Plumeria leaf drop can have a variety of causes, usually due to improper care or environmental factors.
It is your plant that lets you know that something is missing, there is too much of something, or something is actively irritating your Plumeria.
So if your Plumeria is hanging, falling, bending, or something like that, here are the main causes and what you can do to correct or prevent it in the future.
Submarine
Like most plants, Plumeria leaves droop or wilt when the plant dries out from flooding.
It’s a fairly common mistake, as people sometimes forget to water all their plants, but it’s not the worst that can happen, not even close.
That being said, plumerias are actually quite drought tolerant and can go a bit longer without water than other plants, so again, it’s not too bad if you forget sometimes.
Some signs that it may have been underwater are as follows.
- Fallen or withered leaves
- leaf loop
- brown leaf tips
- crispy leaves
The solution
Although watering frequency may vary depending on the current temperature or season, the best way to know when to water is to check the soil.
When the top centimeter of soil is dry, you can water.
If the top thumb is still wet, wait for it to go away.
It can be so simple!
Be sure to water deeply each time and use well-drained soil for best results.
Once the flood is resolved, the leaves should animate again.
excess water
Like flooding, overwatering a Plumeria can also cause leaf drop, as too much water can mimic the effects of a lack of water once the plant stops growing efficiently.
Indeed, if you water too much, you will end up with standing water which will starve the roots of oxygen and prevent them from doing their job.
It causes all sorts of problems like underwater, but it can be much worse.
As mentioned above, plumerias are drought-tolerant plants, so flooding them is better than watering them, as the former is much easier to fix and causes less serious problems.
Some signs that you might have an overwatered Plumeria include.
- Fallen or withered leaves
- rolled up leaves
- The leaves turn brown
- The leaves are turning yellow
- brown leaf tips
- understory growth
- the leaves fall
- rotten root
The solution
If you find yourself in an overwater situation, check for root rot first to be sure.
If the roots are firm and white, they’re fine, but if they’re dark or soft, you have rotten roots and you need to act fast to save the plant.
This includes pruning out damaged roots and heavily infested leaves, then transplanting them into fresh soil and a new container or growing location.
Once this has been taken care of, be sure to only water when the soil is dry to prevent this from happening again.
Also, be sure to use well-drained soil, as this is also very important.
harmful
Pests can also be a major cause of Plumeria leaf drop, as this plant can be affected by a number of these annoying insects.
Some pests that can invade your plumeria include, but are not limited to, mites, scale insects, thrips, scale insects, and aphids.
What do all these parasites have in common?
They all feed on plant leaves, absorbing nutrients from your Plumeria, causing the plant to wither and drop.
They also leave behind a honeyed substance that eventually turns into sooty mold, yuck.
Some signs of a pest infestation are as follows.
- hanging leaves
- rolled up leaves
- Holes in the leaves
- The leaves turn white in spots or white spots.
- yellowing of leaves
- brown leaves
- Black spots on the leaves.
- Visible pests themselves
- Cottony ovals (these are mealybugs)
- Cobweb-like material (red spider)
- understory growth
The solution
There are actually several ways to deal with a pest problem on a Plumeria.
One way is to simply spray water on the affected parts of the plant and apply light pressure from behind to spray the insects off the plant.
Another way is to use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to clean the leaves to remove the pests by hand.
It’s very effective, but it can take a little time.
One of the most effective ways to control pests is to use neem oil, as it can get rid of insects and repel them.
I recommend this neem oil if you want to try this method.
In general, if you suspect you have pests, be sure to isolate your plumeria from other plants before treating it to prevent the insects from spreading.
Once they are gone, the leaves should return to normal, as they are not too damaged to prune.
little light
Plumerias look and grow best when grown in lots of bright light, either bright indirect light or full sun.
What you shouldn’t do is grow your Plumeria in too little light, as this can cause chlorosis, which is a loss of chlorophyll and can cause the leaves to turn yellow, pale and fall off.
The best light for Plumerias is bright, indirect light with a bit of full sun here and there with some shade to protect the plant from the midday sun.
You definitely want to avoid growing in near total darkness or in a place where there isn’t enough light every day.
The solution
If you are growing outdoors, you may need to move your Plumeria to an area with more light during the day.
Just about anywhere will do, as long as there is shade to protect the plant from the midday sun and you are good to go.
When grown indoors, you can opt for a south-facing window or one that seems to get plenty of light.
Keep in mind that you should not place your plumeria too close to a particular window, as this may increase the risk of plant burn.
If all else fails and your windows aren’t getting enough light, consider getting an indoor grow light to supplement your plants’ needs.
thermal stress
As mentioned above, you need to protect your Plumeria from the heat of the midday sun or really whenever the heat rises, as it would with you.
Although Plumerias can handle full sun, they don’t like it for more than a few hours a day and prefer bright, indirect light.
Too much heat can dry out your Plumeria, causing leaf drop or other problems like sunburn or leaf drop.
The solution
Whether you’re growing indoors or outdoors, you need to be aware of how intense the heat will be that day, even if it’s only for a few hours.
Take steps to shade your Plumeria in the afternoon or bring the plant indoors during the hottest times of the year, usually during a summer heat wave.
Just treat your plant like you would treat yourself, your Plumeria will thank you.
stress transplant
Transplant stress, transplant shock, or transplant stress, whatever you call it, can cause all kinds of problems and one of them is leaf drop on a Plumeria.
This is actually very common and can happen to most plants after transplanting.
This is because your Plumeria is trying to adapt to a new growing environment, whether in the form of new soil, a container, or both.
Luckily, it’s not that bad and you just have to wait.
It may take a while for the plant to recover, whether it be weeks or months, but if it is just transplant shock, your Plumeria will bounce back.
There are a number of ways to reduce the risk of this happening or lessen its impact, so to speak.
The solution
Since you really want to wait, here are some tips to prevent or lessen the problem.
- Only repot during the active growing season.
- Be careful not to damage the roots when transplanting
- Use similar soil in the new container.
- Don’t tamp the soil too much.
- Only increase one pot size per transplant
final thoughts
By now you probably have a good idea of what could be causing Plumeria leaf drop.
Most of the time it will be a water problem, but it could definitely be one of the other causes mentioned above.
So overall, I hope you found what you were looking for so you can enjoy the process again!