Question
I have a few potted plants in my lania and noticed the leaves were dying. The plants were covered with white bugs (not sure what they are). Now the plants lost all their leaves and the plant actually died. The stems and branches seem to be hollowed out. Now I noticed my plumeria tree is losing its leaves. The leaves first appear to have yellow spots, then the whole leaf turns yellow, and eventually turns brown and falls off. The whole tree is like this. I know it was an expensive tree and I'm afraid it will die. What should I do to help this beautiful tree to strive???  HELP!!!!

Answer
Dear Chris, It appears that your plumeria is getting too much water.  You have several problems going on here, but the excess water is the worst problem.  The white bugs are probably mealybugs, a common pest of exotic and potted plants.  Discard any dead plants as they will just transmit disease.  As far as the yellowing leaves of the plumeria, you probably have a fungal disease.  Any hollowed out stems are dead and should be removed.  I would recommend using Ferti-Lome Triple Action Plus because it controls insects, mites and fungus.  You can spray to control the fungus and any leftover mealybugs will be killed as well.  There are two formulas to this product, one contains NEEM as the primary ingredient, but either would be a good idea.  Spray with the Triple Action, remove any dead leaves to prevent re-infection, remove any dead plants or stems and reduce the water significantly.  You should start to see improvement within a few weeks.  Good luck and write back if you have further questions.  Melissa