QUESTION
All my Camellia japonica leaves have gone grey and look terrible. I’ve sprayed with Conguard but it’s getting worse. I love my camellias, is there a cure, please?
ANSWER
The insect responsible for the damage is the microscopic camellia tea mite, also known as the ribbed tea mite. Conguard contains Imidacloprid, which is ineffective against this pest, as it’s not an insect but a type of mite. Years ago, we used special miticides to control it but they are now considered carcinogenic. The safe, organic control today is to spray weekly with either Yates Natrasoap or Multicrop’s EcoBug Organic, both of which contain potassium salts of fatty acids. A follow-up weekly spray with eco-oil helps to smother pests.
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