stephanie - Crotons grow at various rates depending on the variety. Can you post a picture of them?

absolutely, but it'll have to wait. On our way out the door at the moment; in a couple of hours I'd be glad to get a photo up.
Thanks again!

OK, one of them is "Lauren's Rainbow", a variety by AngelExotics. Came labeled, so I didn't bother to photograph it.

The other ones were in a pot for a dragon plant. I feel like perhaps the two obvious crotons are the same, and maybe that other green and yellow guy are something else all together. Sorry about the lighting- it's certainly not great. If these are too hard to tell as they are, I can get better shots tomorrow in daylight. I appreciate it!
stephanie

Photos:

I have a friend who is part of the croton society and lives in St Pete. He knows a lot about the growing habits as many of the plants sold at USF cam out of his garden. if you'd like i can send him your questions or you can talk to him directly. If you like crotons you would enjoy getting a tour of his garden. Let me know pete

The first two pictures are Mammay - fast growing - morning or afternoon sun. The third is Gold Dust - faster growing - full sun.

Just thought you would like to know, don't rely on the names exotic angels labels plants, as they are not reliable. :o) I buy their plants and they seem very healthy, just not always the right name.

Wow, you guys are FAST- thank you! Glad to hear these guys grow quick- they're destined for great things.
stephanie

they do so well out here and so colorful. I have them along the entire front of our house(facing south) and they were watered the first few days and are so low maintenance and colorful.

Unfortunately, I've noticed this fuzzy white stuff on one or two and not sure what that is or how to get rid of it.

I am new to zone 9b and would welcome any advice!teeka

The fuzzy white stuff is probably spider mites. Knock it off with a high pressure hose, but don't damage the leaves. Or you can spray with a mix of water, garlic juice, and liquid soap.

That fuzzy white stuff is either soft scale or mealy bugs. Both can be controlled with a horticultural oil spray. With fall coming on and the temps dropping, you could even use Ortho Volck Oil Spray. It's a heavier petroleum oil spray and you have to watch your sir temps when spraying so that you don't fry the plant but nothing works better on scale insects (mealys are a soft bodied scale too) then smothering them in oils.

Do NOT use oil based chemicals on Crotons.

You will stunt them and perhaps even kill them. Sorry, horse_chick, but that's very bad advice.

I've been growing Crotons for almost ten years in Florida. I used an oil based solution once or twice with disasterous results. Crotons are Euphorbieacea and not able to withstand the sealing effect the oils have.

I work in horticulture for a living and have for over 17 yrs. We use them at our retail nursery with no problems. I'm a State of Florida licensed Pest Control Operator (in Lawn and Ornamental) for our nursery. I'm not going to advise someone on anything unless I've done it myself.

ANY plant can be burned by ANY chemical if not applied correctly.

The applicator has to know what they are doing and how much and when to apply.

Here is a label with it's precautions. We use Southern Ag as a supplier for our chemicals.

http://www.southernag.com/labels/SOLOIL.pdf

h_c - While I could use my BS in Botany, my degree in Landscape Technology, and my own pest control training as a trump, that's not my way.

Perhaps the warmer climate in my zone had something to do with the problems with using oil-based insecticides, but I'm not alone in my experience. All of the other growers and collectors I'm friendly with in South Florida are of a similar opinion when it comes to Crotons - oils are a problem for the plant. So I'll just take practical experience along with the three or four hundred healthy Crotons in my garden and continue to suggest a natural remedy for a natural problem.

Fawnridge, I come here to help people with the best advice my professional training allows. If you have a problems with oils, then it is your right not you use them and to advise that you had problems with their use. However, to come to a public forum and say that I'm giving bad advice is insulting to both my training and experience.

It is also contrary to what UF/IFAS (University of FloridaÂs Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) has to say about treating mealy/scale.

This is taken directly from their website.

Insects

1) Mealybugs (citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri; long tailed mealybug, Pseudococcus longispinus; striped mealybug, Ferrisia virgata; pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconelliconccus hirsutus)

Symptoms - Mealybugs appear as white cottony masses on roots, lower leaf surfaces and in leaf axils. Sticky honeydew and black sooty mold may be present.

Control - Systemic materials are preferred because it is difficult to penetrate the waxy outer coating of mealybugs. Insecticides that coat and suffocate all developmental stages (e.g., oils) also can be effective. See http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG012 for a listing of products available for mealybug control. Prior to widespread use, test new products for crop safety by making multiple applications to a small block of representative plants and checking for damage.

2) Scales (numerous species - black, chaff, Florida wax, glover, green shield, hemispherical, lesser snow, purple, etc.)

Figure 6. Philephedra tuberculosa scale on a croton leaf.

Symptoms - Scales can feed on croton leaves, petioles and stems, and because of their variable shapes, sizes and colors, they may be hard to diagnose. Some crawlers produce honeydew.

Control - Control of scale is similar to that for mealy bugs (see above). See http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG012 for a listing of products available for scale control. Prior to widespread use, test new products for crop safety by making multiple applications to a small block of representative plants and checking for damage.

The whole page on crotons can be viewed here:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep106

Prior to widespread use, test new products for crop safety by making multiple applications to a small block of representative plants and checking for damage.

I did, they failed. Case closed.

Since we've strayed far from the initial question, anyhow...
I tend to garden organically, when at all humanly possible. Not that petroleum isn't the technical definition of organic (carbon based, right? I tend towards the tree-hugging dirty hippie definition, myself). So, as the OP here, I say garlic juice. Not that there's anything wrong with using dinosaur juice on your plants.
Now, can we kiss and makeup?
stephanie

[quote]Prior to widespread use, test new products for crop safety by making multiple applications to a small block of representative plants and checking for damage.
I did, they failed. Case closed.[/quote]

This is YOUR experience. You are one person. The case may be closed for you but not for the majority of COMMERCIAL growers here in Florida. Many home owners have problems with chemicals (including fertilizers) because they apply them incorrectly.

ALL pesticides, miticides, fungicides, and fertilizers should be patch tested for phytotoxicity before being used on ANY plant. That statement is a CYA type one in case a home owner burns their plants by misuse and wants to blame either the chemical or supplier. Your experience with oils and crotons was bad. I've used various forms of Emulsifiable Concentrates (EC) for well over a decade at my current place of employment to no detriment to the croton plants.

I stand by my statements.

Perstephone, other then an occasional oil spray to control scale my own yard is totally organic. The oil I use is a paraffinic oil which is a light year round oil. My fertilizer is compost with additions of bone and blood meals plus magnesium sulfate when needed.

I use rubbing alcohol to treat the occasional meally bug that find my orchids.

Other then that, I let nature have it's way in my yard. :-)My blood lilys (Scadoxus multiflorus)have the snail/slug holes to prove it too...lol