spider mites on Philodendron Congo
Quick answer
If your Philodendron Congo has spider mites, the most likely cause is: Spider mites thrive in the warm, dry indoor air that philodendrons dislike, colonising leaf axils and undersides where their fine webs coat the foliage and feeding damages the tissue until leaves turn mottled, then gray or brown, dry and crumbly around the edges.
Start here:
- 1. Rinse the entire plant with a vigorous spray of tepid water directed at the undersides of the leaves and into the leaf axils to physically dislodge mites and break up the fine webs, repeating every few days for at least two weeks to catch newly hatched generations.
- 2. After rinsing, treat with a horticultural oil or insecticidal soap labelled safe for indoor foliage, coating both leaf surfaces and stem joints, and isolate the plant from other houseplants while treatment runs its course.
Why Philodendron Congo gets spider mites
philodendron congo
Spider mites thrive in the warm, dry indoor air that philodendrons dislike, colonising leaf axils and undersides where their fine webs coat the foliage and feeding damages the tissue until leaves turn mottled, then gray or brown, dry and crumbly around the edges.
How to reverse spider mites on Philodendron Congo
- 1
Rinse the entire plant with a vigorous spray of tepid water directed at the undersides of the leaves and into the leaf axils to physically dislodge mites and break up the fine webs, repeating every few days for at least two weeks to catch newly hatched generations.
- 2
After rinsing, treat with a horticultural oil or insecticidal soap labelled safe for indoor foliage, coating both leaf surfaces and stem joints, and isolate the plant from other houseplants while treatment runs its course.
Keep spider mites off this Philodendron Congo
Raise humidity around the philodendron congo by grouping it with other tropical plants or setting the pot on a pebble tray with water, mist the foliage weekly with tepid water, and inspect leaf undersides regularly during winter when indoor air is driest.