3/19/2018

Selection Criteria Popular and Recommended Houseplants Selection, Diseases, Pests and Recommended • Match the ’s needs to the environment you have currently • Match plant needs to your time to care for the plant • Keep in mind safety Pet‐happy.com considerations for pets and children Lisa Johnson Horticulture Educator

Presentation Overview Common Diseases Root Rot

• Selection Criteria •Symptoms include the • Houseplant Diseases soil staying wet, • Houseplant Insect yellowing, wilting leaves, stunting, and soft, brown Management bad‐smelling roots • Popular and Recommended •Many soil‐borne fungi cause root rot Houseplants: A Small Selection •Best to discard the plant

Common Diseases Insect Pests Powdery Mildew • Mealybugs • Begonia, Kalanchöe and rosemary are especially • Aphids susceptible • Thrips • Try reducing humidity and increasing air flow • Spider mites • Can use 1 1/2 TBS baking • Whiteflies soda & 3 TBS horticultural oil in 1 gallon of water • Scales • Fungicides containing • Fungus gnats myclobutanil, and labeled for use on houseplants • Springtails may help

1 3/19/2018

Insect Pests Insect Pests

A word about the use of • Exclusion pesticides on houseplants – Quarantine new – Must be labeled for use on for at least two weeks indoor plants – Bringing plants indoors – Must list the pest on the in fall label as being controlled by the product • Check drainage holes, – Must use the product in a • Check under leaves manner consistent with • Water wash, esp. under the label leaves – Best used in a garage or • Spray with insecticide if somewhere well‐ needed ventilated – For sprays, bag the plant and be sure to spray under leaves

Mealybugs Aphids

• Mealybugs can infest all plant • Aphids are soft‐ parts, including the roots. bodied, sucking insects that feed on • They produce a waxy coating on plant sap‐‐Cornicles their bodies and their egg masses exude honeydew that resist insecticides. • Gregarious, sexual • If the infestation is light, use Q‐ and parthenogenetic tips™ dipped in rubbing alcohol – reproduction lightly touch it to the insect or egg • Can be controlled on mass –don’t rub it over the whole houseplants with leaf insecticidal soap & forceful water sprays • Sprays labeled for houseplants and mealybugs with active • Products with bifenthrin, ingredients bifenthrin, permethrin Photo credit: Getbusygardening.com permethrin or or resmethrin. resmethrin or use • Neem oil neem oil

Thrips Spider mites

• Thrips are 1∕16” long • Spider mites are • They hide in flower & oval and leaf buds, and are hard yellowish. They to find. are very tiny, only • Very mobile and fast 1/50th” long, salt‐ • Thrips cause feeding grain size. damage and vector • They feed under plant viruses. leaves, sucking • Washing, insecticidal plant sap, causing soap, neem oil stippling or • Traditional products bronzing of leaves. include active • Populations ingredients bifenthrin, permethrin, increase rapidly. resmethrin, pyrethrins, • Discard the plant • Multiple treatments or use products every 5‐7 days are likely with bifenthrin or to be needed insecticidal soap.

2 3/19/2018

Spider mites Whiteflies

• Spider mite populations • Whiteflies have increase rapidly piercing/sucking • Do well in lower mouthparts. humidity conditions • They feed & lay • Study of the effect of eggs on the temperature on spider underside of mite reproduction rate leaves. •One month @ 60°F: • Washing, 20 mites from 1 female bifenthrin, •One month @ permethrin, at 70°F: 12,000 mites least three from 1 female applications •One month @ Planetnatural.com sprayed once 80°F: 13,000,000 every 5 days. mites from 1 • Neem oil. female

Scales Fungus Gnats • Often mistaken for • Often on ferns, fruit flies orchids, • Larvae live in soil schefflera, zebra and eat organic plant, weeping fig matter and ivy • Unless large • Have hard shells populations build that repel up, they do little insecticides damage to plants • Found under • Can use the ‘potato slice’ leaves on leaf method to get rid veins and petioles of them • Wash plants, • Also can let soil scrape off scales dry out more or use sprays with between bifenthrin, waterings and permethrin or replace top inch of resmethrin. soil

African Violet Springtails Saintpaulia ionantha, Gesneriaceae • Springtails are • The African violet was scavengers that first discovered in East eat decaying Africa in 1892 by Baron organic matter in soil. Rarely Walter von St. Paul. damage plants • Best under grow lights or • Named for forked east, or open north side ‘furcula’ that window allows them to • Highly organic soil jump • Like damp places • Propagate by leaf cuttings • Let soil dry as in spring much as possible • Mealy bugs, powdery between mildew, cyclamen mite waterings to get and stem or crown rot rid of springtails. can be problems.

