severely drooping oleander - Knowledgebase Question

encinitas, CA
Avatar for sricheri
Question by sricheri
August 4, 1999
I have an oleander about 5 feet wide and would stand about 8 feet but it bends over. It seems the branches are very weak. It had a bad case of scale( large black round things on the branches )which I treated twice with Volck oil and also with malathion because of small blackish and yellowish things on the flowers. The scale seem to be dried up and I don't notice the bugs on the flower. It's been weeks and the bush is still very bent. What can I do? I have another one right next to it that seems totally healthy.


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Answer from NGA
August 4, 1999
Uploaded by plantladylin
 Oleanders seem to be a favorite host of scale insects, and they can really do damage to the plant if left unchecked. If you only recently sprayed horticultural oil, the timing was less than perfect and your plant is suffering the consequences. Oil will suffocate scale insects, but it will also coat the leaves, and at this time of year (midsummer) will intensify sunlight on leaf surfaces and suppress the ability of the leaves to transpire. The drooping is a result of these actions. The residual oil will eventually weather away through repeated rainfalls.

Malathion is registered for use on oleander, so I doubt its application has had any adverse affects on your plant.

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