I got a gardenia tree early this spring. I put it outside where it would be its most happiest-and a bird planted a nest in it! Not being the one to interfere with mother nature, I let them have thier privacy. Well the family has successfully moved on, but now my gardenia is riddled with mealy bugs and spider mites. The mealy bugs have really gotten a head start. They are hiding in the beautiful blooms that are all over the plant and leaving cotton deposits just everywhere. I sprayed a neem oil,soap and warm water mixture everywhere I could see and also hosed the plant off till i couldnt see bugs anymore...but i just know they are there. Plus I watered with neem/water. Is there anything else I could do? The tree will be overwintering in my livingroom with other plants. When I first bought the tree, I used Bonide houseplant systemic as a precaution. I clearly didnt work. The tree is almost 6 feet tall and I dont want to lose it. Its just so full and pretty.
Try knocking off as many of the pest as you can first with a forceful spray of a garden hose before using anything else. That means probably sacrificing many of the flowers. If you miss any of the pest on whatever application you use, they will come back. When using soapy water, insecticidal soaps and/or oils, you'll want to spray at least every 5-7 days for at leas 3 weeks, making sure you cover "every part of the plant" including under the leaves. Keep spraying and spraying until the plant is dripping wet. It might look like you got them all after a few weeks, but you'll want keep an eye on it for any you may have missed, If you see anything, start the process over again, Never assume they are all gone!
Thank you so much for getting back to me! The tree is almost 6 feet tall and pretty thick in the middle. should I cut it back? Its in bloom right now but I notice the mealies really collect around the flowerbuds. There are so many bugs I feel like they will never go away. Thanks again for your advice.
Yes, cutting it way back will help a great deal on getting rid of many of the bugs:) If it were mine, I'd also take off every flower and bud as well, throwing them in a bucket of very hot, very soapy water, then throwing all of it as far away from the house as you can, then start spraying!
Oh man. I was hoping to avoid cutting the flowers off, but I knew it would come to this. It saddens me to lose all the rich green foilage. considering the severe infestation, the plant is still looking good with buds, blooms and new growth.
Very Nice! I know it's hard to cut the leaves and take the flowers off but, the less hiding places the bugs have, and they can be hard to battle, the better the chances are of getting rid of them. I wish you all the best in getting rid of ALL those nasty creatures!
