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Think I figured out why my plumeria did not bloom

honeybunny2 Fox
10 years ago

I dug up plumeria, to store, and moved the ones in pots inside. We went down yesterday, and each plant has alot of small snails attached to the underside of the plumeria stem. I must have picked off a hundred and smashed them. Each pot has hundreds of these little guys. If I use beer, I will need a few cases. Is there a better way to get rid of them? These guys must have been sucking on my plants all this time. No wonder I did not have any blooms. The plants look healthy and the leaves are beautiful,they are not bothering the leaves, they attached to the plant where leaves have been removed ( where the smiley face is). Barbra

Comments (27)

  • mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
    10 years ago

    Barbra

    I believe if you wrap the trunk with copper bands the snails will not cross it. I read that somewhere but didn't research because I Dont have snails.

    Mike

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I don't think I had snails last year, I must have brought them in, planting new plants this year. The yard must be full of them, I need to get rid of them. Do they freeze if it gets below 32 degrees? I am not going back until Dec, my hubby said he would put beer in each plumeria. I just need to find 65 little containers, so he can put one in each plant. Barbra

  • rox146
    10 years ago

    I got a bunch of little shallow containers to use at the dollar tree store. They don't like salt either. Good luck, out here they fly in with the fog! roxanne

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I went to Goodwill today and got containers, to drown those suckers. Barbra

  • rox146
    10 years ago

    I tried light beer once on them and not as much luck.

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Rox, thanks for the tip, I would have used coors light. I will need to go and buy something special for them. Barbra

  • rox146
    10 years ago

    mine loved the mexican beers..but we are in California... :-)

  • Andrew Scott
    10 years ago

    I was going to recommend salt also. I was thinking maybe you could make salt rings around each pot but with you not being around all the time, I doubt using salt in any form would be effective. Good luck with whatever you come up with. I would call or visit your local garden centers. Chances are your not the only one in your area with snail problems. I bet they could reccomend a product to you. I wonder if a systemic would help. Please keep us posted and again good luck!

    Andrew

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Andrew the soil I have is salty, in fact if you use a shovel, and did not wash it, the next weekend it would be total rust. I think those type of snails can handle salt. I have never seen them before, they are tiny, and round. I am going to feed mine Mexican beer. I need to get it out of the frig., it must be expired by now, eveyone seems to like light beer. Barbra

  • beachplant
    10 years ago

    No salt! the soil and water in Rockport is already pretty salty, it won`t make the plants happy.
    Put DE at the base of the plants. Easiest and cheapest way to get rid of them over the winter.
    If you find out how to get rid of them in the yard you will be RICH! I collect them and feed them to the chickens.
    Since I always have them I doubt if that is the reason you had no blooms. We were all talking about that just a month or so ago. Few blooms in the spring, few over summer, and not just me,mom, you and my co-worker. Everyone I know along the coast had the same complaints. Walking around town you could see how many were not blooming. I think that wet, cold spring was the cause.
    Right now, of course, they are starting to bloom. Silly plants. Penang peach is gorgeous.
    Tally Ho!

  • printmaster1 (DFW TX)
    10 years ago

    Barbra,

    Try this site. Its all natural solutions.
    http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Slugs-Snails_vq47.htm

    Lonnie

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    My computer would not let me look up the site, but my husband bought a book by the dirt doctor, I will try and find it, and see if there is anything in it. Barbra

  • jandey1
    10 years ago

    This has been a weird year starting from last fall. I heard that fruit trees all over the country produced second and third crops--my citrus trees did, flushing a few times--and while I had more plumerias flower this year, it wasn't a large number (considering how many I have) and none of my brugs flowered.

    My roses and other flowering plants did just so-so. Maybe it's a weather pattern or the late cold spring?

  • printmaster1 (DFW TX)
    10 years ago

    Barbra, Mr. Garret is on FB too. He's well known in the DFW area.

    Jen, It has been a weird year. My brugs did flush, but not like usual.

    I'm hearing that pecan yields are very low this year, so you better stock up now. Prices will rise.

    Lonnie

  • moonie_57 (8 NC)
    10 years ago

    Barbra - I know this thread is a couple of weeks old, but I can second Tally's suggestion on DE. I use it quite often. We have a lot of water bugs here. *shudder*

  • mccamli
    10 years ago

    I've just come back from a short holiday and I couldn't help but smile at this topic given the number of snails we saw. I had to stop the car and snap a few pictures...I hope you don't mind me posting one.

  • beachplant
    10 years ago

    what are you doing in Texas? LOL! I`ve seen them pretty bad but never like that!

    I can easily pick a couple of hundred off the hymenocallis in the front yard most of the time, they love that plant, and some of the crinums, and will eat them to nothing. Our chickens love snails so I just throw them in their run.
    Tally Ho!

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the picture...

    I did like escargots ... ;-)

    Happy Thanksgiving !!!

    Laura

  • mccamli
    10 years ago

    Another pic from 'Texas'...There's easily a hundred on this poor plant...sadly no gardener within earshot to save it from the onslaught.

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I hate to say it, but there were 100's of snails on the shade side of my plants. This explains a lot, I was just stumped as to why I did not get blooms this year. I spent hundreds of dollars babying my plants, and nothing to show for it. I was so unhappy, I even stopped going down to the coast, I was always so disappointed. Now, I have something to look forward to this spring. I am going down next weekend to get rid of those little pest. I think I will use their shells to pave our driveway with, like they do with oyster shells. Barbra

  • rox146
    10 years ago

    honeybunny....make holiday ornaments out of them...silver/gold spray paint and a bejewel kit or something... roxanne

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Rox, what a great idea! I can string them together to make room dividers, or specialty ornaments for the tree. Everyone will want them, I can wait to get started. Barbra

  • rox146
    10 years ago

    I will look for them at Home Goods... :-)

  • PRO
    the_first_kms2
    10 years ago

    Rox, just look for them right next to the air fresheners. :)

    Barbra, I have never found a snail near my plumerias. Have you spoken with John B. about it as he may have some better info on pests along the coast?

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    K, I am on a mission. Next week they will never know what hit them. You would not believe all the snails that I found on the back side of my plants,sucking out all the nutrients. I never looked at the plants. I was just looking for blooms, but never checked the plants. It was not until I dug them out that I saw all the snails, and they were just on the back of the plants, out of view. I still can't figure out where those snails came from. Barbra

  • beachplant
    10 years ago

    plant some brugs, also known as bugmansia, the snails prefer them over the plumeria lol!
    Noone I know on the coast got a good bloom season this year. Trees on the island were hit and miss, one blooming but not a single on in the same yard bloomed. The house around the corner has 30 or so, only 2 bloomed this year and usually her yard is a riot of color.
    I blamed the fact that I actually fertilized them this year and the fact I had put a lot in the ground or repotted them. They all grew leaps and bounds but poor blooming.
    Stay warm!
    Tally HO!

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    You won't believe this, my husband just came back from the coast, he said most of the plumeria stored in the carport, are in bloom. and the smell was amazing. I think the snails must have moved outside, it must be too hot in the carport for the snails. I am hoping to go down next weekend, to check, I have not been down for quite sometime. Barbra