So all of the plants on my porch have been suffering an infestation on-and-off of mealyworms for, oh probably about 6 months. At first I didn't know what it was and I lost a gardenia to the subsequent mold brought my mealyworms. I was determined to not lose anymore plants so they next time those blasted bugs showed up I religiously sprayed everything with diluted neem oil and it seemed to take care of it for a little while. But then they came baaack, and I went as far as to throw away some really infected plants and rinse and repot some other plants.
Prior to this they hibiscus kept blooming and producing new flowers and at all stuff which made me think it would be okay. Now, the mealybugs are gone, but my hibiscus is super sick. It hasn't bloomed in over a month and the last bloom was really small and not very vibrant. It keeps dropping leaves, which are getting black at the stem, and while it is producing new leaves they never get very big. Two branches are not producing anything but when I scratch the surface they are green and I don't want to cut off live branches. I have been spraying it with an 'Acidic Special' fertilizer in hopes of the leaves being able to fight off whatever ails it.
I generally keep it in a location which gets morning light starting at sunrise, but then no afternoon sun. I recently moved it in front of my garage for some afternoon light, but that seems to have shocked it, so I moved it back to its normal location. I am at my wits end!
This hibiscus has no emotional significance (it wasn't willed to me or anything), but I hate when plants die. It also really annoys me that my cheapo Home Depot plants are thriving through all of this and my nice nursery hibiscus is dying. Please help!!