Hi Everyone,
I have an ill Fukien and need urgent help, I've got two problems.
Firstly it is infested with what I think are root aphids, although I'm not certain as I've not been able to find anything on the internet. It has really tiny grey insects too small to take a pic of which appear to be in the root ball. They do not fly and I cannot see any infestistation on the leaves. I've tried to treat these by re-potting it into fresh soil and with a mild insecticide as I read that strong insecticides can kill it, it seems to have helped but I've been treating it for at least 3 months every week without fail and now it doesn't seem to be having much any effect. Today I've noticed tiny worms underneath the pot and I have washed these off but I cannot seem to get rid of these bugs and I think they may be destroying my tree. Does anyone know how to treat these?
Secondly although my tree is flowering, I made a mistake of over-pruning branches some months ago and its not produced any new shoots since. How can I make it do this?
Thanks in advance.
shelf08
Fukien teas are a little touchy, when it comes to watering AND when it comes to insecticides. I haven't had a problem with mine using a Pyrethrin and vegetable oil based "plant safe" pesticide, but other plants have not responded so well to the same product. It sounds like you've tried the dish soap method with no luck. While it has worked for others, I can honestly say it's never worked for me either. There are bacteria based insect control products. The bacteria infect insects (only) and very specific insects at that. These products work fairly well, however, you need to identify the bug before you can figure out which product, if one is even available, to use. There are also products from brands like "Raid" that are more harsh than Pyrethrin, but also more likely to work. The only problem is that they're also more risky to use. I would not suggest using them directly on indoor plants or even while the plant(s) is(are) in the area. I'd remove the plants, spray, then bring the plants back in, hoping that the residue would do the trick rather than the direct spraying. Baiting the soil surface with a potato slice is also an effective way of "trapping" insect larvae. Just thrwoing out ideas here. 
As far as correcting "over pruning", the only cure, really, is time.
As far as correcting "over pruning", the only cure, really, is time.