Checking in from South Central New Jersey. The heat of the sun has made me crazy this summer. I had my greenhouse full of starter plants to sell online this Fall, when I pulled several muscles and ligaments in my right side on July 1st and from that day on, it was difficult to keep them all at the proper temp and humidity. I did have some help but even then, I had everything open and made sure the watering was done but it was almost impossible to keep them happy. After a few months I was able to go out for the first time and they looked great considering, but they were full of scale. I immediately called a friend who is in the tropical growing business and ask him to help me check my plants and see what we could save. We found 2 plants, both star jasmine that were free of scale but we had to destroy them also just to be on the safe side. I never gave insects a thought during that hot sun period. I was too concerned about the daily 105 deg. GH heat and lack of humidity and being unable to get to the greenhouse myself, the people caring for the plants were not really thinking of checking for insects.
Fortunately many of my big tropical plants were outside on my decks and some of my Christmas Cactus and Easter Cactus were in the house and outside of the greenhouse on their summer racks, so I at least have some left to play with this Winter but this has been a real rough summer. The greenhouse has now been completely emptied, washed down and sprayed. Every wrack and shelf was also washed and sprayed and the exterminator sprayed the bottom for ants and any scale that may have been hiding on the pebbles.
I had to close my online business and until I have completely recovered from my injury I will not be propagating any tropicals. I have to trim back the bougainvillea and mandevilla and jasmine when they finish blooming, but until then I have them in the greenhouse. It is still a challenge to keep them happy. The daytime temps if the sun is out still goes up to the 90s and 100s (with shade cloth on winter and summer now) and everything is still open, but at night it goes down to the 50s and over the weekend I decided not to take a chance and had them brought in to the GH.
I wanted to check in and see if anyone else is having a problem with the extreme change in temps. and how you are handling it to keep your tropicals alive and well. Here is a picture of my almost empty greenhouse just now. Have a great Fall and enjoy your plants.
