Question
My in ground, night blooming jasmine, looks eaten up by something but at the same time has holes in the middle of it's leaves, maybe a disease? It still will bloom but it looks awful. Have sprayed with soap/water mix but has not helped.

My potted large gardenia has lots of blooms but once opened is crawling with what my research has suggested is thirp bug(?)  Tiny straight black lines that are all down inside the flower. Spraying with soap mix seemed to help at first. The bud will open and usually gets brown and dies. Seems to be just blooms but not entire plant. I've brought blooms inside and rinsed off but even in water those critters still crawl around!
Btw-we live in Tampa.
Any advice would be very appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Tammy

Answer
Hi Tammy,

If you are seeing holes in the night blooming jasmine, this would suggest an insect problem.  The soap/water mix is probably not strong enough to take care of the problem.  I am guessing that you are hesitant to spray something "harsh" on your plants and that you are taking an organic approach.

I would suggest that you treat the plant with neem oil.  This is still organic, but it is a little bit stronger and more likely to take care of the problem.  Another option is a product called Bt (Bacillis thuringensis) which is sold under the trade names of Dipel or Thuricide.  This is basically a bacteria that you dust on plants.  When the insects eat the leaves (and this bacteria), the bacteria don't sit well with them and it messes up their digestive tracts and kills them.  It is very safe for humans and beneficial insects because the only insects that are killed are the ones that are eating the plant.  However, it only works well if each and every leaf is covered and you will need to reapply every 7-14 days until the bugs are killed.  

You also may want to try to look for the insect that is causing the problem.  Many insects will hide on the underside of the leaves.  Physically removing and squishing or discarding the insects is another great control method.

As for the gardenia, if you are seeing thrips (or other bugs) that are feeding on the plants, then you will need to treat the plant every 7-14 days.  You can use the same products as above.  

In the beginning, I would suggest doing treatments every 7 days until you get the insect populations down.  Once you see little feeding damage, you may be able to stretch it out to 14 days.  If it is rainy and the products get washed off, you will want to go back to the 7 day interval.  

You should also scout other plants in the area for insect damage.  They insects may be thriving on nearby plants and if you don't treat everything, they will come back and attack your ornamentals more quickly if they have a safe place to hide.

Good luck with your plants!