Freesia refracta Klatt Fine Webbing - Causes & Fixes

Jump to cause: Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae) Tetranychus cynaridis (Grape Bud Mite/False Spider Mite) High Humidity/Condensation Webbing

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Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae)

Spider mites thrive in the warm, dry conditions often experienced by Freesia. They pierce plant cells to feed, leaving behind fine silk webbing as they build colonies across the foliage.

Very Common

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How to confirm: Hold a white piece of paper underneath a leaf and tap it to see if tiny crawling specks fall onto the paper.

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1 Isolate the plant immediately to prevent the mites from spreading to other greenery and spray the foliage thoroughly with an organic miticide.

Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Oil 32 oz

0.9 L • 1 pcs • Organic

$10

In Stock

2 Increase local humidity around the plant and avoid leaving the soil too dry, as spider mites thrive in arid environments.

Flora Premium Plant Mister

Spray Bottles

$12

In Stock

3 Gently wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to physically remove webbing and any remaining mite colonies.

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Tetranychus cynaridis (Grape Bud Mite/False Spider Mite)

While less common, certain mite species target bulbous plants like Freesia, producing silk structures that can appear as fine webbing around the base of the leaves or flower buds.

Common

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How to confirm: Inspect the undersides of the leaves and the base of the bulb for much smaller, slower-moving organisms than typical spider mites.

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shopping_cart Recommended Products

1 Apply an organic miticide or insecticide spray to the plant, ensuring you coat the undersides of leaves and the base of flower buds to eliminate mites and their eggs.

Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Oil 32 oz

0.9 L • 1 pcs • Organic

$10

In Stock

2 Increase humidity around the plant by using a fine mist spray, as mites thrive in dry environments.

Flora Premium Plant Mister

Spray Bottles

$12

In Stock

3 Monitor the plant regularly using a moisture meter to ensure the soil remains consistently moist but not waterlogged, preventing the dry conditions that trigger mite outbreaks.

GROWIT Soil Moisture Meter SMM-V3

Water Meters

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High Humidity/Condensation Webbing

In extremely high humidity environments with stagnant air, fungal hyphae or bacterial exudates can sometimes be mistaken for fine webbing on Freesia leaves.

Common

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How to confirm: Check if the 'webbing' disappears when the surface of the leaf is wiped with a dry cloth; true silk will not wipe away easily.

build How to fix it

shopping_cart Recommended Products

1 Improve air circulation around the plant to prevent stagnant, humid air from settling on the foliage.

2 Gently wipe the leaves with a clean, dry cloth to remove any accumulated bacterial exudates or fungal hyphae.

3 Monitor the soil moisture levels to ensure the environment does not remain excessively damp, which can encourage fungal growth.