sleeven
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:16 pm

Help with a leaf problem

Hello all,

I am new to the forum but require your assistance. I have a satsuki azalea that appears to possess some type of leaf pest. I have searched the internet but I am having difficulty in finding an exact match. Perhaps someone here can help me identify it and explain how to get rid of it. Thank you in advance.


[img]https://I.imgur.com/VuEBp.jpg[/img]

TomM
Greener Thumb
Posts: 749
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:28 am
Location: Cedarville (SE of Utica) NY, USA

It looks like scale to me. Scale insects come in several sizes shapes and forms. Do the spots (on close inspection) appear as tiny lumps? If so use a toothpick to 'lift' off a few. Squish with your fingernail. Do they ooze a bit of 'juice'? If they do you have scale on your azalea. Scale is a sucking insect that clings, mostly to the underside of leaves, usually along the central vein, and on new tissue stems, but can also hide on brown bark - almost invisibly.

Treatment is often accomplished wit insecticidal soap sprays - repeatedly to get the elusive stragglers and eggs. A dampened Q-tip, dipped into the soapy solution, helps to wipe off some of the critters. But it is tough to get rid of all of them.

Good luck!

kdodds
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:07 pm
Location: Airmont, NY Zone 6/7

Tell me about it. The thing is, you can't content yourself with a single treatment. Soap treatments need to be done weekly for a minimum of a month. IME, two months is better. Sprays work better, but may not be well tolerated by some plants. Still, you have to keep at it weekly for about a month.

sleeven
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:16 pm

So I placed a leaf under a dissecting scope and saw that whatever this is, it is fibrous. I also tried to squish one and it didn't squish, just kind of broke apart. Is scale still the consensus given the new info? Thanks again.



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