Black, Sooty Moldy stuff...

We've had drenching rains for weeks now, and today is the first sunny day in what seems like forever!
My plumeria rubra is in really, really bad shape. I tried to shelter it under the eaves as much as possible but it still took a soaking practically daily. The leaves are yellow and mottled, and this morning I noticed black stuff growing along where the leaves are attached to the stem. On every single leaf. I also had some blooms trying to start, they are black as well.

I have a disinfectant/fungicide called Physan 20, but I want to save it as a last resort, so this morning I sprayed the entire plant down with neem oil, which supposedly works for mold and fungus. Did I do the right thing? Should I have whipped out the Physan 20 first? Can my plumeria be saved? Should I cut off the blackened blooms?

Liila~

My answer is -- I dunno. But, wait for Clare.

And, please come back to your thread on Please Explain. We're worried that you may have been, unconsolably (my word), hurt.

Liila, on my other plumeria forum, the other Floridians are reporting the same thing with the leaves. I've heard Physan 20 is great, and you should use it. Neem oil is great too. I would remove any black blooms. As long as your plumerias have good drainage, they will withstand a lot of rain. The rain should be done now hopefully.

Here are some threads of plumeria growers who are in the same boat as you:

http://www.mauiplumeriagardens.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3782&hl=
http://www.mauiplumeriagardens.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3756

Flyboy, thank you for your concern. From merely reading your posts I've come to view you as a kindhearted and very sweet fellow who always has an encouraging word. I appreciate it!

I will return to the thread. I wasn't inconsolably hurt, merely taken aback by the sarcasm there. I thought we worked out a compromise and overcame the rudeness in that thread very nicely. It always helps to set aside one's aggression and hostility and merely talk like civil beings.

I've really tried to come to terms with the cats defoliating nearly every plant I have, but I can't stand them. On the other hand I gave up the idea of spraying poison to kill them, and I've given up picking them off the pineapple sages, passiflora's and tibouchina's, so I can't be all that bad, either. ;-D

Thanks Clare! I'm thinking that I didn't repot into a large enough pot when I purchased it because it dries out and needs watering every other day. I'm supposing it shouldn't be repotted again until next spring when a new growing season starts...At least I don't have to worry about it drowning.

I originally threw some Osmocote into the pot, and it receives some fertilization from the Bayer systemic I added some weeks ago, but I'll be using fish emulsion more regularly from here on in. (Should I be treating it to Bloom Booster?) I have a love/hate relationship with blue fertilizers, though, and don't like to use them all that much...

I'll also be spraying with the Physan 20 tomorrow if it appears that the neem didn't do the trick...It's the only plumeria I have, and I worry about it constantly. I was so excited when I saw blooms starting to happen, and so heartbroken when I noticed that it was in distress.

Liila, I would be hesitant to use a systemic on my plumies without testing it first. Have you used it before without any problems? I do use it on my brugs and roses, but some plants are sensitive to it, and I've never tried it on my plumies.

Yes, a Bloombooster or Bloombuilder would be a great help to give you flowers this summer.

I know exactly what you mean. I was very excited about my Marion B. blooms starting earlier this spring when the tops started turning black. I had to cut the tips off down to clean, white wood. But now each tip will form some new branches around it, and that will give me lots of chances for blooms next year.

I would repot your plumeria to a five-gallon container if it is in a one-gallon container if your plant continues to grow and thrive. If the tips are black, I would cut them off and spray with a fungicide. Note: If you have to cut the tops off, don't repot your plumeria until next year when you have new leaves and new branches. It will not need to be watered while it has no leaves.

Liila~

Good thinking. Don't take things too seriously. There is a certain sense of bravado that comes with anonymity. Have empathy. You never know what's driving the other person -- some days every one of us gets out of bed, bugged about something, and lashes out. Anonymity, and the bravado it engenders allows terrible things to come out of the keyboard. And then the offender becomes contrite -- but too late. That darned "Send" key had been hit too soon. When I was still in the "real world" I always put harsh correspondence in my top drawer overnight -- then read it again -- then adjusted the wording -- then signed it and had it mailed.

And, cats bring butterflies -- good luck.

"Be careful of the words you say, be sure they're nice and sweet,
You never know, from day to day, which words you'll have to eat.

And thanks for the kind words. I'm printing them out for my DDW to read next time I'm in the doghouse.

