A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Help my plants are dying!!!

This is the first time I have posted here. I love to garden but I am having a terrible problem this year with alot of my outside flowers. The ones that are dying are all in hanging baskets or planter boxes with Miracle grow potting soil. I noticed a few days ago little white bugs totally taking over my petunias, several of my baskets. I threw them away. Now I just checked my planter boxes with a mix of flowers and they have tons of them too. I would think this is something that I am doing to cause this. I do water them alot - everyday and I usually soak them. Can anyone help me??

If there are bugs on them..now mind you i've never had to spray anything but my roses for bugs..but there is bug killer for plants and flowers..i would say call your local greenhouse..or wal-mart (they just usually dont know what works best)and ask them what they suggest..

Sounds like you have an aphid problem. One way to get rid of them is to mix a tsp. of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of water and spray the plants. You also don't want to overwater. It may or may not be necessary to water everyday...stick your finger down about an inch and if it's moist, don't water.

Thanks = Do you think the dishwashing detergent will get rid of them for good? Also do Aphids come from overwatering?

Does that dishwashing liquid work for all bugs? That would be great if true..i would be saving my money on those dang rose bushes..

Can you tell us a bit more about what KIND of plants you have....

Have you used any other fertilizer ~granular or liquid~???

Are they in full sun? shade?

Most of the time aphids are attracked to a plant because the plant is in distress, and sending signals out it's in trouble...
Usually they go for fresh, tender new green growth, signaling toooo much nitrogen..
Miracle Grow soil comes with fertilizers already in the soil...
Some plants don't require alot of ferts', some do, depends on the types' of plants you have...
Stress also can be the plant needs sun and you've got it in shade, or vice~versa...

Start with the types of plants you have and maybe we can fine tune some of the growing conditions for you...

Welcome Aboard by the way, we're glad you found us...

It seems to be happening to my Petunias the most. I have some planted in the ground which are all ok. Its all the ones in my baskets and planters that are getting it. I have them in part shade\part sun. I planted the ones in my planters about 3 weeks ago and the hanging baskets were brought from the hardware store and I just left them in the pots they came in. I fertilized them once with Liqiud Miracle Grow. I have several other plants that have it too but Im not sure what kind of flowers they are. I think one is a type of Daisy. They look like orange daisies. Most of them I threw away already because i was afraid they would spread to the plants I have in the ground, so far they havent. I usually have this problem every year with my hanging Petunias but never this extreme. Usually I lose 1 or two plants but this year I already threw away about 10 baskets.

jovigirlnj

The little white bugs are white fly......Yep you have to spray..Try that soap water spray.. It started on mine this winter and is still with some ...i sparay and kill some and it grows them they attack again.......

Some one gave me stuff from jerry baker ,spray. it worked for a while and back again. Guess it is in the air ............

dodge