"Val" wrote in message
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"Manelli Family" wrote in message
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"blackdog" wrote in message
ups.com...
I sprayed them with water every other evening when I watered and that did
nothing to get rid of the mites. I don't like using chemicals either but
the numbers of mites and number of afflicted plants were totally out of
hand.

Just spraying isn't going to work unless you also really give a good blast
to the under sides of the leaves. They'll hide out where the water doesn't
hit. I have a 40° wand type thing that has adjustments for showers/sprays.
I turn it so that I can run it close to the ground under the plants and
blast the spray UP until everything is good and soaked. This seems to work
even during the worst hot weather spider mite attacks with my garden. I
use Neem oil as a last resort (white flies...arrgh!) and only spray very
late in the afternoon so the Neem is not still wet on the plant the next
day to avoid burns. Blasting with water takes care of the spider mites and
aphids if you make sure you get under the leaves and in the crooks and
crannies, and do this several days in a row.


I have a water wand and did that every other day as best as I could with the
garden plants. But then they started to succumb to root rot. Most of the
impatiens in the ground have died. I've been growing them for 20 years
without a problem. I see improvement in the potted ones as they're showing
new growth. I sprayed the hell out of them in the workroom sink and then
drenched them in a systemic spray every other day. I think I'll save the
potted ones as long as they don't get black-leg like those in the ground.
These are the double rose type and I don't want to lose them.