Queen of the Night update: Four days after our first look at it, the bud has doubled in length to about 2 inches long. When I got right up close I noticed some tiny webs criss-crossing the bud — spider mite! Crap. Time to pull out the spritzer and cook up a concotion of Neem oil and organic insecticidal soap. Personally, I kind of like the smell of Neem, though it makes Laird gag. However, it is organic, which makes the odour worth putting up with. The only early deaths I want to contribute to are the bugs’.
POLLENATRIX 