need help soon

i have 2 michelia alba trees 20" tall. in miracal gro potting mix.in pot in bright light.had about one month.leaves are loseing color and dying on edges.will be taking them to south texas to put outside in two weeks ,but am scared to death that they need something right now and don't know what.just looked at them and a leaf bud has dried up overnite.noticed yellow sploches on leaves that you can see when light shines through from outside.guess that's where the color loss is .please,please help! am misting several times daily

Can you post a picture? If by "losing color and dying on edges" you mean the edges are turning brown, it could just be lack of humidity (misting may help with that, but you might want to try something else like a humidifier which will do a better job of getting the humidity up). The yellow splotches could be something else, anything from spider mites to needing fertilizer or something else entirely, those it would be really helpful to see a picture of.

I would also reconsider planting them outside in 2 weeks--first of all if the plants are already stressed you need to let them recover first. Second of all, I think these plants are only going to be borderline hardy in TX in the first place and since they're still very small, I don't think I would take any chances on planting them now, I'd wait until spring (even if they were totally healthy)

Perhaps this link will provide some help, http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/fragrant/2005034256008093.html

;~}
Larry

wish i could post picture.a camera is my next investment,as soon as i can research my consumer report.i know you'r right about keeping them in container,they were bare root .the shipper flattened the shipping box&broke the first one just above the graft.it's the one that started to bud,then dried up. it was cheaper to order another rather than lose shipping three ways.it was flat also &stressed,but at least had roots .i wonder if iron would help,and enclose in plastic mini greenhouse. no critters on them.i had read everything on the net before i decided to go ahead & try to grow these.i reread that link & picked up information i missed before.if i try a little iron any suggestions what kind? i just don't know if my potting soil is correct for these babies

What part of Texas are you planning on planting this tree? I agree with ecrane3 that it's very "iffy" that these plants will survive in that location. I always thought they were only hardy in zone 10 and higher?



http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/73500/

plantladylin,had planned on planting just north of corpus christi,on the coast around rockport.i think it's zone 9. i have avacado,meyers lemon,orange,grapefruit, plumera,banana,all doing fine,been out several years,fruiting. was hoping to add these babies to my tropical collection,but have changed my mind,will keep in pots &transport back & forth awhile,if i can stabilize.i love these things,wish i had a jungle of them.i will have to provide shelter if i don't keep in pots

I don't think that you need to add any iron. Yellow spots on the leaves are not the typical sign of iron deficiency. Iron deficiency shows up as most of the leaf looks yellowish green (or eventually yellow), but right around the veins will still be green. And this look is more pronounced on newer leaves rather than older ones. So if that's what your leaves look like then iron may help, but if they're yellow from something else then it's not going to do anything for you.

If you're growing plumerias outdoors successfully then you should be able to grow these outdoors if you want (from a hardiness standpoint at least), but since they're small and under stress I stick by my original advice not to plant them now, wait at least until spring and see how they're doing then.

ecrane3,thank you ,and everyone else.pot plants it is until at least spring of 2009. i live in texas 5 mos. out of the year and i'll bring them back next spring to keep another year.i transport a lot of plants to my sons home, and mine in tex. so far ,have had very good luck, but these are special ,an "always wanted", i can't bear to lose them. i have set upside down bowls under them in the drip pans and cut back on water.just want to do all to keep,and that dead bud,yellow splotched leaves sent me in a tailspin oh,and i have 2 ins rock in pots for drainage.thanks again, if you think of anything else,please post.tender tropicals are new to me.

I dont know a lot about these plants as they are way too tender for us in UK, even in my greenhouse, what I do know is they do not like any disturbance as it also sends them into shock, so as much as you are well used to traveling with your plants, I would be even more careful with them, give them a larger box/container that is deep enough to take the full height of the plants and pack some paper or something around the pots and the stems to a) stop cold drafts getting to them and b) give them the protection from rattling around en route, keep the soil dryish just a day or so before you travel. wish you all the luck in the world, they remind me of the flowers of the Star Magnolia, but these are a good deal hardier here. let us know how they survive. WeeNel.

oh yeah,! they are in 2 gal pots staked,will have 2 1/2'tall boxes,inside hytop van we travel in.i'll take all precautions.i've got to get camera so i can share results with everyone that has taken time to get involved & help.