Fighting pests

As I mentioned in an earlier post I changed to hydro because I couldn't get rid of the fungus gnats.These little fellas are of the harmless ones as they are rather aggravating than damaging to the plant. They were gone by throwing the soil away and holding back the watering on the rest of the plants.
Yet I had to fight with thrips wich are rather stubborn and I lost a few plants for those. In fact it was my fault as I didn't treat them properly and then it was too late.
A light spider mite infestation I had on a few plants but I could keep them at bay by spraying with neem oil occassionally.
Pests can appear in a few days time and they take over your plants if you don't act. Very important to identify and control them quickly to avoid further damage to your plants. Use a magnifying glass and only after identifying the pest apply pesticides (always follow instructions on the packaging!).

To prevent an infestation:

• Inspect any new plant for signs of bugs, webbing, damaged and spotted leaves before putting it among the old ones. Quarantine them if you're not sure.
• Check your plants at every watering for pests. You can use eco-friendly pest killers such as neem oil on a regular basis to keep the bugs away.
• Keep your collection healthy, clean and well-fed. A regular shower helps physically removing insects. Avoid cramming pots where possible. You can't examine foliage and pests can spread easily from one plant to another. Damaged surfaces are attracting juice-sucking bugs (also prone to fungal infections) so always make clean cuts and remove dead leaves.

The most common pests are:
Aphids
Spider mites
Mealybugs
Scale
Thrips
Fungus gnats
Whitefly

Aphids
They are mostly outdoor pests but an open window is enough for them to find way to your house. A common on many plants these sap-sucking insects are often noticed feeding in clusters on new plant growth.
 Aphids are small (1/8 inch long), soft bodied, pear-shaped insects that may be green, yellow, brown, red or black in color depending on species and food source. As they feed, aphids secrete large amounts of a sticky fluid known as honeydew. This sweet goo drips onto plants, attracting ants (if outdoors) and promoting a black sooty mold growth on leaves. Heavy infestations will cause leaves to curl, wilt or yellow and stunted plant growth. Several species can transmit plant diseases, particularly viruses which they pass on during feeding.
 Most aphids, except for the sexual forms, do not have to mate in order to reproduce, and they produce live young, rather than eggs. This way they can multiply their numbers in a few days' time.
 They can be removed physically in large numbers with a stream of water or by pinching off the affected part of the plant. Insecticidal soap and neem oil works well on them. Their natural predators are ladybugs and lacewings so you can try to release them on your plant (only if outside).

Spider mites

Often found on the underside of leaves these tiny sucking pests can destroy your indoor or outdoor  garden. Common in North-America, and occassional in European greenhouses and plant shipments. Spider mites are not true insects, but are classed as a type of arachnid, relatives of spiders, ticks, and scorpions. Adults are reddish brown or pale in color, oval-shaped, and very small. 

 Mites live in colonies, mostly on the underside of leaves, and feed by piercing leaf tissue and sucking up the plant fluids. Feeding marks show up as light dots on the leaves. As feeding continues, the leaves turn yellow, and may dry up and drop off.

 Spider mites are most common in hot, dry conditions. Large populations are often accompanied by fine webbing. Host plants are many and include strawberries, melons, beans, tomatoes, eggplant, ornamental flowers, trees and most houseplants.

When infestation is noticed, remove the affected parts well past the webbing. A strong stream of water can reduce numbers on heavily infested plants. Apply pesticides such as neem oil, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Check the plants regularly and re-apply pesticides if necessary. Dust on leaves can encourage mites. A regular shower may stop them from coming back. 

Mealybugs

They occur in most parts of the world, naturally in the warmer parts. They are considered pests as they feed on plant juices on both houseplants and greenhouses or outdoor plants.

Mealybug females feed on plant sap, normally in roots or other crevices, and in a few cases the bottoms of stored fruit. They attach themselves to the plant and secrete a powdery wax layer (hence the name mealybug) used for protection while they suck the plant juices.

PlantID - Ficuses

First year in hydro

It's been a year since I repotted the first bunch of my houseplants and almost all of them are sitting in the clay pellets by now. I learned a lot, and I'm very proud of my achievements.
Some of the plants have grown a lot and I'm looking forward a whacking job. Maybe a month to go until then.
First the ficuses, the small cuttings developed nice thick trunks and healthy roots.

