Plumeria pest

[lissie0113]

So a plumeria that i bought on my trip to hawaii last may has been growing great ever since. but just this week i noticed that the underside of two leaves was covered with small orange dots.... looks like eggs of some sort. any idea what these are? sorry i didnt take a pic, i was so grossed out i just cut off the suspicious leaves and got rid of them ASAP. what should i treat it with to make these buggers (whatever they are) go away?

[PhalPal]

I'm not sure what you have; I have never seen them on any of my plumeria. When I do see something I don't like (usually whitefly) I wash them off best I can with just plain water and my fingers and then spray with Safer Soap.
It seems bugs only attack the undersides of plumeria so I do spot checks a lot.

[lmartiny]

I've not seen that on mine but I don't inspect them very often. Any that i did not bring in for the last cold snap are toast.

[lissie0113]

i will see if there is any left on another leaf to post a pic. they came out of nowhere..... i check them all the time. Bright orange spots like eggs.... weird. i did bring it in during the last cold snap though and it was nice and warm.

[Sharyn]

Sounds like Plumeria rust, which is a fungal disease. Try doing a google search for plumeria diseases. Here's one link that may identify your spots.
Plumeria Rust Fungus

Sorry, Melissa, I meant to post the home page of the link above. Try their home page and click on the 20 favorite links. You'll find the American Plumeria Society and a few other interesting links that may help resolve your problem.
PLUMERIA 101.COM Everything You Need To Know About Growing Plumeria.

[lissie0113]

THats it! THats exactly what it looks like. I went to try and take a pic but there isnt any on the last two leaves remaining.... how bad is this for my plant? can it recover?

[Hummer344]

IF you would have said little orange dots on a rose I would have said rust. I didn't know that plumeria got it. Learn something new everyday.

[lissie0113]

Yes.... now i need to learn how to fix it! keep my fingers crossed...... ill head out tomorrow and buy some fungicide

[Sharyn]

Melissa: Your plant will probably be fine. Rust spores generally do not kill the plant, however, it is important to remove the infected leaves to prevent spread. Do NOT put the infected leaves in a compost - the spores will spread.

Rust disease can be spread by the wind. Also, leaves staying too wet during rainy seasons can cause the infection. I'm no expert, but I'd try a systemic fungicide.

One of our Moderators, Jerry Meola, has an orchid business in southern Florida. He may be able to direct you to the right type of fungicide. Try sending him a P.M. and I'm sure he'll help you. Good Luck!

[PhalPal]

Melissa my plumeria live outside and they do naturally lose their leaves in winter.

[lissie0113]

yeah i know its supposed to lose its leaves, which was starting to happen..... but when i was looking it over it had all that orange nastiness on it! so i cut off the two leaves that were really bad..... now ill have to treat it with fungicide.... and im sure it will lose the rest of its leaves soon...... but thanks for the info!

[lissie0113]

Can this type of fungus spread to my 'chids?

[Sharyn]

lizzie: From what I've studied, there are over 4000 types of rust diseases that affect plant life. I'd be on the side of caution and move your plumeria away from the orchids. Remove the bad leaves, apply a systemic fungicide and do a bit of research on plumeria culture in your area of the country. Living in Florida may lend your plants more susceptable to the rust with your very humid/rainy periods.