Brad, you're a dear, sweet person and so kind-hearted, and you're right.

Clare, the Bayer Systemic (both 2-in-1 granules and liquid 3-in-1) are fine, because I've used both on my plumie since day one, practically. This being South Florida I worried about mites and aphids, and It's been such a blessing I figured I'd pretreat the plumie before anything happened, and nothing ever has. At least bugwise! The black, sooty stuff was only at the leaf joints, and the tops haven't been affected yet. This morning the tops look fine. I'm going to spray with Physan 20 tomorrow anyway, as it couldn't hurt, and I've come to not trust neem oil anymore. It just doesn't seem to cut it down here for some reason.

It was in a 3 gallon pot when I bought it, and I immediately repotted into 18", but it's a bell shape and tapers down at the bottom too much. I think it's crowded. I like to put my trees in square shaped containers for some reason and will buy the biggest one I can find this weekend. Getting it out of the current pot will not be fun. It's leaves may be a bit ugly at present, but there are *lots* of them, and blooms a'comin that *aren't* black! I can hardly wait to see what color they are. Whatever, to me they'll be beautiful. ;-D

You're right Brad! Godzilla online is actually Casper Milktoast the pucillanimous weenie in real life... But I think on the thread she was just being passionate about her beliefs and did admit and apologize for being a bit too aggressive. I apologized for telling her that I'd think of her fondly as I sprayed poison all over my yard. (Which I was ashamed of and deleted out of the post. I was kinda mean, too!) We ended up having a nice exchange and she *did* get me to not spray poison so I think it worked out well for everyone. ;-D

As well as being a kindhearted and very sweet fellow, I can also see that you're intelligently witty, extraordinarily erudite, as well as being extremely insightful and touchingly compassionate toward your fellow beings on this planet! (How am I doin'? Will this one get you out of the doghouse, too?) ;-D

I, too, am guilty of hitting send and then instantly regretting it. Why is it so very easy to be passionately and dangerously loquacious when sitting in front of a keyboard? I've said things in email I'd never actually say were the other person sitting in front of me. I'm just lucky that my boyfriend thinks that it's absolutely adorable! ;-D

Temporarily, at home, I am "persona grata" ( not "non" grata). But it doesn't always last forever. And thanks for the fine comments. Now I have trouble getting my hat on, when I so need it in this heat wave we're having.

And, hang on to your "simpatico" boy friend. Lovers are easy to find, but "friends" are few and far between.

And was it a "he" or a "she" that bugged you most? I got lost in the vituperatives.

Be well

Liila, thanks for the info about the Bayer Systemic. I feel much better about using it knowing that it has worked fine for you. I get aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites here too, but they mostly like my brugmansias, but I may have to use it on the plumerias if they spread.

I'm so glad that you are getting new buds which aren't black. I don't think the mold at the leaf stem will do any damage, and frankly, it should get dried up by the sun, but the Physan 20 should work fine too. When you are repotting, remember that plumerias actually like their roots a little crowded so don't be tempted to get too large of a pot. You will know what size to get by the size of the existing rootball. Plumeria roots tend to break easily so make sure your soil is on the dry side when you go to repot.

You said some nice things about Brad, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. In addition to all those things you mentioned, he is extremely generous:-) I've lost my temper too while sitting at the keyboard, but it is usually when I allow myself to be provoked. There are always a few Godzillas in every forum, and there are also people who come off one way when they really don't mean to be antagonistic. I just try not to let myself become provoked by anything that complete strangers say. If I won't let my own family get to me, I am certainly not going to let strangers get to me! LOL! I didn't read the thread that you are talking about, but it sounds like the woman who didn't want you to spray poison had her heart in the right place even if she didn't express that well. That does count for something.

Liila, I had sooty mold on my plumeria last year. I found out that it usually develops when scale attack the plant first. The recommended solution is to treat for scale. No mention was made about getting rid of the sooty mold. Well, it won't go away on its own. On some plants if the leaves are big enough scrubbing the leaves with water and a soft cloth then rinsing takes care of most of the problem. Given a chance, it will return, scale or not. I bought a fungicide a few days ago. Now, I just need some cool weather to venture out. I used Malathion this spring and that seems to have taken care of the scale. Long story short — look at the underside of the leaves especially along the veins for scale.