Q.Rhipsalis Is Oozing Sap
I have a beautiful hanging rhipsalis which I just noticed is oozing sap. I do not see any bugs or scales. I love this plant and have had it for years. Can I take it outside while it is still warm out and wash it? How do I get rid of the sap and make the plant healthy again, and how do I prevent this from happening again? I had not moved the plant or done anything different with it.
Yes, washing it would be a good idea. Make up a spray bottle with a solution of 1 teaspoon mild dish detergent to 2 cups water. Spray all over the plant, especially up onto the underside of the leaves, and down into the nooks and crannies in the center. Let it sit for 20 mins or so, then wash it all gently with a hose. Looking through a wide variety of rhipasalis info, I can't find any disease that produces "weeping sap." I think it's almost sure your plant has some kind of sucking insect - some scales or aphids are almost invisible, and it doesn't take but a few to start dripping that honeydew, which is easily mistaken for sap. Wash the plant in the same way, at weekly intervals for 4 weeks, and you should eradicate the little buggers.
