Question
QUESTION: I planted crepe seeds from my tree last year and now again this year so far ive gotten 8 seedings growing with one started 6 weeks ago and is about 3 to 4 inches high it was growing beautiful then all the sudden I noticed a minute drop or two of honet dew aparently from some type of insect ,the seedlings are in doors and at one point my large palm had mites but doesnt now it was treeted with neem oil product,I didnt see ant mites or aphids on the baby crepe but I washed it gently in water and mild dish soap the leaves look paler then before and seem to have viens so to speak only on some leaves and a few leave have a little curl to them.I gave it a tad of miracle grow this morning,and the florescent lighting is oon for a few hour at night and they get the full su from my windows most of the day at best 10 hours of sun and artificial light ,the pots are small so I water almost every day but like a tablespoon of water and there in a warm place so by the next day they are almost dry.maybe it to much water but that doesnt explaine the dew.im so upset ive a beautiful 2 foot baby i planted this spring that i grew from seed last year and im so proud of it she right in my garden by my front door,and Ide be so upset if this died .please some help doc,  thanks   Linda

ANSWER: It definitely sounds like inconsistent watering. Potted plants need to be watered very deeply, and only after the top 2" of the soil dries out. Daily watering results in the roots reaching for the surface. Eventually, they will develop problems such as what you have described, which could prove fatal.

With plants, less is more. I would purchase a moisture meter at your local garden center. Once the soil dries, water the plants very deeply until leakage seeps from the drainage hole. Do not water again until the meter reads dry. This should correct your problem.

Finally, be sure to transplant the plant into a larger container as it grows. Too small of a pot can result in root damage.

I hope this information helps. Please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike

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grepe leaves   QUESTION: normaly I would agree that the watering is to ofter but the pots they are in are very small and their in a wam place for the seeds to sprout so by 24 hours the soil is dry in there is inly 2 inches of soil ,ive just now 2 daays ago planted the first sprouted and bigger one into a bigeer pot but thats even 4 inch pot wich i have begun to water less .and i also realise that it winter so you water less but is that also true for these trees that are kept indoors until spring .do they want to go dormant and im keeping them awake ..lol.you didnt mention the tiney spot of dew i noticed 2 xs on the baby crepe i washed  the leaves in mild soapy water and didnt see bugs but do know that dew means some type of bug aphids,mites ect..the leaves although just 3 or 4 are corling a little but not brown.I guess ill judt keep doing what im doing unless you can think of something else i can do to help this seedling .ide be sad to loose it ,love my plants.  linda heres the pic to see the leaves,marks on the viens and the one leaf is pale and has viens all through which i dont have in the others.

Answer
Linda, most bugs on plants are microscopic and cannot be seen without magnification. If the insecticidal soap does not prove effective, you can also apply either pyrethrum or rotenone, two very effective organic insecticides. They can be purchased individually or in combination through either Planet Natural or Gardens Alive. Both of these on-line gardening companies specialize in organic controls.

http://www.planetnatural.com
http://www.gardensalive.com

Good luck, and have a great Thanksgiving.

Mike