and is that what the soap is for? Lol yeah I'm sure it's not like what you get. We do get pretty steamy in the summer months though. Mid 90's. That's steamy for us anyway. We usually start dropping like flies lol. Thanks for the advice!
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 01, 2013
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My thought would be the hot wet weather in Michigan. I have had the same on my petunias.But I take into consideration that we have had rain at one time of the day or evening for 2 weeks now.
Karan Cox
on Jul 02, 2013
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That seems to be what people are thinking, yes. I've kept water droplets off the petals for the past few days and so far so good. Granted, we haven't had much sun LOL, but we're getting some today. I'll be keeping an eye on them to see what happens. Thanks, Karan. :)
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 02, 2013
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so I keep asking and just CAN'T get the answer.... HOW do places like AMUSEMENT parks (Disney, Busch Gardens, etc), with ALL that heat, maintain ALL the plants with all the flowers? ALL their plants are ALWAYS full of flowers! water only in the morning?
Jim Ginas
on Jul 02, 2013
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Lots of workers to tend them would be my guess. And a sprinkler system to water them, probably on timers.
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 02, 2013
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see, I have a sprinkler system on my lawn and actually 2 separate zones just for the flowers... and I did learn not to water in the heat of the day (I used to water at 6AM and again at 2:30PM). but somehow the plants are so full of flowers all the time. I wonder if they overload on phosphorous ....
Jim Ginas
on Jul 02, 2013
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Jim, you would not believe the crews that are involved keeping places like that looking the way they do. (About a thousand years ago I worked as a captain on the Jungle Cruise at Disney World). They are constantly monitoring plants and changing things out.
Douglas Hunt
on Jul 03, 2013
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Jim, Disney and all the other entertainment worlds have drip irrigation systems in their flower beds and pots.
Lydia Whitehead Torres
on Jul 03, 2013
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Wouldn't that mean water droplets get on the flower petals, though? I notice that's how nurseries do it, too. Some anyway. They have those overhead sprinklers. I watered my pots yesterday and kept the nozzle close to the soil, below the flowers and foliage. Hopefully that helps.
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 03, 2013
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Doug / Lydia: thank you. Kelly: Yup..... I THINK water on the pedals early in the morning before the heat of the sun are ok, but honestly, I am SOOO clueless when it comes to gardening. Just started doing this in the last year. (Used to coach football / softball for 27 years and now do this for a hobby.) Doug H always has very helpful answers. I imagine water at the soil level would always be better. ** THERE are a few posts that show home made water systems that look like they would work well too! ( I DO need to convert the sprinkler spray heads at my flower bed zones to something that would skim the soil, but not the plants flowers and leaves.
Jim Ginas
on Jul 03, 2013
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Kelley: What type flowers are those? I want to keep an eye on this post and see how they turn out and if I have those same type flowers, learn how to take care of them. (I assume moist soil, deadhead??, plant food.???
Jim Ginas
on Jul 06, 2013
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Jim, I'm in Suffolk too and I love to garden, don't have a green thumb but I keep trying. Our heat and humidity makes it very hard to grow some plants that normally do very well for others. I decided to try succulents this season and of course we've had more rain than ever before so now I'm just trying to keep them dry. My husband made a rain barrel this season, funny, we haven't needed it yet. Good luck to you.
Marcia T
on Jul 06, 2013
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Morning Marcia. I don't really have a clue what I am doing, though trying to learn what works and doesn't work around here. Just bought a garbage can to try and make a compost bin behind the shed and maybe a rain barrel next! Where in Suffolk? We live next to Sleep Hole.
Jim Ginas
on Jul 06, 2013
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Jim, we're in Bennett's Creek, Holiday Point.
Marcia T
on Jul 06, 2013
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oh, wow, 1-2 MINUTES away! we pass your road on the way to the house.
Jim Ginas
on Jul 06, 2013
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Jim, those are Petunias. And they seem to be doing just fine now. No white spots! Yes, moist soil, I've been watering below bloom and foliage level, deadheading and feeding them every few weeks. They are going CRAZY now! :)
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 06, 2013
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Nice! hoping the heat of the summer now - that the plants and flowers get thru the next 7 weeks ok. Is Michigan normally very hot in summer?
Jim Ginas
on Jul 06, 2013
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Usually yeah. Rainy springs and hot, humid summers. Makes for happy plants.
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 06, 2013
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sounds like a Hawaii environment!
Jim Ginas
on Jul 07, 2013
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Until about September. And definitely not in January LOL.
Kelley Aho Phillips
on Jul 07, 2013
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January is when you take that trip to Hawaii! (Have friends living in Michigan, he was supervisor of Air Traffic Controllers at Kent Int airport at one time.) I can't remember much from my one visit there.
Jim Ginas
on Jul 07, 2013
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