Weird stuff going on could it be fertilizer???help!

11 years ago

OK guys I have been meaning to write this for awhile, but have been too busy watching all my flowers open. :-)

First I notices that my Princess Victoria has narrower leaves than last year, and is not really producing more leaves. As you can see plenty of flowers but leaves...narrow

Then, on two of my plants the inflos developed first, then after they opened up, the leaves started to develop. On the yellow plant, the leaves started to open, but haven't really formed well. Also, once the leaves "grew" the flowers haven't really developed. My Hawaiian Flag on the other hand, once the flowers first opened, within a week, the leaves all grew fine! And the flowers keep on producing.

This is the yellow one with immature? Leaves and slow growing flowers

This is the Hawaiian Flag. Beautiful blossoms, one of my favorite.

Blossoms with no leaves yet

And here, a week and a half later, with leaves

And FINALLY I PROMISE!! My cutting of UH Orange which I hoped would develop inflos this year. Note the strange change in diameter of the trunk growth. It is a cutting from last year. The only one to do this!

I can't help but wonder if it is fertilizer that is to blame? Yet, on the other hand, my 31/2 foot Guillott's Sunset a cutting from last year, is the latest to start deceloping inflos. In fact I counted 11 separate inflos on the one tree!I I welcome suggestions. A shortage in something? I haven't changed from last year's fertilizer, but wonder if it an effect that is slow to show? I do not use a high Nitrogen fertilizer. Jennifer

Comments (4)

nativec
11 years ago
labland-I hope one of the experts on the forum chimes in. I am in CA as well and have noticed this year that it is taking forever for my leaves to develop. I have inflo's on plants that just don't have many leaves. The best part is that I've not even fertilized yet this year because I use a foliar spray and my plants just aren't leafing out like they normally do.

Keep us posted

Nicole
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
11 years ago
I would think your plumerias would be further along (growth wise) by this time. What was your winter like? Could they have had some damage down at the root level from too-wet and too cold from the winter? Just a guess. Hopefully someone from your region can help!
labland
Original Author
11 years ago
Our weather has been a bit strange. I covered them when we had freezing weather, so I didn't have that problem. These are in a raised planter. We had hot, cold, hot , rain out of season... You name it! I did have an issue with some plumeria with spotted leaves which Armstrong Nursery told me they have the same problem on many of their evergreens. So that "issue" made sense, in fact all of my plumeria that had the spotted leaf issue have eventually dropped all of those leaves, which lead me to believe that was definitely climate/weather induced.

Jenn
PRO
the_first_kms2
11 years ago
This is a tough one. I have seen that branch narrowing as you show on your UH Orange on plants which got a bit of a frosted tip over winter. Not enough to destroy the tip but enough to slow it down and distort the first few sets of leaves. What is odd is...it usually damages any forming inflos too. It could be a combination of little things and thats why its hard to pinpoint.

No plant in serious stress would be pushing out such nice inflos...Assuming no insects, accidental overspray/over application of chemicals, etc. I would guess its most likely to be weather related as your fertilizing routine hasn't changed. I don't think there is much to do but keep to your care routine, observe, and wait it out. I I don't know of a quick fix but hope this helps.