"Parchment" plumeria leaves

9 years ago

Greetings to all, and please excuse the repetitive nature of this plumeria question. I've seen it posed everywhere; however, solutions seem to be rife (water, soil, fertilizer, disease) and often contradictory (too much/not enough), so I figured I'd try asking based on my own plumeria's specs.

The cutting, bought in Hawai'i 18 months ago, is rooted, seems fine, and has about a dozen leaves sprouting amid a 1/2 direct sun on my deck in Paris.

Within the past week, however, the established (though not sprouting) leaves have gotten brownish-yellow and turned very rough, like parchment. They looked like they're preparing to drop, but the end of July isn't exactly their time.

Checked for bugs and find none. Drainage is fine, and I water a couple times/week (a bit more if it gets very hot). I'm stumped about what to do -- or even if it's necessarily a problem.

I'm posting three pics for a clearer indication of what's going on (FYI soil is damp from watering the previous evening).

Any tips or would be most appreciated, and thanks in advance for your help.

Bruce

Featured Answer

Bruce
Original Author

8 years ago

Word of thanks -- and an update -- to those who responded to my plea. The advice of cleansing leaves and any other parts of my ailing plumeria to rid it of suspected parasites really did the trick. The first swabbing pretty much resolved the problem, but a second insurance mop up clearly got rid of them. Lots of new growth, and even some of the older leaves that had been wilted rallied -- only lost a couple entirely from a dozen-15 total.

Thanks very much once again; I'd have been seriously depressed if I'd lost the plant!

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Comments (8)

Bruce
Original Author
9 years ago
Sorry, missed the last photo. Also fyi, the sort of brownish dust visible in a few leaves is spilled soil put into the wisteria plant behind. Ooops...
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the_first_kms2
9 years ago
I am leaning towards a spider mite problem.
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Bruce
Original Author
9 years ago
Many thanks for the feedback. I've already wiped down the leaves as "just in case" prevention, and will find the best treatment for spider mites ASAP. Hope that's the ailment, because the leaves went from quite healthy to sickly really fast -- would love to get it sorted out and the plumeria back on the mend (still awaiting my first flower 18 months on, and I doubt this setback will allow that to happen this year...)

Thanks agai.
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
9 years ago
Spider mites. Wipe front and back surfaces. These leaves will not 'recover', but new ones should be OK provided you have eliminated the problem. You can also spray a forceful stream on the new growth periodically.
Bruce
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you for this advice as well -- it's all welcome in my effort to keep my spark of Hanalei life growing in Paris!

I am stunned that these critters did the older leaves in so fast: they went from normal looking to really zapped in the space of a few days. Having said that, I did notice a couple lady bugs taking a real shine to the plumeria cutting, right below the lower-leaf level. Guess they found something to munch on that I missed.

In any case, I've wiped everything down, and will do so again with a soap/alcohol mix I've read about, and hope that keeps the new leaves from suffering the same fate.

Thanks once again for all this kind help.
tunatony
9 years ago
May want to consider spraying on a neem oil emulsion... generally safe, mild, effective and organic...lol
PRO
the_first_kms2
8 years ago
great to read the good news.