3 3/19/2018

Alocasia, Amazon Lily Aloe Alocasia x Amazonica, Araceae Aloe vera, Liliaceae (Asphodelaceae)

• From southern Asia, • From Africa throughout South • Native environment Pacific is maritime sands • Propagate by division and rocks • Some get very large • Medium to high light • Calcium oxalate levels needed crystals ‐‐ caution • Average home • Low to medium light humidity is ok • Medium humidity • Propagates by offsets • Very sensitive to temperatures below • Few problems 55°F • Do NOT over‐water or over‐fertilize Photo credit: todayshomeowner.com

Aluminum Plant Baby’s Tears Pilea cadieri, Urticaeae Soleirolia soleirolii, Urticaceae

• From Vietnam • Islands in the Western • Perennial where native Mediterranean such as • Medium to bright Corsica and Sardinia indirect light –loses • Often used in fairy variegation if light level gardens and terrariums is too low Aspca.com • Best in high humidity— • Moist soil use pebble tray • Best in high humidity • Good in tall terrariums • Bright indirect light • Soil should not be too • Perennial where native wet—rots easily • Propagate via cuttings or • Perennial where native division • Pinch to keep bushy and propagate via cuttings Guidetohouseplants.com

Bird’s nest fern Calathea Asplenium nidus, Aspleniaceae Calathea spp., Marantaceae • From Brazil and • From India, Japan, tropical America Australia • Need low light (north • An epiphyte in or east window) and nature high humidity • Can use a pebble tray • Low to medium for humidity light • Keep moist, but not • Medium humidity too wet; will rot • Medium soil • Don’t allow temperatures to go moisture below 55°F • Water at base • Don’t like drafts • Scale an • Spider mites a otoolesgardencenters.com occasional problem – insects like to hide in unfurled problem leaves • Propagate via • Propagate by division spores

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Chinese Evergreen Croton Aglaonema commutatum, Araceae Codiaeum variegatum pictum , Euphorbiaceae • From tropical Asia and Africa • Pacific Islands, Malaysia, • Low light, good in office Northern Australia settings • High direct light to • Good for air cleaning maintain variegation • Low humidity ok • Best in high humidity, • Propagate by division or air‐ use pebble tray layering if canes are well‐ • Poisonous sap, caution developed for children and pets • Flower and fruit when older • Spider mites can be an • Few problems issue • Propagate via stem cuttings

Dracaena, Madagascar Dragon Tree Striped Dracaena Dracaena marginata, Agavaceae Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’ Dracaena deremensis ‘Lemon‐Lime’ • From Mexico, Columbia, Brazil, Puerto Rico Agavaceae • Calcium oxalate in all • From tropical Africa plant parts–caution for pets and young children • Leaves narrow, pointy • Medium to high light, • Good for air cleaning • • Low humidity ok but Medium light, will take fluorescent don’t let get too dry office setting • • Too much fertilizer Medium moisture, medium causes marginal leaf humidity burn • If they dry out leaf tips will turn • Propagate by air layering brown; hard to keep this from or cane cuttings happening • Few problems • Propagate by cane cuttings or air layering

English Ivy Tropical Hibiscus Hedera helix, Araliaceae Hibiscus rosa‐sinensis, Malvaceae

• From Eurasia • From Asia and Pacific • Many cultivars are Islands; is Malaysia's available national flower • Is poisonous – caution for pets and • Needs LOTS of light young children • Cut back when take • Bright to medium indoors for winter or light is best in early spring • Do not keep too moist ‐‐rots ‘Gold Child’ greengatefarms.com • Medium humidity • Propagate via stem • Medium water needs cuttings • Spider mites, scale, • Spider mites a big aphids, white flies pest • Invasive plant on • Fertility important West Coast of U.S. ‘Sweetheart’ charliecook.com

