| I have 9 yr old oleanders around a hot tub in the south yard. This year I have notice a grayish-brown wart looking spot on the stems and under the leaves. On some of the plants even the flowers are blooming kind of shiveral up. What is this and how do I treat it? I thought it was due to a lack of acidity in the soil so I have applied the miracid to the soil around them, did this hurt them? |
| Warty growths on Nerium (oleander) are probably bacterial galls. These canker-like lesions can appear on all plant parts except the flowers. It's best to cut off and destroy infected plant parts, carefully disinfecting the pruners (dip in alcohol) after each cut. The galls are usually preceded by scale insects or mealybugs. The insects do not cause the galls, but provide an opening for infection. Applying Miracid will have no affect on the bacterial galls. |
