Tight Centers

By Nancy Manozzi

 Tight centers may be caused by many things.

 Too much light could cause tight centers. Minis and semi minis should be grown about 6”-8” from the lights, and that’s the top of the plant. For standards, 10”-12:” works well. If you grow on a wicking container, you must take that into consideration.

 An incorrect pH could be the problem, which could be the result of incorrect or poor soil, too much fertilizer, or your town water. Perhaps, the plant needs to be repotted with fresh soil, especially if it’s been longer than 1 year.

 Now, let's talk about the dreaded mite. There are two articles in this issue, written by Bay State members, who have recently had broad mites. Broad mite damage will involve suckers/distortions in the leaves and curled down edges, as well as tight centers or centers that no longer exist. If you suspect broad mite, immediately remove the plant(s) away from the others. Unless it’s a very special plant, you might want to just throw it away, perhaps keeping one leaf, washing it off thoroughly, and potting it up separately.

 You may want to try and determine if it’s too much light by covering the plant with a thin piece of paper, like a napkin or toilet paper, for one week. If the center opens up, you are lucky and it was just a light issue.

 If after a week and the centers are still tight, you can hope it’s a fertilizer problem. If there are no twisted or distorted leaves in the center, then it may be just that. Cut back on the fertilizer one month or longer with a lower dosage.

If after one month and still no change, check the last time the plant was repotted.

 And if that doesn’t remedy the situation, chances are it is broad mites. I had this problem, myself, about 20 years ago, lost hundreds of plants. When I discovered the problem, finally, tried chemicals unsuccessfully. My advice is to discard any suspected plants—they can always be replaced!!