Sick crinum update -- mites!

Sick crinum update (normal photo)
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

Here's what my crinum is looking like these days. A few of the leaves have fallen off since the last shot. I talked with a few people about the office about its decline and Tom suggested it could be spider mites.

Bingo! I had seen some webs on the plant but had assumed they were from beneficial spiders. When I looked more closely, sure enough, there were spider mites on the undersides of the leaves. Apparently they were sucking the plant dry.

It was too late that night to take chemical measures, so I blasted the plant with the hose, which is often a good first line of defense against insects. Then later I treated the plant with a pyrethrin-based insecticide. I would have preferred an oil-soap spray, but I happened to have the other product handy.

I'll reinspect in a few days and see if the mites have disappeared. If not, I'll need to treat them again.

Io moth caterpillars

Io moth caterpillars
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

While walking in from lunch yesterday, I noticed that the 'Forest Pansy' redbud at our office had some serious munch marks. I flipped over the leaves and, lo and behold, there were several io moth caterpillars hiding out.

I just love the color of these caterpillars--almost an electric lemon-lime color--so I like to get close and really admire them. But it's best not to touch--they have stinging spines on their bodies (see the tufts?), so it's a good idea not to touch them.

Caterpillars typically go through several stages before pupating and turning into moths or butterflies. These caterpillars are probably first instars, based on their markings. In time, they'll develop into io moths.

Sick crinum?

Sick crinum?
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

I think one of my 'Queen Emma' crinums is sick. (Note: I'm not entirely sure they're 'Queen Emma' crinums--it's just my best guess based on the foliage and flowers.)

The first thing I noticed is that all the little pups around its base turned ghostly pale and shriveled up. You can see the papery remains of some of the pups, plus a few that are hanging on in their current pallid state.

Don't be confused by the bright green leaves you see at the base--those are actually two bromeliads and aren't baby crinums.

Now the foliage on the main plant is discoloring. Some of the older leaves have severe yellowing along the margins, along with some rust coloration.

The youngest leaves in the center of the plant look like someone sucked the color out of them. They're looking rather pinkish. I guess if they're losing chlorophyll, then the red pigments that naturally appear in this variety would be more visible.


I'm going to do some research online to see if I can get to the bottom of this. Anyone else out there reading this post have any clues?
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NOTE: It seems that spider mites might be the culprit. I posted an update here.

Spider lily

Spider lily
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

For years I cursed this plant, dubbing it the amaryllis that never bloomed. It finally bloomed, proving me wrong on two counts. Apparently it's a spider lily (Hymenocallis latifolia) and not an amaryllis.

It's not entirely surprising that I didn't know what it was. The plant tagged along for the ride when I transplanted a huge coontie plant from a friend's yard to my own. I didn't want to try digging the bulb out of the coontie, so I let it be. More than five years later, I finally know what sort of bulb it is.

This is a good example of why the experts tell you not to rip things out when you move into a new house. If you can't be sure of a plant's identity, you never know what surprises might await you!

Weeds!

Weeds!
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

Yesterday I spent part of the afternoon weeding the beds in front of the office. Don't worry--I didn't pull all of these myself! I'm dedicated, but I'm not THAT dedicated.

We had about eight people who turned out to help, though Erin, Georgia, Tom and I were the only ones to stay until the project was done. We ended up with a pile that was about two feet tall by three feet wide by six feet long. I find great pleasure in watching weeds wilt on the sidewalk after I've pulled them. It's as if I'm saying to them, "Ha! Take that! You thought you were so clever but I won this battle!"

We celebrated our victory by enjoying ice cream back inside where the air conditioning was blissfully cool. And I must say, the bed looks so nice now! I smiled as I walked by it this morning.

Last harvest?

Tomato
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

This is perhaps the last tomato that I'll eat this season from my garden. The wet weather has caused many of them to split before they fully ripen. Even this one wasn't totally ripe -- you can see the white, fibrous area near the core.

There are a few green tomatoes left on the vine. We'll see how well they ripen up. The rest of the plant is looking pretty tired -- the leaves are rolling and yellowing. As much as I love to eat homegrown tomatoes, I think I'm done doting on this plant.

Canna in bloom

'Tropicana' canna in bloom
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

Guess what's blooming in my garden? My 'Tropicana' canna! It's not as tall as I usually see cannas getting, but I guess that because I started this one from a bulb (or is it a corm? a rhizome? my botanical terms fail me at this point in the evening). In the past, most cannas that I've had in my yard have come as transplants, already nice and tall in their one-gallon pots. My other cannas are doing well with putting out foliage, but none of them have started flowering yet.

EDIT: Apparently this is not a 'Tropicana' variety, but I don't know what it is.