Pests- Spidermites

[Maret]

Identifying: Mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders. Since they are extremely small, plant damage is typically the first sign of their presence. A silky web is often seen with heavier infestations.

Damage: Both spider mite adults and their immature forms damage plants by sucking plant sap. Damage includes light-colored speckling on the upper surface of leaves and results in a plant with an overall faded look. If the mites are left unchecked, leaves become bronzed or yellowed and the plant dies. Spider mites are usually more of a problem on house plants that remain indoors year-round.

Control:

Neem oil- The organic compounds in neem oil act as a repellent. Follow package instructions for diluting the oil in water and spray affected areas. It is often necessary to spray once a week for several weeks to control mites.

Discarding the plants- With a heavy infestation, it may be necessary to discard the plant, disinfecting the garden. Wait for 1-2 weeks before plugging new soils in to avoid continuing the life cycle.

[isepulvedag]

Hey C&G gardeners,

I want to reach out because my indoor garden is not doing as well as it used to. The first two batches worked great but as I had moved on, their growing has been slowed and now several are growing mold and there are many mini bugs (i believe plant lices) in them.

I will attach some of the current pictures and hope that you can provide a recommendation how to target this. Maybe a plant that introduced with the experimental soil was the reason, but now every new addition gets impacted by this as you will notice.

I added some cinnamon directly to the soil, I just planted lavender but the problem still remains. I appreciate the tips that you can provide as experts.

Best, Igor

[isepulvedag]

Here are some more pics, they are only 1 allowed per post because I’m a new member. Hope this helps.

[isepulvedag]

[Mirjam]

Hi @isepulvedag , welcome to the community!

Really sorry to see that you are encountering such problems. First thing I notice is that some of the plants seems aged, the plants last up to date should be kept in mind while growing. But, this is obviously not the only issue here.

Indeed, it seems that pests have contaminated your garden. If possible, please try to take a closer photo of the bugs and the damage. If we can identify the pest, we can provide care procedures more in detail.

Anyways, despite the type of the pest, first I would recommend cleaning up all of your gardens, remove all plants and carefully monitor any other house plants or fresh produce nearby. It usually takes just one pest to start the colony again. It would also make sense to take a little break in growing and start a new round in a couple of weeks.

[isepulvedag]

Thanks Mirjam for the advise, i’ll try the tips mentioned and here you have a closer look at the bugs and the damage. I tried to send several at once but I’m not allowed yet.

Regarding the little break, i’ll try to solve this with the partial solutions once again and in case this is not working then will take a break. Hopefully before the spring, I can restart with the 27 pots growing at the same time again.

I tried to attached a short video of the roots of one plant. Now I’m not allowed for been a new user, let me know how I can skip this. This shows an older pod as you pointed out but shows better the issue. I have some pods started 4 weeks ago with the same issue, and some 10 days old starting to show symptoms.

[Mirjam]

Really looking forward to seeing more pics, to figure out who has destroyed your plants.

Definitely keep us posted on how the next round turns out to be.

[isepulvedag]

Let’s see if this works.

(Attachment Video.mov is missing)

[isepulvedag]

Tried to send you the video. It failed so here you have a link to it:

Pod bugs. Click&Grow garden

Best, Igor

[isepulvedag]

Hi @Mirjam did you have a chance to watch the video linked? Any tips

Best,

Igor

[Mirjam]

Hi, yes, thank you.
Is it the tomato pod. I’m afraid it has simply aged, the plant has died back and does not fill the purpose anymore.
I’m more worried about the lettuce, and what has caused such discoloration on lower leaves. As lettuce is a short living plant, could it just be aged. Some of the discoloring also refers to pests. So, if you still have any of those plant, please make a closed pic so we could get a better idea of the problem.

What is the temperature range? Also, overwatering may cause such symptoms to plants. When you filled the tank, did you make sure that the float never raised above the garden lid? A lot of questions, but I would really like to help to find out what has caused such problems.

[isepulvedag]

Thanks @Mirjam for the response. The temperature is always around 20 degrees indoors, the thermostat is set up to kick in anytime that drops under 18 degrees C during the winter.

Regarding the pest, here you have a few closer pics that can help. The tank is filled every 2-3 weeks with water until the lid level. At first, I did overwatered few times last year but has been several months since then. As you can see, the little bugs are covering the leaves and infesting the plants and this are only 3 weeks old.

Thanks for the new suggestions.

Igor

[Mirjam]

Hi @isepulvedag

I see it now! Sorry to say, but your garden is infested with spider mites, their tight webs are very well visible now. Watering and temperature range is ok.

They are quite tough to get rid of, but it is possible. It is highly recommended to clean your garden and remove all plants, even the ones that seem not infected- remove it and take a break in growing at least for a few weeks. Disinfect everything.

If you have house plants, monitor them carefully, there may be more colonies. It takes only one mite to start the colony again.

[isepulvedag]

Thanks @Mirjam,

I’ll do as you suggest, and start a new batch in a few weeks. Thank you and I’ll be looking to grow something again during the spring.

Igor

[Mirjam]

You’re welcome! Sorry, I didn’t have good news for you.
I hope you can start growing safely soon again!

Good luck!

Mirjam

[isepulvedag]

Thanks for this article @Maret. This is very complete and together with the help that @Mirjam gave me a few weeks back, I was able to evaluate this pest and decide to stop growing until the mites are gone and restart a couple of weeks later. Great job!