Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Controlling pests of bamboo

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jljonathan
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Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by jljonathan »

Our 4 year old Oldhamii planted as screening about 25' long has a lot of yellow leaf drop now and older canes are quite yellow. New canes are green. There is a good amount of black soot and webs on the joints which I periodically spray off but comes back quickly. I recently fed the whole stand and it is watered once a week for approx 10 minutes. It's about 30 tall and has new green growth. Any body have any suggestions or is this pretty normal cycle of shedding and growth, including the yellowing?
marcat
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RE: Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by marcat »

Normal cycle. Going through spring leaf change. Culms will yellow from sun normal as long as the leaves are green. Soot at the nodes is probably aphids look for ants. The new growth you mention seems to indicat healthy plants.
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Mike McG
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RE: Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by Mike McG »

jljonathan,

The "black soot and webs on the joints" could also be due to the noxious mealy bug, Antonina pretiosa.

Mike near Brenham TX,
marcat
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RE: Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by marcat »

Question do ant's cultivate mealy bug's like they do aphids.
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Roy
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Re: RE: Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by Roy »

marcat wrote:Question do ant's cultivate mealy bug's like they do aphids.
MarCat
The mealy bugs that I have on my tropical bamboos are not cultivated or farmed by ants in the sense that they move them around. The ants are after the white sugary powder [put a little on the tip of your tongue and test it out] that is secreted by the mealy bug and which mold in the air will grow on creating black sooty mold.

:director: Others may disagree, but that's what I believe I've been seeing for the last 30 years.
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marcat
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RE: Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by marcat »

They might not move them around but they probably protect them from preditors like they do aphids. I think the ant's should be eliminated if possible but then again I am prejugdiced against ants having a healy Atta ant population at my place.
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Re: RE: Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by Roy »

marcat wrote:They might not move them around but they probably protect them from preditors like they do aphids. I think the ant's should be eliminated if possible but then again I am prejugdiced against ants having a healy Atta ant population at my place.
MarCat
I don't know what predator the ants could be protecting them from? When I see a ladybug working on the mealy bugs, the ants don't do any but continue to work on getting some of the white powder.
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RE: Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by marcat »

I guess that answered my question. They do not cultivate them.
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Re: RE: Oldhamii yellowing and leaf drop question

Post by Roy »

marcat wrote:I guess that answered my question. They do not cultivate them.
MarCat
Don't let what I said be the final authority. Other people believe that ants do cultivate or farm the mealy bugs. It's just that I don't believe that they do and I believe my observations support my belief. Others may disagree and some do.
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