Deformed buds.

[davidwood]

I have noticed i am starting to get a few deformed buds, not just on one cv but at least 3,the best way to describe it is its like a turkey beak. Is this normal now and again or is something wrong,or  maybe just to strong a sun on it as it is developing. I never took a picture of the one on Chariots of Fire the other day but it was much worse than the one in the picture here.

[Charlie]

Hmm, an unusual problem, David. I've seen a few buds deformed in a similar way over the years, but have not been able to pinpoint a cause. Most likely something is getting inside the bud and causing enough damage so that it does not develop correctly. It could also be related to the heat and UV intensity in Vietnam and could even result from a genetic mutation. We see the latter sometimes when flowers open that are clearly different than the normal flowers on the plant. In that case it is called a sport and can even become a new variety if wood is cut from the branch that flowered differently and is then propagated. However, since you've seen this on several plants lately that would rule out the gene mutation idea. My best guess is an insect that lays eggs in or on the flower bud. If you want to treat the plants try spinosad.

Charlie

[Darkhorse]

My T. Princess had buds like that.  For her, thrips caused the problem.

[davidwood]

Thanks Jordan Charles,they have just had a good spray. Charlie, you may be interested to know that i am using a mixture of coco coir and perlite as my potting mix with all new plants and am having good results. I know i said i would never use coco again but i discovered what the problem was and by adding Perlite I cured the problem.

I will try to explain and its what i discovered when washing the coco i have here, if for any reason part of the coco is allowed to dry in the mix its a devil of a job to wet again , i was actually making a soup of coco when washing it 3 times to get it ready but could still reach my hand into the middle of the bucket and pull out bone dry coco.
So i did a few experiments and found by adding about 25% perlite and breaking it all down with the coco into a loamy mix the pot gets evenly watered throughout. Amazingly simple but it cost me about 6 cv's to discover.

[Charlie]

That's good news, David. Trial and error is what works since every situation is a little or a lot different and growers/gardeners have to find what works for them in their unique set of circumstances.

When we first bought coco coir here it came in very compressed bricks and was totally dry. To use it we had to first soak it in water in a large basin overnight. During that time it expanded several times the original size and became mostly soaked with water. We still had to finish breaking it up by hand and continue to soak it in plenty of water until it was all wet through and through. Coco coir would be extremely hard to wet if placed in the pot dry, which is what I think you are saying you did in the past. When using a basin filled with water each brick would soak up gallons of water overnight - amazing really how much it can hold.

I stopped using coco bricks when one supplier started packaging it mixed with peat moss and perlite so the job of breaking up bricks was eliminated. We still wet all potting mix before adding it to the pots so that it is uniformly moist and will behave as intended when hooked into the drip irrigation system.

Charlie

[davidwood]

The Spinosad will have not had time to work yet and you can see the deformity on Chariots of Fire and what look like Thrip markings on City Slicker[maybe Jordan you can let me know if that is Thrip markings or not].

Now just to confuse everything the other picture is of a bud last month on C of F, obviously it is deformed but looks nothing like a C of F bloom, so whats happened there i have no idea.

On a more positive note though, the new Magnesium has had a very quick effect, i only sprayed 2 days ago and the leaves have gone several shades darker on the paler leaves and a little darker on the allready very green leaves.

[Charlie]

David, my opinion is that the markings on City Slicker are not thrips. They look like what are called "color faults" which happen occasionally when no pigment is produced in part of a petal. My best guess is that the deformed buds and the color fault are all the result of temperatures that are higher than normal for hibiscus.

I saw a lot of these strange deformities one year when the shade paint on order was late arriving. For 2 weeks the temperatures were well above 100 F every day and most varieties were severely effected. Once we got the paint and applied it to the greenhouse roof the temperatures inside dropped and the plants returned to normal.

There could be some insect involvement in your case, but there are no obvious signs of it in the photos.

You've done a really good job managing the hibiscus and the heat, using shade and good watering practices to keep them blooming and behaving mostly normal.

Charlie

[Darkhorse]

I agree with Charlie.  I don't see any thrip markings there.  Also, something I've taken note of is Chariots of Fire doesn't seem to react to thrips at all-- no bud drop, etc. 

[Charlie]

That's interesting, Jordan. Some varieties don't drop buds when the thrips feed on them - Byron Metts is another one that you can often see thrips running all around the petals after the flower opens.

Charlie