| I've got a bougainvillea that was planted about 3 mnths ago. good growth on it. have small white spots on the leaves. plus somethings eating the new growth. help |
| The most common pest is the bougainvillea looper caterpillar and you can control them with applications of Bt (sold as Dipel). Be sure to apply according to label directions. The white spots can be damage from chemical sprays, watering issues (don't keep the soil too moist) or the beginning of a fungal or bacterial disease. You might just want to prune away the damaged portions of the plants. This will reduce the caterpillar population plus remove the damaged leaves. Then spray with neem oil or Bt. Together, these actions should control the problems, encourage healthy new - flowering - growth, and help your bougainvillea remain thick and lush. Good luck with your garden! |
| I have this problem, it starts with the spots then the leaves go yellow and drop off! No sign of caterpillars, I pic off the leaves daily and pick up any dropped. I have drenched soil with Neem solution. Spraying seemed to effect leaves here, probably due to sun? So Soil drench seems the better option ? The plants have suffered from far less flowering than usual and some leaves have grown very large? I have stopped feed and cut back on watering. Waiting game now? |
