the tops of the leaves on my kaffir lime tree are sticky some kinda resin i think...

R

rvb

Well-known member
has anyone had this problem? and hopefully solved it. i'm thinking safer's soap.

 
It's probably sap leftover from what the bugs don't consume. You may want to

very carefully inspect the underside to see if there are scaley bugs there. If so, use your fingernail to clean them ALL off thororoughly and then wash with dish detergent, warm water and paper towel.Check the stems as well and all the joints.

 
I had the same problem...

it's some kind of scale. Check the under side of those leaves, look along the center rib. Are there flat reddish thingies along the rib?

I had to get down and dirty. Took the whole plant and put it into the tub, gave it a shower. Then, I took Q-tips and rubbing alcohol and cleaned each leaf and the branches.

Then I sprayed the whole tree, branches and dirt included, with a 3-in-1 Fungicide, Insecticide, Mitecide. I bought the stuff at Home Depot, but WalMart also had it.

I've kept up the spraying since then and so far, no return of nasty scale thingies...

Good luck.

BTW, my tree has loads of fruit on it.
Anyone know how to tell when they are ripe? Or doesn't it matter?

 
I know what you mean Luisa, I am still happy when it rains here, and it rains here a lot..

 
The product I use is safe to put on the plant

as little as 24 hours before harvest.

I would not have used something that was toxic to people or animals (other than the ones I am trying to eliminate).

 
I guess what I meant to say was what do you use? I need something for my roses which are close to my

basil and other herbs.

 
For scale, the dish detergent method really does work. Nothing toxic necessary. The important

thing is to make sure to get it all off. It is labourious as a task but if all of it is gone, the plant should be free for a couple of years.

I always do this in full natural light. And I have to wear my glasses. I check each leaf thoroughly and find that I detect these little nasties more easily with experience. I always rub the branches and leaves with warm soapy clean paper towelafter, continually changing it, and if there is any trace of (normally) rust-coloured eggy stuff, I clean again.

Laurels are particularly prone to the same problem.

I also am careful not to let any of the eggy things fall into the soil to start their families all over again.

 
Miracle II Green soap is touted as a good gardening spray, I've been using Dawn too, but I'd like to

try the Miracle II Green soap.

 
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