Rant: My entire greenhouse collection almost died from a single infected plant I bought at a local nursery.

I brought home a new fern from Green Thumb Nursery in Austin, and within 3 days, a powdery mildew spread to over 20 other plants. Has anyone else had a new purchase cause a total outbreak like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

willowh202mo ago

Green Thumb Nursery in Austin, huh? I had a spider mite invasion from a big box store plant that took out half my indoor jungle last fall. I felt like a plant murderer for weeks, you know? It's crazy how fast those problems move through a collection. What did you end up doing to try and save everything?

kaih362mo ago

Yeah, that plant murderer feeling is too real. I went full quarantine mode, willowh20. Isolated the sick ones in the bathroom. For weeks it was just me, a spray bottle of soapy water, and a sad little humidifier running 24/7 on the survivors. Lost a beautiful calathea but managed to save the pothos and snake plants by wiping down every single leaf, top and bottom, every other day. It was a whole thing.

ivanross2mo ago

Ugh, the plant murderer guilt is the worst. I went nuclear after my last outbreak. Isolated the infected plants like you, but then I mixed up a spray with rubbing alcohol, dish soap, and water. Hit every plant in the house, even the healthy looking ones, every three days for two weeks straight. The key is breaking their life cycle. It felt like a part time job, but it saved my monstera.