Question
QUESTION: Hi Will.  I have the stick leaves, scale, on my plant.  During the summer I've washed it in soapy water, picked off the scale on the back with my fingernails.  Now that winter is here the scale is back.  Would it be safe to treat it indoors?  What product would you recommend, Neem oil, rubbing alcohol, Brand X foliage cleaner, or what do you suggest?  Thanks so much for your help.

ANSWER: Hi Jan,

Scale on Peace Lilies can be particularly pernicious. Not only is hand removal laborious, it is not ultimately effective because you miss the nearly invisible translucent crawlers and also the ones that are out of sight deep down inside crevices near the soil line.

It is safe to treat them indoors as long as you are not using pesticides. You can try a mixture of 5 parts water, 1 part rubbing alcohol and a squirt of liquid soap. Be sure to thoroughly drench-to-drip all leaf and stem surfaces, concentrating on the lowest parts of the stems. Thoroughness matters!

If that does not do the trick, then Brand X Foliage Cleaner is your best bet. It is non-toxic and penetrates into the tiniest of spaces. How do you know about Brand X? It is a little-known, but highly effective product.

Neem is moderately effective, but it has an unpleasant odor. I think it is over-rated.

Make sure your Spathiphyllum is getting adequate light and watered properly because plants under stress are much more inviting and susceptible to plant pests.

I have written articles on plant pests and also on Peace Lilies that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Will - I did some research on how to take care of this by myself.  I found out about Brand X on your website.  I'm sure what brought the scale on was improper watering.  It gets good light and flowers every so often.  I have 2 Piece Lillies.  One is a bit older, about 10 years old, and the one I'm referring to is 8 years old.  I've repotted them recently.  They're about 6-8 feet apart.  The older one doesn't have the sticky leaves.  Go figure!!  Anyway, in an article you wrote in 2006 you say to water it just before it starts to wilt.  Guess that's the hard part, knowing the proper time to water.  I check for dry soil and then water.  Maybe I'm watering too soon??  I will try the rubbing alcohol and see how that works.  Thanks so much for your help.  Regards, Jan

Answer
Hi Jan,

I do not recommend repotting older plants. It is extremely rare for older plants to need larger pots or fresh soil. The risks of repotting include damage to fine root hairs, not repotting properly, using the wrong size pot, adding draiange material to the bottom of the pot, using too much soil, not adjusting your watering routine and eventually causing the roots to rot and the plant to die. So there are many, many reasons NOT to repot and very few reasons to do it.

I have written an article on repotting that explains all this that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Now that you have repotted, you will have to be very careful not to overwater because the added soil will retain moisture longer than before. Observe your Peace Lilies carefully and do not add any water until they start to droop a bit. Then water thoroughly and note the date. Don't water until slight wilting occurs once again. Count the days since your previous watering and that will give you a pretty good idea of how long you should go between waterings.

My comprehensive article on Peace Lily care includes all of this information.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC