How to Grow Tropical Flowering Ixora Shrubs | Gardener’s Path

Fill it a third of the way with a well-draining, acidic, organically rich, moisture-retentive potting mix.

Unpot the plant and set it at the same depth as it was in the growing pot, keeping the crown at or just above the soil surface, and backfill with soil.

Water well, and continue watering whenever the top few inches of soil feel dry.

Pests and Disease

Ixora is not prone to pests or disease. However, the plants may suffer damage from common pests like aphids, mealybugs, and scale.

These sapsuckers feed on sap, disfiguring and discoloring foliage and causing wilting. Aphids and scale insects favor warm, dry conditions, while mealybugs prefer dampness and humidity.

Deter the pests with proper watering to avoid overly dry or wet conditions.

Use a firm spray of the hose to dislodge aphids and mealybugs.

Remove scale insects by moistening them with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and scraping them off with your fingernail. Apply organic neem oil or an insecticidal soap to treat both.

Root-knot nematodes may feed on the roots of outdoor specimens. These microscopic soil roundworms favor earth low in organic matter. They cause root damage, growth anomalies, leaf yellowing, and leaf dropping.

Amend poor soil with ingredients like humus or well-rotted manure when planting.

Side-dress several times during the growing season with more applications to maintain a fertile environment.

Disease

Diseases you may encounter include Cercospora leaf spot and sooty mold fungi. Moist, humid environments favor spore germination.

Symptoms include tan leaf spots that shade to reddish-purple with yellow margins followed by leaf drop.

Snip off and discard affected foliage. You can use copper fungicide if the damage is significant.

As mentioned, slightly acidic, fertile loam is the best growing medium for ixora.

However, in alkaline conditions, such as near pavements and foundations, and in sand, the soil may lack certain nutrients causing symptoms that look like the plant is suffering from disease.

When iron and manganese are lacking, chlorophyll production is impaired, causing the foliage to become yellow or chlorotic.

Older leaves may develop reddish-purple spots when phosphorus and/or potassium is lacking, similar to those caused by Cercospora leaf spot.

The remedy for nutrient deficiencies begins with conducting a soil test. Follow the recommendations to improve soil fertility and lower the pH.

Amendments may include a fertilizer blend of sulfur for iron, manganese, and soil acidity; bone meal for phosphorus; and potash for potassium.

Sooty mold is caused by a fungus that grows in the honeydew excreted by aphids and scale insects.