NEED HELP! MY BUSH IS DYING
by
Jeanette S
+9
Within a few days this bush went from beautiful to dying! It has tiny spots that may be some kind of bug (does not move when touched) or some kind of mold that is causing all the leaves to drop off. If I touch a small limb, it drops off too! Can this be saved? None of the grass or liariope around it is affected?
You can see a little at the bottom right of what is left of this bush that is not dying!
This is a closeup of the tiny white specks!
8 answers
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OK Douglas Hunt...talk to me!
Jeanette S
on Jul 26, 2014
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@Jeanette S Are the tiny white specks actually white bumps like scale? Are you familiar with scale and it's treatment? Or are the specks fuzzy looking? Or are the specks tiny like whiteflies? It may be my eyes or may be the picture but I can't see the white specks. I think a little more information is needed about the white specks please.
Sandy Pudoff
on Jul 26, 2014
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It's called scales I copied a link for you. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7408.html
Andrea
on Jul 26, 2014
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@Jeanette S If the white is a raised bump it's probably an Asian type scale. There are many kinds of scale, I think they all share a hard shell covering a soft bug inside. If it is cottony or fuzzy looking it is probably mealybug. Either way you need to smother the pest with Neem or horticultural oil. It does sound like a pretty advanced case, were there no warning signs? If Douglas doesn't pipe in soon I would get to a good nursery TODAY with a sample in an airtight plastic ziploc bag (plant with the pest visible) and ask for their help. I am a backyard gardener myself so I can't be definitive about whether you can save your plant or not. Don't waste your time asking Home Depot or Lowes for advice, go to a real nursery where the employees know the names of the plants, let alone the pests. When they give you sound advice, buy your needed supplies at their store.
Sandy Pudoff
on Jul 26, 2014
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Jeanette, I am absolutely no gardener so you may want to take my advice with a grain of salt but I think if this were my bush, rather than wait around on answers here, I would act fast since it seems to have declined so quickly. I would take a small affected branch with leaves, seal it in a ziplock bag and rush it this morning, STAT, to a knowledgeable garden center for advice and hopefully a fast-acting Rx. Hope you are able to save it.
Shari
on Jul 26, 2014
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UPDATE: Hubby sprayed it with a bug spray with Malethyon (sp). I am also researched Mealybugs and this is what I think it is. It says to use kitchen soap and add about 1 Tablespoon to a gallon of water and spray. I will have hubby spray really good this afternoon...drench the entire area.
Jeanette S
on Jul 27, 2014
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@Jeanette S As with most DH, the bigger the gun the happier they are! Malathion might do more harm than good in this case if mealybug is the issue. I believe it can stress an already stressed plant. If your plant hangs in there after the malathion, you will need to retreat more gently every 5-7 days to kill the hatching eggs. The kitchen soap & water recipe is for homemade insecticidal soap. I think you'll need to smother the eggs with horticultural oil, not just soap alone. Ehow.com has a recipe for homemade horticultural oil made with kitchen ingredients. You can use this in a hose end sprayer as it needs dilution.
Sandy Pudoff
on Jul 27, 2014
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White bumps could be either mealybugs or scale. The good news is there is no reason for either of them to be fatal to your plant. If you do suspect mealybugs, you could try the homemade spray Walter Reeves recommends here: http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-q-and-a/mealy-bugs-homemade-insecticide/
Douglas Hunt
on Jul 27, 2014
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