Bright white flies, white patches and black patches on my poor viola plants!!!
By liquorice
@liquorice (3887)
October 13, 2009 12:44pm CST
I wonder if anyone can enlighten me about what's going on with my poor little plants.
I bought them a couple of weeks ago, they were 30 little plants for £3.00 which is pretty good, and I liked the idea of flowers growing throughout the autumn/fall months. We quickly got a few flowers through and they're all different colours so they're really pretty and cheery.
However, in the last week I've noticed that when I touch the plants, clouds of tiny white flies come out of them. They are bright white like tiny snowflakes, no bigger than a couple of millimetres long and wide. While they're quite beautiful, I'm sure that they're not doing my plants much good. I imagine that they're either eating them or using them for some other evolutionary purpose. (My charitable little girl suggested that maybe they're just smelling the flowers - but I'm more cynical and very much doubt that, lol! 
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I've also noticed some white mould-like patches on the leaves and some darkening around the edges of some of the other leaves. So not a totally healthy look... I'm not sure whether these things are clear in the photo that I've posted. (The flies were much too tiny to show on a photo).
Has anyone come across these little white flies? Do you think that they're responsible for the white/ black patches or is this from something else (like over-watering maybe?) Is there anything I can do to get rid of the flies without killing the plants? Maybe there's no hope for them, but I just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas! Thanks!!
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I've also noticed some white mould-like patches on the leaves and some darkening around the edges of some of the other leaves. So not a totally healthy look... I'm not sure whether these things are clear in the photo that I've posted. (The flies were much too tiny to show on a photo).
Has anyone come across these little white flies? Do you think that they're responsible for the white/ black patches or is this from something else (like over-watering maybe?) Is there anything I can do to get rid of the flies without killing the plants? Maybe there's no hope for them, but I just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas! Thanks!!2 responses
@zigzagbuddha (4601)
• United States
13 Oct 09
In fact they're called White Fly. I've never had to deal with them myself, but here is a link with a few suggestions. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hibisc/msg0800594218289.html I don't know about the spots on the leaves, but one thing I do know is that over-watering plants creates a perfect environment for all kinds of pesky little critters and makes for an all-round unhealthy, unhappy plant. Well, under-watering them does too, hehehehe.
I wait until my plants are looking thirsty before I water them. Some of my bigger plants I don't water except once a month. A lot of people have a once a week schedule for watering their plants and they water them without ascertaining whether they actually need any water or not.
Good luck, and may the force be with you, hehehehe.
1 person likes this
@liquorice (3887)
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13 Oct 09
Yes, white fly. Probably should've guessed that. I've never seen them or come across them before, but they're very strange looking - just soooo white, and like they perhaps had a distant ancestor who was a moth! I'll look at the link, thanks!
To be honest I let my 3 year old water them. She loves it, and I know that she probably gives them too much water. I didn't realise (naively!) that this could cause so many problems 
. Saying that though, I do find it very hard to judge anyway how much water they should have, so thanks for the tips about that.
I suppose it's too late now to alter our watering habits, the damage has already been done! Although I'd love to try to rid them of the flies - however interesting they are... Maybe I'll get some more and try again, lucky they weren't expensive! Thanks a lot for your answer zigzagbuddha, hope you're doing ok.
. Saying that though, I do find it very hard to judge anyway how much water they should have, so thanks for the tips about that.
I suppose it's too late now to alter our watering habits, the damage has already been done! Although I'd love to try to rid them of the flies - however interesting they are... Maybe I'll get some more and try again, lucky they weren't expensive! Thanks a lot for your answer zigzagbuddha, hope you're doing ok. 1 person likes this
@zigzagbuddha (4601)
• United States
13 Oct 09
Well, I'm not saying your watering habits is what caused the white fly infestation, I really don't know anything about that.
1 person likes this
@liquorice (3887)
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5 Nov 09
No, me too. I think we might have a bit of a whitefly epidemic here this year. I've noticed lots of them around our neighbourhood, not just on my plants. Very strange, maybe it's something to do with the strange, mild weather this year. (I've got spring bulbs which look as if they're going to grow again!! 
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The plants are still alive, and are actually producing many many flowers despite all their problems!
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The plants are still alive, and are actually producing many many flowers despite all their problems! 1 person likes this
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
13 Oct 09
the white flies are strangely enough called white flies. The mold is probably powdery mildew. it's like you have badly infected plants and I certainly hope you did not mix them up with your other plants as they will all be infected now too. Whenever you bring new plants into your house you should quarantine them for a while to make sure your are not introducing any diseases or parasites.
Are these indoor plants are they out door plants? In either case I am not sure what to do with white flies as usually by the time I state the plan so many times with insecticidal soap the plants start to die. So I have not had good luck dealing with white flies.
I wish I could have been more help. good luck.
1 person likes this
@liquorice (3887)
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13 Oct 09
Thanks, I feared as much. I've never heard of white flies though, they're very strange and a bit spooky looking! They are outdoor plants, but that's a good tip about quarantining new indoor plants. They are in pots rather than in a bed so there are no other plants for them to infect. I'm still enjoying seeing new flowers come out, but I've accepted that I'll probably have to throw them away soon, for hygiene purposes. Thanks a lot for your answer.
I've never heard of white flies though, they're very strange and a bit spooky looking! They are outdoor plants, but that's a good tip about quarantining new indoor plants. They are in pots rather than in a bed so there are no other plants for them to infect. I'm still enjoying seeing new flowers come out, but I've accepted that I'll probably have to throw them away soon, for hygiene purposes. Thanks a lot for your answer.