"Emery Davis" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:02:52 -0000
"Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)" wrote:
The Osakazuki is doing fine. Good autumn colour this year, unlike last
year
when just as the thing was starting to colour we had a brief severe frost
and all leaves dropped off. It started the year covered in those white
bug
things
(scale/mealy) but that was sorted with a violent blast from a hose.
It never flinched once in that very hot dry July -so it's a definite
Gudun
in sun.
Glad to hear it. Even with my usual irregular watering (long way from the
spigot)
mine did fine too. I don't think it even showed much leaf burn, which is
impressive
for a newly planted palmatum. On the other hand, not much colour,
although it
wasn't alone in that. Of the palmatums only Okagami and Ariadne (and to
some
extent Mirte) showed any colour this year before the gales blasted them.
Almost
none of the other maples coloured either.
I'd be a little careful with violent hosing of the palmatum, though, they
can be
very prone to bark damage. Although with the mealies, I'm not sure what
other
options there are.
-E
--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies
Mealies can be a right pain can't they -sap sucking little barstewards. On
house plants the traditional remedy was to dob them with methylated spirits.
You probably know what I mean but it is the purple dyed alcohol that has a
1001 uses. Unfortunately the original formulation has changed over the years
and now contains a couple of nasty chemicals which can have a drastic effect
on plants --i.e. death.
I use vodka (nearest thing to pure alcohol) which is very effective but you
do have to treat over several weeks to eradicate them.
Alcohol tends to dehydrate plants so I usually spray the plant with water
before and after treatment.
Methinks using those impregnated tissue things (Wet ones) would probably be
a quicker way. I have a Cycad in the house which succumbed to the dreaded
bugs-it's rather therapeutic spending hours hitting them with a cotton bud
soaked in Vodka.
OK I hear you--Rupert get a life :-)