It hurt to dig this one out and throw it in the trash. Not because it was big and heavy, though it was nearly 36" (90 cm) wide, but because it was really beautiful. From the front. On the back, however...
This is Aloe gall mite (link--and go all the way to the bottom of the page past the fried steak ad and read the discussion)
I thought about treating the plant with a systemic miticide, cutting out the damaged tissue, and so on, but it seemed as though the base of the plant was affected, and a new Aloe striata is about $10, while a small bottle of systemic miticide is nearly $200, and rotation of different types of $200-$300/bottle systemic miticide is recommended. I would make valiant efforts for a rare or endangered species Aloe, but in this case it didn't seem to make sense. Goodbye, gorgeous. Owwwwwwwwwww! The price of Aloe love is high.
Oh no!!!!! that's just heartbreaking. do you have to treat the soil before you replant in that area?
ReplyDeleteThe mites are purported to be unable to move more than a few millimeters on their own during their lifetime. They are said to be carried along by breezes. However no one can say for sure and more research is being done by the University of California, since Aloes are a valuable ornamental crop here, and an excellent fire-break for fire-prone areas.
DeleteSo beautiful; so tragic. Like a tragic operatic soprano early gone, she sings one last aria. Poor sweet Mimi Camille I mean Aloe.
ReplyDeleteYes, beautiful and doomed. :(
DeleteHave no regrets -- sometimes you have to sacrifice plants for the good of the garden. Is there anything you have to do to the soil there? Do you need to plant something else, or can another Aloe go in the hole?
ReplyDeleteI'll put an Agave instead. I'm not short of Agaves right now.
DeleteThat is such a shame as it looked like a stunning plant. But with mites it is always better safe than sorry.
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly.
DeleteHow horrible. This and the agave snout weevil send shivers of fear up my spine.
ReplyDeleteSuch is gardening, eh? Like any kind of love, it becomes somewhat melancholy with the passage of time.
DeleteSo sad. I guess pestilence is a price you pay for being able to grow these beauties so easily. May the next one be pest-resistant!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, beauty extracts a price...
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