What is this problem?

Controlling pests of bamboo

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cbm
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Location: Alameda, CA

What is this problem?

Post by cbm »

I'm having a problem with a blue bamboo. The leaves are getting blotchy yellow patches:
Top side
Top side
Bottom
Bottom
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a very moderate climate, and very sandy soil. Any idea what this may be and how to combat it?
ShmuBamboo
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Location: Around here someplace

Re: What is this problem?

Post by ShmuBamboo »

Those, unfortunately for you, look like the classic tell-tale signs of bamboo spider mites.

Several options:

-One is to live with them, they will not kill the plant, but make it look like crap.
-You can cut all the culms and burn them (can't burn in the SF area though, so you would have to otherwise dispose of them).
-Another is to spray for the mites. Most effective miticides are not available w/o a Schedule Q license in California, so you are limited to spraying with insecticidal oil and soap. The oil spray works well if you have a few large plants or a lot of smaller ones. You have to soak the plant with oil spray to kill all the eggs, larvae and adults though, both top and bottom sides of the leaves. I have done this with some mite infected plants and gotten good results.

There are several threads on boo mites on this forum. I posted a reply yesterday to a question on mites with a lot of references on what to do about them here -> http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5986
Happy trails...
cbm
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Location: Alameda, CA

Re: What is this problem?

Post by cbm »

Thanks for the response. I'll check out that thread.
ShmuBamboo
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Re: What is this problem?

Post by ShmuBamboo »

Ah, I see that you are in Alameda. I used to work there at a start-up off of Webster. The exotic Island (and a half) in the east Pacific. Well kept secret of the SF bay area. I would imagine that if you have it, a lot of the Alameda bamboos have it. Bamboo mites are popping up all over this year, from Canada to Mexico.
Happy trails...
cbm
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Location: Alameda, CA

Re: What is this problem?

Post by cbm »

 
Yeah, Alameda is really the land that time forgot. Not on the way to anywhere.

I cut off a few of my most affected culms, and will try to figure out how to get up into the reaches (about 25-30 feet) of my blue bamboo to spray. I have about ten other species of bamboo, and have found a little infestation in a patch of black bamboo, too, but so far those are the only ones.
ShmuBamboo
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Re: What is this problem?

Post by ShmuBamboo »

Well move fast, whatever you do, as boo mites reproduce even faster.

Alameda is on the way to nowhere, for sure. To get there every day I had to drive through the worst part of Oakland. I drove by on what is now 880 for 30 years before I ever went there. Lots of nice old Vic houses there. The views there are nice too. Alameda has the oddest variation of housing in a small area that I have seen in my many years living on the west coast. From the Projects to the 'Gold Coast' houses. I would gladly trade this place for living in that weather, but I cannot afford California any more. Also Rosenblum is my favorite California wine. They make great zin, and had great quarterly tasting parties there in Alameda at their tasting room.
Happy trails...
williamraed
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Re: What is this problem?

Post by williamraed »

According to me, blotchy yellow patches can be caused by a number of conditions. So you want to decrease this all blotchy yellow patches, then you should spraying with insecticidal oil and soap because this spray works very well. You can this spraying on small or big both bamboo plants.
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