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Help with a leaf problem
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:27 pm
by sleeven
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]
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:59 pm
by TomM
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!
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 6:40 pm
by kdodds
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.
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:31 pm
by sleeven
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.