Guttation? Or disease?
Please help me, spoon is my pride and joy. I was just taking a look at my plants this morning and I saw these weird drops on spoon, and I wasn't sure if it was from access water that he's just getting rid of? Or if it was because of pressure on the roots, or maybe it's too cold for him? I know I need to wipe it off, but will my neem oil hurt him or should I use something a little lighter? Over all.... Should I be concerned? What should I do?
#succulentsquad #succulentlove #cactusclique #greggang #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantmafia #help
#succulentsquad #succulentlove #cactusclique #greggang #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantmafia #help
4” pot with drainage
Last watered 3 years ago
30
Best Answer
@TruthfulApricot it seems like the honeydew could be anywhere randomly since they go all over the plant. Sometimes the drops are very tiny and barely noticeable. I would search everywhere on the plant for any signs of mealybugs. They can blend easily. But it’s also possible that it could be the plant bleeding from a cactus poking it maybe
To me it looks like classic guttation. Is the soil wet? Was it watered recently? The other things you mention, cold or pressure on the roots (?), wouldn’t cause this reaction.
You don’t need to wipe it off. It’s just water. Nothing but a natural process. Don’t use Neem until you know you need it and I definitely don’t think you do. I have never seen any disease or other issue present this way.
Assuming it is guttation, it is a warning about possible overwatering. Make sure you are checking the soil and that it has dried to the point applicable to your plant before you ever water. Watering mistakes are by far the most common killers of plants.
You don’t need to wipe it off. It’s just water. Nothing but a natural process. Don’t use Neem until you know you need it and I definitely don’t think you do. I have never seen any disease or other issue present this way.
Assuming it is guttation, it is a warning about possible overwatering. Make sure you are checking the soil and that it has dried to the point applicable to your plant before you ever water. Watering mistakes are by far the most common killers of plants.
It may not be anything to worry about. Just monitor closely and look for mealybugs. I have found that if there is a mealybug infestation you’ll see the tiny drops of the honey dew they leave behind before you see the bugs. That’s when I start looking for them closer is when I see drops of honey dew. But that may not be what that is
@TruthfulApricot that’s the only other thing I could think of is honeydew from mealybugs. I have had that problem myself and that’s how I knew they were present and that I needed to look closer for them. If I didn’t see the honey dew then I would not have known they were there hiding
Also look for ants. Ants will purposefully breed mealybugs and keep them alive like pets almost so they can feed off of the honeydew they leave behind. The ants will even fight off the beneficial bugs that eat the mealybugs so they don’t kill them. That is why lacewing larvae will disguise themselves so the ants don’t attack them when they are hunting for the mealybugs
@SirLiquorice Would the honeydew be only on the tips like that? Assuming that is the only place it is located. Is it in other spots also @soupycare ?
Thanks for your info. I’m always happy to learn new things!
Thanks for your info. I’m always happy to learn new things!
@TruthfulApricot and @SirLiquorice it's not just on the tip of the leaf, more of the top half. Also it's only that leaf and only on the bottom side. It's litteral sap like balls. They don't "wipe" off. However they come off easily and I can roll them between my fingers. They have a firm texture
@TruthfulApricot @SirLiquorice I wonder if he got pricked by my big cactus and this is his form of "bleeding" like ficus trees leak latex, philodendron pink princess "bleed" could that be it? You can see the big cactus in the back round of the pics
@TruthfulApricot possibly I rotated him a couple days ago, he could have been stuck a could times. And in one pic you can see a single prick in him that I just noticed and pulled out.....
@soupycare It’s possible, I guess, unless some of the drops are in locations where the cactus couldn’t have reached. Is just light contact enough to cause piercing with that cactus?
@soupycare I see it! Are they any areas that look like the photos the very knowledgeable @SirLiquorice posted?
@soupycare What is happening at that spot now after pulling that out? Any sign of a liquid coming up there? You could watch it for several hours. You would know if that’s a possibility.
@TruthfulApricot no, I am verry familiar with melee bugs. They are my worst nightmare. They are the whole reason I search my plants AT LEAST 2 times a day lol
@SirLiquorice @TruthfulApricot also thank you so much for being invested in this ❤️ when I say this plant is my pride and joy I really mean it. He's my baby, I wish I could explain just how much this means to me
I also occasionally water using insecticidal soap mixed in the water. That will kill any mealybugs or pests that you can’t see hiding and attacking the roots. With the root bugs you usually won’t know they are there until it’s too late and the plant falls over dead. So I water with soap as a preventative measure and sometimes also use systemic granules in the soil as a preventative treatment. When I use soap I also add vinegar to make the water more acidic since most cacti and succulents seem to prefer more acidic water. So I try to have the ph between 5.5-6.1 mixing about a tablespoon of safer soap and a tablespoon of vinegar and adjust as needed until the ph is correct. They will absorb nutrients better if the water is like warm and more acidic depending on the cacti or succulent
@SirLiquorice I agree. She was asking if the cactus needles could cause this. If the drops are in some tiny crevices where the spines can’t reach then it would be unlikely that is the cause of the problem.
@soupycare We’re always happy to help. We know how precious our plants can be to us. For me, the other reason I like to do it, is that I always learn a lot every time I help someone. I benefit quite a bit from answering questions.
I haven’t owned this exact plant so not sure if there’s anything specific to this plant that could cause this also. But my instant reaction would be to look for cacti that stabbed it or mealybugs or spider mites