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Tough Love for one of the Brahea Armata twins

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:49 am
by lucky1
You may recall I have 2 potted Brahea armata, one kept in the cold building each winter, the other in the warm house.
Both are outside in summer's full sun.

The "warm winter" Brahea is larger than its twin but, oh man, has it got a bad case of soft-bodied scale (the cold building Brahea has no bugs!):

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8084309933/" title="005 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8189/8084 ... 2c7a_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="005"></a>

During repotting with Sunshine Mix #4 Aggregate Plus, with an infestation this bad, it was time to get out the big gun...Dimethoate 480.
Horrible stuff, stinks to high heaven...even the dog goes around the corner.
Rubber gloves are necessary.

Gently removed all old soil and plunged roots into the poison:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8084305314/" title="006 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8084 ... 9c66_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="006"></a>

Then inverted to soak the fronds:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8084303784/" title="007 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8084 ... c40f_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="007"></a>

After leaving fronds soaking for 15 minutes, most bugs seem to have changed color, etc.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8084302154/" title="008 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8084 ... ef5e_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="008"></a>

Potted up, after gently untangling the potbound roots.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8084303793/" title="009 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8084 ... 7441_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="009"></a>

And here's its twin, with NOT ONE BUG on it all summer:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8084294041/" title="010 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8324/8084 ... 33ed_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="010"></a>

Reminder: KILL ANTS on patio...they "farm" scale.

Poured the rest of the poison stuff onto the Spindle Palm and 3 Triangle Palms.

What a curse scale is!

Barb

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 3:51 pm
by KrisK
Great scale treatment pictorial, Barb. I'm too lazy to google, so ill just ask: where do you get the poison at? I haven't had a scale problem before but I've noticed that many do have infestations on their palms. Also, how does that Brahea tolerate root disturbance? From what I've read online, they really hate it. I've read that people have lost their brahea simply from picking up a potted palm that had been sitting long enough to let its roots exit the pot, and infiltrate the ground. The palm supposedly can "bleed to death" from the trauma. I don't know if there's truth there, but I do know that the Internet is full of hyperbole. I also know there's too many variables at play with palms and sometimes the obvious answer, isn't always the right one. Sorry to stray OT but I'm curious. That has always been a question that's prevented me from trying a brahea.

Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 2:43 pm
by andym
I was just about to say Noooooooo don't do that. Brahea Armata does not like any root disturbance at all. When I took my Brahea out of the pot I had to cut the pot to stop any roots from being damaged. Let us know how you get on with the palm Barb
BTW mine is dying from my Summer wet even before the onset of Winter :roll:

Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 4:41 pm
by lucky1
Ooops!
Now you tell me. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

But frankly, if this pest-ridden bugger dies, my annual worries with its infestation will be over.
Can't remember but hope I was gentle with repotting its twin.
I repotted about 40 plants that day.

If Braheas bleed to death, he oughta be dead in a couple of days after the treatment I gave him.

Kris, apparently the Dimethoate 480 is only available in a large quantity at hundreds of dollars (which means I'll never have it again).
I was given a small amount in a jar.

Will let you know when it croaks.
Oh no, Andy yours is dying from wet weather? Heavy raindrops on the roots? :lol:

Barb

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:41 pm
by Cameron_z6a_N.S.
Barb, how is this Brahea doing?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:29 am
by seedscanada
Left my B. armata ground planted outside. It is the first palm I've box, light and thermocube protected this year so far.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 7:14 am
by hardyjim
Wow Barb...you don't mess around when you get bugs :)

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:10 am
by lucky1
how is this Brahea doing
Hasn't done anything that's visible...yet :roll:

I expect it'll croak after what I did.
Same with its twin now that I remember "disturbing" its roots as well in the repotting.
you don't mess around when you get bugs
I get so ticked off with bugs and just...well...go crazy.

Have you forgotten this photo when I went ballistic with the two little calamondin orange?
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/2259244048/" title="DSC00922 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2150/2259 ... 666168.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC00922"></a>
:twisted: :twisted:
Left my B. armata ground planted
I'll settle for enjoying yours Adam, long distance.

Barb

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 10:16 am
by oppalm
hardyjim wrote:Wow Barb...you don't mess around when you get bugs :)
Barbs got bugs? I didn't know this. I once had head lice when I was in grade school. back then you shaved your head and painted some wacky stuff on your scalp.

Good luck to you barb.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 2:44 pm
by lucky1
Kent, thanks for the humor infusion :clown: on this fatal topic :lol:

Wonder how long it'll take both Braheas to die... :x

Barb

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 7:51 pm
by TimMAz6
nice job Barb.........that soak should do the trick.

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:25 pm
by Okanagan desert-palms
Barb I hope it makes it. IMO you have meally bugs. I`ve had them so many times I`m sure you have them as well from your pics. Give it some root booster and some b12 to lessen the shock of up pulling it out of the pot when you repot it.


John

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:47 am
by hardyjim
Spraying coffee on them- works great on mealy bugs.

Apparently they get so juiced up they just gotta go for a walk...
one they never come back from.

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 7:55 am
by lucky1
Thanks guys.

Mealy bugs? But my bugs aren't the typical soft and fluffy appearance.
Mine have a semi-hard outer coating, i.e. the signature of scale, although which kind I'm not sure.

This site pictures the beige colored ones; mine are beigey-white.
But everything else is similar...the outer coating that comes off the insect when you rub it.

http://www.gardening-enjoyed.com/scaleinsects.html

Will try root booster and B12 on both Butias.
And there's no shortage of coffee around here.

Barb

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 3:44 pm
by lucky1
Well that was 6 weeks ago that I tortured them.

Today:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8235314543/" title="013 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8067/8235 ... 7a8a_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="013"></a>

Maybe they'll just take their time dying... :shock:
But I did do as John suggested after that rough treatment -- I gave them root stimulant, had some old 5-15-5 kicking around.

(repeating to myself: NEVER disturb Brahea armata roots).
repeat. repeat.
Interspersed with the word "idiot". :lol: :lol:

Barb