But I always check the soil mix and water only if it feels dry to touch. For the watering - it depends on what soil you are using and the weather, if its cloudy for a longer time it can easily go around 10 days without watering, when it is hot and sunny, I would water mine once every 4-5 days. I'd say the general care tips that you posted are quite accurate. Although I probably should/will give it a shower from time to time. It got rid of mites and, worked the first time, didn't have to do that ever since. Just had to wash it in the shower with soapy water right after I got it. All it takes is one tiny white cottony looking fleck. Start checking all the plants around this one and be very serious about check EVERY bit. The smaller is white, the mature is this grey, and they are highly detailed. Lower Left, if you see these, about the size of two to three salt grains glued together in a string, you have major problems Lower RightMature mealys, about 1/8 inch long, (3mm), and I usually see the matures as a light gray like this. Upper Right, Well engaged, this is trim this off and remove it or if the whole plant looks like this it's going to be tossed. Size of very small salt grains if that big. Upper Left, Usually you will see just one or two flecks, underside of leaves, near a leaf to stem join, by the time you see this much you'll be well into the battle. I've cried over some plants I've tossed, but. In a few weeks either it has gone rampantly infected in which case I toss the whole cup, or it's clean yet and rooted so I can pot it up. at times I can find a part of the plant that is almost clean, hand clean a few small flecks off, and put it into an isolation cutting cup-and toss the main plant. I do 'clean up plants' and 'toss badly infected plants pot and all'. I can tell you insecticidal soap has never seemed to work even if I pretty much drowned the plant in it and it usually has killed the plant at that level. I don't spray because a lot of sprays they seemed to ignore I killed the plant along with the bugs and in my greenhouse I am doing semi-aquaculture and sprays/chemicals are not a good thing around the fish. Missing one fleck, you will find first or second picture in 1-4 weeks. First picture, if you remove the few leaves you find and remove them from the area then wash up, you will probably get it right there. If you get mealy bugs in your house and your houseplants second worse is spider mites you will have a long and hard one to get that one cleaned up.
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I am now 'clean' and she is still having issues (I have also tossed a few plants to stop the infestation and she won't.
![philodendron deja vu philodendron deja vu](https://i.etsystatic.com/23095168/r/il/56a818/2721196358/il_794xN.2721196358_iy2l.jpg)
If I run into something like mealy bugs, that gets carried out immediately! (a local nursery has issues with it, anything you bring home from there has to be isolated and cleaned up) Between that friend and myself we have fought this war for fourth winter. I remove my greenhouse trash when I'm through and ready to go back to the house. she would have this big rolling garbage cans and wouldn't empty them for months on end. she always has problems with various disease issues and if she would just CLEAN UP she'd have a lot less problems. I housesit for someone and she always comments when she comes back that I have cleaned up and cleaned out every one of her plants. I clean up my plants and keep them 'clean' all the time (old leaves removed and no debris left in the top of the pot) and that helps some on not ever seeing them. Yep that 'covermoss' is prone to sheltering and keeping a colony of the little buggers. The little gnatties like to feast on dead and decaying plant matter, and love it moist.