We use SB Invigorator and personally I didn't get along with it couldn't get it to kill anything :/. I find the most effective is to spray infected plants with water outside of the greenhouse. Spider mite is a big problem but I have found that using a preditor regurlaly really helps. Here is a link ...

I don't think they have male/ female flowers. From memory all of my flowers look the same but I will pay closer attention not that you have mentioned it

I do the same as Dave. I take them outside and blast them with water as once the live bugs and eggs are off they are off. I have found it much more effective so I don't bother with insecticide or alcohol if I have the time to do this.

Thanks for posting pics of NY botanical gardens. I visited there Christmas 2014. I'll dig the pics out. It was lovely to see another persons perspective. I'm a cactus girl so all of mine were of cactus and the very nice lady that I chatted to there let me go and hop over the wall in to the cactus an...

I have found neem oil to be effective as a contact insecticide but I am less convinced as to its effectiveness as a systemic. That said it could just be that it killed all the live ones but not the eggs. The next time I use it it will be as a spray and I will avoid the bodies of the likes of Astrop...

Liz M wrote:It was Phil Hocking who mentioned the crushed garlic, I only use it in cooking.

Hehe sorry Liz, so much information to take in and I do get confused easily.

Would still love to know any results about crushed garlic though

Problem with RSM is that it is a native pest so no sooner do you think it has gone but it comes back. In the greenhouse at work we have a predatory biological control which really seems to work, can't remember the name off the top of my head but when I'm back in work will have a look as I'm sure it ...

I'm repotting my Matucanas at the moment and noticed this unusual marking at the base. At first I thought that it was rot as it seems softer than the top part of the plant but when I looked at the roots seem look fine. Looking at other Matucana ritteri it looks like this could be a sign of ageing as...

Agreed certain species are endangered by illegal collection Jo, but my point was against the incorrect emphasis by officialdom on this being the main danger to the Cactaceae. They seemingly do this in order to avoid criticising the real culprits for political reasons, which are the countries that a...

So I looked at this and tried to make a list that grew and grew and then on reflection some got crossed off as they got pushed down the list. I was glad to see that some of your top plants were also in my list You can't have a cactus collection without a Cephalocereus senilis or a Echinocactus gruso...