pest control

I think I have saved my oldest jade plant from cold shock and insects.

Some of the leaves still look shriveled with pockmarks, but they have quit falling off at a touch, and lots of tiny new leaves are growing now. So I really hope it's going to make it.

Pepper plants in the same corner have been suffering too. It's always a risk I take, bringing plants in that have been outside all summer. Saw that these had little bugs and sticky residue and yellowed marks tiny pinholes all over the older leaves. Now I think it's also what afflicted my jade: looks like aphids.

I took action. Noticed that most of the aphids were on emerging buds and flowers. So I just cut those all off. Wiped off nearly every single leaf- top and underside- with a bleach wipe, and then again with wet paper towel and then took the plant to the sink, tipped it sideways, drenched in dishsoap water and rinsed off again with spray nozzle. I did this with all four pepper plants. Carefully checked the nearby dracanea, parlor palm, schefflera (which has since moved into my bedroom), geranium, stevia and other plants. Nobody else seems to have got aphids, so I spaced out the peppers a bit more and am keeping a close eye on them.

Since this treatment I removed a few more flowers from the oldest pepper (the ancho) where a few individual aphids appeared. Otherwise the bugs seem beat- it's been a week now and I haven't seen any more. Older, afflicted leaves are yellowing and dropping off the peppers, but new ones look fresh and nice dark green.

The 'mother' echeveria, however, remained outside because it still looks bug-ridden. I never brought it in again. Had sprayed it twice with neem oil, no good. If that one in a pot and the crowd of offspring planted around the mailbox spot don't survive the winter, that's it for my echeveria. At least I know where I can purchase more now to replace them, but it won't be the same as having ones I grew from my wedding arrangement...