Question
Ok I live in a subtropical area on the Oregon coast. I have quite a few house plants most of them gifts meaning i don't know what they are or how to care for them. My biggest problem here seems to be that there are these little brown mites in all the soil in all my plants and all of the dirt is molding.....i tried buying new dirt new pots then treating those with bleach before re-potting all of my plants. Only to find that the dirt is again molding. the only thing i could think of is that i was over watering but then if i don't water i get droopy unhappy plants and trees. could the air humidity in my house be a factor. could it really just be time to get a dehumidifier or is is possible that these mites are in relation to the mold? the mites i cannot find online anywhere as a disease for plants.....they are non-microscopic and seem to live in the dirt or root base of the plants i think it came in with my African violets. please any help would be appreciated i will send pics to the e-mail listed above

Answer
PS. The bugs will go away when you water less. If you want them to go away immediately you can water the plants with rubbing alcohol and that will kill any bugs in the soil. Let any excess sit in the drain tray overnight and it will kill all insects. Get them in smaller pots with perlite in the soil ASAP. Good luck!

Jennifer,

Your plants are all planted in too large of pots. When you give them enough water to get all the soil in the pot moist it takes too long for the soil to dry out so you are bringing them more water before the soil is dry. That causes the roots to begin to rot. When they begin to rot they cannot take up more water so the plant starts to wilt. You give it more water which causes the roots to rot more but it does perk the plant up albeit for a very brief time period.

The soil molds because it is too wet and there is no oxygen in it for the plants roots to take in. The bugs are fungus gnats attracted to the rotting roots just like fruit flies are attracted to a rotting apple laying on your kitchen counter.

You need to move them back to smaller pots and mix 2 parts of perlite (you can get this at any garden center) with 3 parts of soil to create an airier better draining soil that will allow the plants roots to regrow. After you do that water the plants and an hour later empty any excess water sitting in the drain trays of the pots. That will allow the roots to regrow. The plants leaves may wilt but ignore it. Pay attention to the soil and do not water again until at least the top inch of soil is very dry, even if it takes a month for that to happen. The tops of the plants may turn brown but be patient, the roots are growing and the plant will regrow a new top when the roots are ready to support it. If one does not grow a new top it was too late and you should just replace it.

All plants need a light weight soil mix that will allow the roots to breathe. None of them are swamp plants that like to sit with a drain tray full of water for days and days. Follow my instructions and you will have healthier plants.

Picture 001 is a parlor palm. 002 is it's soil, 003 and 008 is a philodendron, 007 is your rubber tree, ficus elastica. It looks fairly healthy. 011 is your African violet. They look fairly healthy and will probably not wilt. Follow these instructions for all of them. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck.

Darlene