Here's a picture of my Cypress Gardens. Up until yesterday it was looking great. I had a big flush of blooms last month and it's got lots of new buds now. But the foliage has suddenly started to look very unhealthy. Is this just from heat stress (it was 96F here today - hottest day so far), or is it something else? I did not see any signs of mites when I checked the leaves. But I've seen posts on this forum mentioning 'broad mites' that hide inside the leaf tissue - could this be mites?
BTW, Becca Lynn, which is right next to Cypress Gardens, is looking great - bright green leaves and lots of buds. I guess I better move B.L. in case C.G. has something contagious!
I was told that Broad mites aren't a problem when the temps are hot. They hit during cool temps. I hope this wasn't a dream. LOL!
Any ideas on what is wrong with my brug? It doesn't look any worse today than before. I am hoping it was just from having two days in a row of temps in the mid 90s in full sun. Does Cypress Gardens want a bit of shade? Shade is hard to find in my yard but I can try moving the container if anyone thinks that will help.
Here is a picture of this plant from last month, when it was blooming (just to prove it hasn't always looked this bad!)
I read on ABADS that if a brug gets too dry, and has a serious wilt, they will sometimes do this.
I'd like to be able to give all my brugs some shade, but I don't have enough of it close to where I spend my time and that is where I want my brugs. You might give it a try and see if it will help. There is a lot of summer left and you have some hot weather for them to try to live through. Shade might be the best medicine. Never hurts to try anyway and it won't slow the brug down to have shade in the afternoon anyway.
WOW Tom that is a fantastic pic! Makes me want to run out and buy myself a Cypress Gardens! The foliage of BL is gorgeous too. What are you feeding them?
I had a very similars problem with Jesse Noel. Then the leaves turned spotted yellow with those brown dots. I sent my pic around to some experts and they all felt it may be fungus. I sprayed it with a antifungus twice. I seemed to be still be getting them, so I sprayed the under leaves with Neem which is a anti fungus and well as anti bug. It seems to have cured it. I now have new growth.
Good luck and let us know what happens and what works for you.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I am going to keep an eye on C.G. and if it doesn't improve in a couple of days, or if it starts to look any worse, I will spray it with fungicide. So far it is looking about the same - the new leaves are growing in green and it hasn't dropped any buds. I will let you know how it turns out, just in case anyone else has this problem we will know what to do (or not to do!).
I feed my brugs Miracle-Gro (or generic equivalent) weekly, supplemented by alfalfa and a bit of epsom salts and chelated iron once a month. I try to be really careful about not overfeeding my plants... if they are a bit underfed they will still survive but a bit too much fert. can do a lot of damage. Learned that the hard way.
Just a quick update - not that y'all were losing sleep over this ;-)
My Cypress Gardens is completely healthy now and setting lots of new buds. So, if anyone sees leaves that look like mine did in the first picture, don't panic! I believe the problems last month were simply caused by a couple of days of hot, dry weather when the plant got wilted and heat stressed. I have been extra careful to keep it well watered, and gave it a booster of alfalfa pellets - it seems to be happy now. It's got lots of new buds and if the cucumber beetles will stop eating them I should have lots of blooms in a couple of weeks.
I wish I could say the same for Becca Lynn. She looked so healthy before but since then she's been attacked by caterpillars twice. In reviewing some old posts on this forum, it seems that Whiskers and its hybrids may be especially vulnerable to caterpillars - bummer.
Im glad thats all it was Tom. I think I would still panic! ;o)
I think I read that Caterpillars just love Becca Lynn. I know they can defoliate a Maya in just a day or 2. Have you used BT? I understand it is not an insecticide so it isnot harmful to the environment.
Glad to hear about your sick brug. Such a pretty plant, it would have been a shame to have it be sick.
I know I will kick myself for asking, but how do you use alfalfa pellets Tom?
Kell, alfalfa pellets must be applied only during a full moon. They must be mixed with organic yak manure and then moistened with rainwater aged at least 3 days in full sun. Finally, you need to dance naked in a circle around the plant exactly 7 times, chanting 'brugga brugga brugga'. ;-)
Actually, all I do is mix about 1 cup for a small plant or 2+ cups for a larger plant in the soil when transplanting, or about the same amount as a top-dressing around the plant maybe once a month during the growing season. It helps to mix the alfalfa with the soil or mulch so it doesn't form a messy glob when it gets wet. I use the plain alfalfa without any molasses, etc and of course without any salt. I don't bother with the 'tea' because I'm lazy and I don't think it makes much difference anyway - I get good results with plain old alfalfa. Just my opinion, YMMV.
That sure sounds less messy! And I am so glad I do not have to get naked!
OMG lolol I can just see it now!
Tom I seen the full moon and you had me for a second. LOL
I saw that and was thinking "my brugs will just have to do without that tea cause I ain't going out in my yard after dark, too many critters out there!" Whew! glad it wasn't true!
Tom, the heat we've had down here the last month or so has really made the leaves on my brugs in full sun look bad and the ones in the shade the cats have eaten. I did notice the birds were eating the worms though.
Tom, what a vision. I can see it now. My neighbors already think I'm nutz, if they start hearing the "bruga, bruga" chant they might send for the wagon.
I'm too lazy for the AP tea, I tried it once and what a chore. I do mix it in my soil mix when moving up a size, or dig (scratch) it into the soil and water it in. It may take longer, but the plants seem to like it (not only my brugs)
Linda
