good suggestion Mike. So glad to see your enthusiasm back.

Mike, do you find that spidermites are a problem in the greenhouse at all? Or does the fan help discourage them?

Thankyou tdogdad! Hope you are well!

Dave.
I have yet not had a problem with mites on mine except indoors. I would say around Febuary, when the leaves start to grow back..

But as for outside my house, never.

Seems to me everytime I take them outdoors, all my plants with mites or any other pest, just take a hike for the rest of the year until December on my tropicals.

Not my plumerias though, I take all leaves off when they come in.

I dread bringing my tropical plants in.
But not plumeria, since they are bare when I store them. I just dread their leaves coming back in the spring before I can put them outdoors.

My greenhouse is only 8 feet by 6 and portable. Lots of available air in there I guess, and I hose everything down all over very often.
The fan might be helping, but I use it more to keep the heat from the heater evenly scattered through out the greenhouse.

How are yours? Do you always have a mite problem? When does it start? Now, or in the winter? Do you still have mites when they are outdoors?

Take care..:-)

Mike,

With spidermites, it sort of depends on the year. During really hot and dry summers they can be a problem outdoors -- especially if the plants are under eaves where the leaves stay really dry. Indoors they're almost always a problem. Not so much in my garage though, where the temps are much cooler than in the house. But you're right, they're the worst in late Winter/early Spring when tips start to grow.

Dave, outdoors, I water mine almost everyday...So I suppose those stupid bugs never get a foot hold on my leaves, they probably get washed off.
You are not kidding about indoors...seems like the more often the heat comes on by December, boy do they explode.
Anyone who says humidity keeps them at bay, do not believe them!! It doesn't work..
I think bare leafed plants will though..lol
I have used a moving fan, high humidity with the humidity averaging over 75 percent, and lots of water on the leaves every winter, and the only thing that I noticed that keeps them at bay, is a good ole natural pesticide spray and cool, very cool temps.
I remember reading a post where you were telling someone to keep her temps over the 60's in winter for her plants, do you do same? That could be the culprit of your mite problem indoors.
As soon as I warm my plant room over that in winter, like say into the 70's, an explosion of pest appears , then the battle is on.

Every year I fight with myself on this one..Should I keep my plant room really warm for my tropicals to keep active growth, which I like, but put up with the possible mites and keep fighting? As the new grwoth comes on all my plants, boy would the mites feast if I didn't control them.

Or should I keep the plant room just above the 50's, and let everything almost go dormant, no active growth, hold back on watering, and pray for the best, but have no mites...lol....Sheesh..
The warm room always wins out though, along with mite battle! lol

Goodluck dave...Good to talk to you. Let me know what happens...What you decide to do...

Mike,

I don't have a room in the house that stays cool. Well, the only room that is that cool would be my wife's walk-in closet, which I dare not enter -- HAH!. I try to spray tips and trunks with dormant oil in Dec - Feb BEFORE they start to re-grow.

I don't remember that post. But now I would say temps no colder than 50ºF to 55ºF are probably best, with humidity, some light, and good air circulation. As we get to March and April, increase temps to 75ºF, increase light, and spray, spray, spray for mites. I believe bad mites can contribute to black tip as much as 'cold and wet'.

I keep my biggest plants (and hopefully most robust) in the garage where temps approach the low 40s on occasion (yikes!). That's really too cold for them, but it's the only place I have that's big enough to accommodate the 8-ft+ plants (or should I say 'trees'?). This winter I may try to hoist some of them up above the ceiling joists instead of setting them on the floor. I think it's a bit warmer up there. I had stored cannas up there, some of which grew all winter.

My GOD Dave....

I can't even begin to imagine the work it must take to do all that..lololol

I thought I had it bad bringing in mine, most in 2 gallon pots...

I have one, only one that is 4 feet tall in a 5 gallon bucket, plastic at that, and I hate carrying that one.

You know, isn't all this challange though worth it...How can you not love these babies...:-)

Talk to you soon, maybe sooner than we think..lol

Do you know how good it feels to look outside right now and see the clouds and cold, and yet know that my plumies with inflos are in a nice and warm greenhouse, happy, safe..lol.
Wonder how many flowers opened today since the sun did shine for a bit part of the morning raising the temps in the greenhouse into the 90's...I guess as long as the soil is warm, those inflos are going to be very happy!

Mike

One more thing...

You should see what I look like trying to hall these plants up onto the roof on my step ladder. I think my neighbors think I am crazy.
I spend most my time up on the roof these days....Sheesh!
I also sit in my greenhouse when I want to get warm and just stare at my plants..lol

LOL! Yes, please post photos of you sitting on your roof staring at your plumerias!

I have about a half dozen plants at 7 or 8 feet. Most of the rest are around 4-5 feet. Only a few at 2 feet.

hahahhahahha....When I get the courage..lol

When I get home I will be able to pull up the pics..Can't wait...lol

Later....:-)