Hi Noelleen,

The first 2 things I can tell you that those forum members with loads of experience (I'm not in that category) are going to ask you is please post pictures and where are you located. That will enable them to assist you better.

Tyler

Welcome, Noelleen!!

Well, it could be too much SUDDEN sun, but never too much sun. Adeniums need lots of sun but, as with all plants, need to be acclimated to full sun over 1-2 weeks' time.

Tyler is correct. It's impossible to determine what's ailing your plant without visuals & additional details. Please show photos of the plant and include info such as where you are, where the plant is, how long you've had it, how old it is, has anything changed (recently moved location, changed soil, fertilizer, pot, etc), what substrate & type of pot it's in, how often and what do you feed it, etc.

Yellowing of lower leaves can just indicate natural die-off. It could also be it's going dormant (taking a plant snooze before spring), it's cold, it's under or over potted, it's got fertilizer burn, it's under- or overwatered. If overwatered, there may be soft spots, which can quickly lead to rot. If underwatered, the caudex may shrivel and soften.

Plants can be a little complicated, right? LOL - It's just a matter of learning what it needs. Stick with this forum for some really great advice and equally wonderful people.

Maria Elena

I have a continual spider mite problem here, even though they are outdoors year round. If I don't treat it my leaves can look like what you describe. Look for single strand webs on your plant and check the underside of the leaves for mites and eggs. They are teeny tiny so you won't see them clearly. The mites are a reddish brown color and the eggs are white. The underside of the leaves will look dusty or dirty with these colors but if you use a strong magnifying glass you'll be able to see mites and/or eggs. I use Dr Bronner's liquid castile soap, diluted in a spray bottle. Be careful with other soaps that aren't actually a natural soap, but a chemical detergent. From what I've read, what makes Dr. Bronner's so effective is the potassium salt of fatty acid.
"The fatty acids work effectively on soft-bodied insects like aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, thrips and white flies. These fatty acids dissolve or remove the insects cell membranes and their natural protective waxy coatings, causing death from excess water loss."
I don't know if that's true but I've read it on many reputable sites and it works 100% on my plants. It must be a direct hit though so make sure you get everything. Now if someone can tell me how to keep them from coming back I'd appreciate it! It's a year-round battle here with them. And mealy bugs, ugh!

Wow, so much to think about. You can see I am a newby. LOL. It's probably of fertiliser. I am in Tamborine, Queensland, Australia and we have just come out of a very very hot heat wave ... actually 4 of them back to back. We are in our summer months. I have been keeping up watering them to make sure my plants don't die. 2 of them are in terracotta pots and 2 are in the ground. The ones in the ground are fine. They are in the sun until about 15hr00 then shade takes over. Unfortunately I can't take photos right now as it's dark out but I can say they don't have a lot of leaves. The yellow leaves have now fallen off. Will try and get photos in the morning. I will also look to see if there are any spider mite. I have seen spider strands all around that area.

What fertiliser would you recommend?

Noelleen,

Stick with Marlene K, Rachel T in Brisbane, and other fellow Australians. They are best suited to help with your specific needs as it pertains to your local culture.

I see a garden club in the making. You should say "Hello" here:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4435899/please-say-hi-and-take-a-look-at-our-adeniums#19315659

Welcome aboard!!

Maria Elena