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Jade Plant, Crassulaceae Kalanchöe Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Crassula ovata (C. argentea) Crassulaceae • From South Africa, • From Madagascar Mozambique • Bright to medium • Light levels medium light or high to maintain peacetreefarm.com • Do not overwater flowering • Low humidity ok • Many flower colors • Leaf or stem cuttings • Fertilize every 3 • Scale, mealybug weeks when in • Don’t fertilize Oct‐ flower Feb., only sparingly • Keep on dry side at other times • Prefers cooler temps. • Flowering at maturity • Powdery mildew, mealybugs • Tight roots preferred occasional problems • Undemanding

Nerve plant Peace Lily albivenis, F. vershaffeltii, Spathiphyllum wallisii, Araceae

• From South • From Central America, America, (Peru) Indonesia, and the where it’s a Philippines ground cover plant • Low to medium light— • Doesn’t like dry air good for office settings or drafts • Shiny foliage • Low light or grow • Best for air cleaning lights • Propagate by division • Moist soil needed • Prefers high humidity for • High humidity best flower production best; good for Gardensonline.com terrariums • Propagate via stem cuttings rhs.uk.org

Peperomia Philodendron Peperomia spp., Piperaceae Philodendron scandens oxycardium, Araceae

• From Central America, • From Mexico northern South America, • Low light to medium few in Africa light • Low to medium light— • Understory plant, uses are understory adventitious roots to rainforest plants anchor itself to trees • Attractive and varied • Poisonous–calcium foliage types oxalate crystals • Many are epiphytes • Propagate via stem cuttings • Medium humidity • Few problems • Don’t overwater • Cuttings don’t root easily—use rooting hormone

6 3/19/2018

Philodendron ‘Prince of Orange’ Pothos, Devil’s ivy x Philodendron cannifolium, Araceae Epipremnum aureum Araceae • From South America –a • From Solomon hybrid species Islands, French • Bright indirect light Polynesia • Average moisture • Low to medium • Calcium oxalate in all light Excelsagardens.com parts of the plant • Poisonous • Flowers at all times of • Stem cuttings year but not prolifically • Undemanding • Few problems • Keep on the dry side garden.org

Sansevieria, Cylindrical Snake Plant Sansevieria, Mother‐in‐law’s tongue Sansevieria cylindrica, Agavaceae Sansevieria trifasciata, Agavaceae

• Succulent plant • From Indonesia, native to Angola. India, tropical Africa • An evergreen • Tolerate many light levels • Do not overwater • Do not overwater • Tolerates many • Divisions or leaf different light levels cuttings to • Low humidity is fine propagate • Do not overfertilize • Few problems • Top heavy • Propagate by • Undemanding division Exotenherz.de Ikea.com Glasshouseworks.com Llifle.com

Spider plant Tricolor Plant Chlorophytum commosum, Liliaceae Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Triostar’ Marantaceae

• From coastal South • From Brazil, variegated cv Africa • Between the leaf blade and • Medium to bright the petiole is a swollen BB‐ to low light sized lump called the pulvinus that helps orient • Division, offshoots the leaf according to the for propagation time of the day. • Don’t overwater • Medium moisture, don’t let • Fertilizer cautions get too dry • Medium humidity Gardentags.com • Propagate by division • Spider mites can be a problem

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Weeping fig ZZ Plant Ficus benjamina Zamioculcas zamiifolia, Araceae Moraceae • Monotypic genus • From India, Southeast Asia, northern tropical • Tropical perennial Australia native to eastern Africa • Latex‐like sap is exuded and northeastern when pruned South Africa • Bright to medium light, but not south • Takes low to medium • Likes high humidity light • Does not like drafts • Keep somewhat dry • Do not overwater • No insects or diseases • Scale, mealybugs, spider mites can be issues • Propagate by leaf cuttings –is slow

Questions?

Lisa Johnson Dane County UWEX 5201 Fen Oak Drive Madison WI 53718 608‐224‐3715 [email protected]

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