I have my first potted Key Lime Tree, a gift for mothers day. It has been doing very well until now. It is throwing out blooms, mostly in clusters, and I noticed recently they are clumping together. Today, I noticed a white substance, and upon touching it, it feels like marshmellow creme (sticky), on some of the new leaves, branches, and stems of the new fruit, in addition to around the new blooms. HELP!!! Nancy
Yes, Junglekeeper you hit it on the head. Just wash them away with a forceful water spray using your hose. Also, for SMALL INFESTATIONS rubbing alcohol will dislove them quickly. - Millet
Yes, mealy bugs is what the garden center thought too. They suggested a liquid called 'Organocide', comprised of 92% fish oil, 5% soybean oil and 3% Lecithin. It absorbs systemically, as well as used topically. The recommendation is to water it 3x a week with it for a couple of weeks along with spraying/wiping the leaves & stems. I checked this morning and it seems to be holding it's own, no worse. I have wiped some of the 'black soot' off along with the white sticky residue. The limes all seem to be holding, and it is still throwing a multitude of blooms. Thank you for your time and please offer any other suggestions/recommendations. Nancy
There must be a dozen or more methods of ridding mealy bug, from as simple as just rubbing them out of their crevises with a paint brush, to the very common method of spraying with horticultural oils. I simply wash them off with a forceful water spray. One note of caution, when using ANY TYPE OF OIL treatment, only spray a citrus tree in the early morning, or in the cool of the evening. - Millet
Junglekeeper, due to this being organic in nature, I am under the impression it is safe. According to the directions/info on the back of the canister, is it not harmful to humans, and can be safely used on all edible plants, except for a few that the oil will actually suffocate. Do you have different ideas/info? Thanks. Nancy
It was a general comment and not specifically directed at the product you're using. It's just prudent to be cautious when dealing with chemicals that are absorbed by a plant whose parts could eventually be eaten.
Hi, If you did not sort your problem out, try biological pest controls. I had the same problem and I solved it with LACEWING LARVAE. Have a look on this site, just to understand what am I talking about, and try to find a seller in the country where you live. Good luck http://www.greengardener.co.uk/mealy.htm
