What 8 weeks away and scale can do to you office plants

[Tindomul]

Hi all,

Well as some of you know my wife and I had a baby in October. Thankfully I got 8 weeks off to help out at home. Thank God!!
But anyway, I have alot of office plants (my entire Masdie collection). Last year I had some success getting many of them to bloom, but this year, being away 8 weeks, and watering only once a week, plus scale insect damage, well lets just say it was a massacre.

Here is the casualty list. I had so many deaths I just wanted to vent a little. Though I am not angry because I was taking care of someone much more important.

Im still fighting the scale on the rest of them, though for some reason my M. princeps, ayabacana, regina, goliath are not affected. Though they grew right next to the ones that died from the infestation.

Add to this list two anthurium species.
Add Masdie. Machu Picchu to the list

[silken]

Ohhh Ouch! What a shame! I feel for you. Are those totally lost? If the roots were still OK maybe they could make a comeback?? Keep an eye on the others that don't seem affected. Or treat them anyways.

I lost several to scale while laid up with major surgery a couple years back. My hubby was in charge of watering but I couldn't get out to the greenhouse. He didn't notice things like leaves turning brown due to scale brought in on a new plant. I had isolated it for at least a month but it wasn't long enough. I only lost a few but could never replace them exactly so I feel your pain.

On a brighter note, how is baby?

[Tindomul]

Baby is doing well, going on 5 months in just a fews day and is gaining a good weight. Still not what she aught to be but catching up.

The plants I lost had dead roots. With Masdies as soon as the roots are dead the leaves just don't make it long enough to make new roots. At least I don't know how to get a masdie leaf to make new roots if it has already lost all of its old roots.

I have treated everyone twice already, and I have searched their leaves using a dissecting scope. I see no signs of damage or scale from M. princeps, regina, goliath, or ayabacana. Lets hope I'm right, if I loose those then I will really be upset.

[silken]

Ya, if the roots are dead, it's likely no good. Good luck with the rest of the plants.

Glad to hear baby is doing well. I bet she is cute!

[Tindomul]

I can now add Masdie tovarensis to the list.

[silken]

Sorry Tindomul.

[camille1585]

That's rough to lose so many How nice that you got so much time off to enjoy the first months of your daughter's life!

I hope that's the end of your losses, after all the orchids were your first 'babies'.

[ezil]

I'm glad to hear your little one is doing o.k., that's the main thing. As for the plants: that's really rough. I find scale almost impossible to get rid off. I once had a bird-of-paradise plant that got it, and only after I had tossed it, pot, soil and all, AND had our carpet steam cleaned, did I get the upper hand. I also cleaned windows, sills and everything I could with a window cleaner. I still check every week for unwanted guests. If I find something, it's war! Should you ever find a way to treat masdies, please let me know. I get that killer instinct as soon as I even hear about aphids, scale or mealies!

[Bud]

Sorry to hear about your plants.
I am happy to hear about your daughter.
I hope you can have replacements for the plants in the near future...

[Tindomul]

Added Masdie Machu Picchu to the list today.

The species M. regina, princeps, ayabacana and titan as well as the hybrid M. colossus x M. goliath all seem to be pest free.
I'm thinking I should just stick to species from this subgenus.