Pink and White Blooms and many spider mites

Snapdragon blooming nicely now.

I want to make this post not all about the bad things. There isn't much time for me to write tons of things on spider mites. I have to go to class soon, so I have to get ready, make copies, and get gas then drive 20 minutes to school. My snapdragon is blooming wonderful. While looking at my snapdragon I noticed my lemon balm wasn't looking right. The lemon balm I don't normally pay attention to because it's done so well. Upon inspection I saw grey blotches and was hoping not to find anything. Sadly, I did find tons of spider mites. All underneath the lemon balm leaves were spidermites. I got my neem oil and sprayed but I couldn't get it to cover the underside of the leaves. So I came out the next day with some water and some soap and sprayed the undersides. Then shot it again the next day with some just plain water. I think I got most of them off but I need to go squirt them again with some water. I don't know what happened. It's so sad when I get plants with these bugs on them. My chocolate mint is forever infested with aphids and ants and I'll be throwing that out.
It got me thinking though if these sick plants are protecting the other plants from getting these aphids and spider mites. I know that probably not the case at all. I wish I could let nature take it's course but I don't seem to have any insects around that get rid of aphids of spider mites. I had a leaf footed bug that had been sitting in my lemon balm for months but it didn't stop any of the spider mites and I don't think it's a beneficial at all. Beneficial insects don't come to my balcony. I only ever see the occasional grass hopper, maybe a bee and a wasp a day, many ants, and that's all. The bees don't stay long either. They hover for a minute then go off. Anyone with ideas on weather to keep these sickies or just rid of them. I'm still trying on the lemon balm to see if it gets better. I need to research on spider mites. When I did look a little about them and lemon balm it seems they do like it. Maybe I'll just have to find another plant that doesn't attract these spider mites and other bad things.


A white candytuft flowering.

What is going on?

Amaryllis bottom of leaves.

I posted about how my Minerva Amaryllis has not bloomed yet. Then I noticed that the bottom of it has this purplish red tint. This didn't used to be there and just recently appeared. Now is this normal? Or is my Amaryllis lacking some nutrients that I'm not aware off. I slack off on feeding my Amaryllis, it's just always forgotten. When I attended a meeting for the Texas Nursery and Landscape Associate for my herbaceous plants class the speaker mentioned a purple tinge being lack of phosphorous. If anyone knows if this is normal do tell.



Today while I was potting some seedlings that I've had in peat pots for awhile I discovered something. ANTS!!! There was one pot when I picked it up a ton of little ants were everywhere underneath it. I'm horrified. Do ants cause harm to plants. I have no idea if these are fire ants either because I have had a few stings in the past and had no idea how I got them. I wonder what I can do to get rid of them. I read briefly online of some natural remedies but I am skeptical. For one I've read that mint repels ants. I have two mints. One is spearmint and the other chocolate mint. The chocolate mint is always infested with ants and aphids. I'll spray it with some water and soap they will disappear for a day or two then come back. I love mint and wish I could plant a million pots of it but I don't want only mint plants on my balcony. I've never tried infusing mint in the water and watering my plants that way to get rid of the ants. I have a dog so anything natural is a very big plus. If I spray something on the plants I'm sure she will lick it or eat it when I am not looking. She has been known to nibble on certain plants. She loves to sniff the lemon balm and the chocolate mint but then will lick them.

I'm thinking of getting rid of the chocolate mint. I'm tired of spraying it every other day for aphids. It's the only plant on my balcony really giving me a hard time. I looked everywhere for that chocolate mint and was so happy to find it. Now I'd be so happy to get rid of the aphids it has that I just want to toss it out. No matter how good it smells darn it!