Things Beginners worry about but they shouldn't

When you are new to growing plants (in any way, not only in Hydro) you tend to worry about things that are really not important or unavoidable. There is nothing like a perfect specimen in nature. Go out and find a tree. It has all kinds of imperfectness on it, yet it is completely healthy. Plant time is not the same as human time. Think in seasons and years, most of the plants show results only in the next year's growth period.

Foliage

When you google a plant's name, all the pics show perfect leaves. No brown tips, or misshapen ones.

Every grower has experienced the panic when they see something unusual happening to their precious'. As dry air is very common especially in the heating season, a few brown tips are unavoidable. A Calathea won't ever look the same in your living room as it would look in the jungle. Accept this. You can raise humidity in your home but that is probably an endless fight.

Misshapen leaves occur naturally. Remove them, but when there is more than just a few, there must be an underlying problem of illness or lack of nutrients.

A few fallen leaves don't mean your plant is sick, especially when it has a hundred other. It happens when you bring them inside at the end of Summer, when temperature drops within a few days or you just repotted them. Give them time to adjust. 

Light

Choose a spot for your plant and leave it there. Most of them don't appreciate changes in amount and direction of sunlight. Keep them out of scorching sun and away from dark corners and they will do fine. Many plants get sunburnt if put outside in summer without enough time the adjust. First keep them in bright shade and week by week introduce them to full sun. Many of them will be grateful and gift you with nicely coloured leaves and vigorous growth.

Don't use ordinary bulbs as additional light, it's just a waste of energy. Common houseplants do well in lower light conditions during Winter months.When Summer comes, snip the etiolated parts off, and fix the look.

Grow, please!
There can be numerous reasons why your plant is not growing beyond you do something wrong. Maybe it is only a slow grower. Many houseplants put out only a few leaves per year, researching your precious' habits helps you understanding it better.
Check the roots. The pot may be overcrowded. It is very easy to repot when growing in Hydro, so trim the roots and if necessary you can go for a bigger pot.
Feed them well. Some research is necessary, even when growing in Hydro, some plants don't need as much mutrients as others. Adjust the amount of fertilizer given to help them reach their potential.
Sometimes, to see nice growth, you need to cut first. A smart trimming here and there encourages branching.

Water
It is the most common thing plant owners worry about. People tend to think when a plant is sad-looking, it needs more water - which is completely wrong (this we know since we grow in semi-hydro). If you are aware of the needs of the plant, and understand the signs of stress, you simply can't go wrong.

Feeding
Feed your houseplant regularly, but only with an appropriate fertilizer and always follow the instructions. If you fertilize too much, roots can burn and your plant would look just as sick as it was in need of nutrients.

Plants I killed

As growing houseplants in semi-hydro is an experiment and there are tons of things I don't know or understand yet, I managed to kill quite a few plants. But I've learnt from my mistakes every time.

One plant that died on me was a Calathea albertii. It was a salvaged plant from clearence shelf. After repotting it bounced back nicely but then started losing old leaves. However, new shoots sprouted. The plant lived for a good 3 months but kept dying back. I couldn't seem to find the reason why. Then noticed tiny white and black powdery things on the back of the leaves that didn't respond to any treatment I tried so had to get rid of the poor thing before the didease spread to other plants..
Calatheas can be finicky. I am having problems with a zebrina and a roseoptica at the moment (maybe dry air due to heating, will try to bag them for the rest of the season).

Another loss is a Haworthia pentagona that collapsed a few days after I transplanted it. Maybe got too wet while I removed the soil from the roots. It never seemed to mind the showers though.

I learned that ferns don't especially like direct sun and semi-hydro. I am lucky with my Asplenium nidus as it is doing fine but not as lucky with Polystichum tsus-simense aka Korean rock fern. It simply dried out beyond saving in a few days time on the windowsill. I was too careless I believe.

The mango I grew from seed got a bad thrips infestation. The avocado seeds didn't even sprout, maybe it's best to root them in water

I don't know anyone who hasn't killed a plant yet - by accident, by carelessness, by incompetency or other reasons. So don't be sad if you fail once or twice, next time you will be more careful.