My Medinilla Is Dropping Leaves – Why? What To Do?

Medinilla is easy to grow and take care of. Providing the plant with the right amount of everything that it needs will guarantee your plant lives healthily. But why does your Medinilla drop leaves? Here is what we found.

The reasons why Medinilla drops leaves are the following:

  • Underwatering or overwatering.
  • Too much sunlight.
  • Infestation of insects.

How to avoid these problems? What to do to prevent it from dropping leaves and dying? Would you like to learn more about how to take care of Medinilla? Read throughout the post as we delve more into the topic.

A pink flower medinilla magnifica on marble stand column, My Medinilla Is Dropping Leaves - Why? What To Do?

Why Does Your Medinilla Dropping Leaves?

Medinilla is a tropical shrub with bright pink blooms that grows up to 4 feet. It only needs pruning and trimming to retain the size you prefer. Medinilla prefers humid air and loves indirect sunlight. 

Although it is not difficult to care for Medinilla, there are things that we miss that make the plant lose its beauty. The leaves drop, and the flowers wither. There are possible reasons why Medinilla is losing its foliage.

Watering

Underwatering or overwatering may affect the plant's life, resulting in dropping leaves or dying.

Overwatering can cause root rot, which weakens the plant and slow down its growth. The leaves turn yellow, and the base gets destroyed until the plant dies.

  • To save the plant, transplant it into elevated, dry, and well-drained soil.
  • Water it regularly in spring and reduce watering outside the growing season. Always water Medinilla when the soil surface is dry.

Sunlight

Too much sunlight could weaken and kill the plant. Sunburn can cause dried and crispy leaves.

  • To save the plant, prune the dried leaves and any part exposed to too much sunlight.
  • Move the plant to a shady area and raise the watering level. Monitor the plant for any shock due to moving.

Infestation

Spider mites and scales can cause trouble to Medinilla and should be solved immediately. These insects reduce the vitality of plants and weaken them.

Use insecticide to control spider mites and scales.

Click here to check insecticide on Amazon.

How Many Times Does Medinilla Bloom In A Year?

Medinilla magnifica is a tropical shrub that bears drooping clusters of rosy pink flowers

Medinilla blooms twice a year—from April to August—with 18-inch vivid pink or coral-red flowers and broad leaves. It is best to grow outdoors in partial shade or on a patio. This plant loves a well-drained potting mix. Medinilla attracts pollinators like bees, birds, and butterflies.

Why Is Medinilla Not Flowering?

Medinilla gives you majestic blooms as long as you provide proper care. Even after trimming and pruning, it grows back and blooms better. There are only a few reasons why Medinilla doesn't bloom:

Cultural

Medinilla loves well-drained soil with enough humus. Potting mix, peat moss, and fine sand mix work for this plant to keep the soil moist but not soggy or watery. Overwatering can cause root rot, to which Madenilla is prone.

Temperature

Like any other plant, it also needs enough indirect sunlight and a humid environment. Avoid placing Medinilla under direct sunlight.

Fertilizer

Any potted plants need enough nutrient supply to thrive and grow healthy.

Feed Madenilla from spring to summer with slow-release formula. Avoid feeding high-nitrogen plant food that provides leaf growth but does not promote blooming.

Click here to check slow-release fertilizer on Amazon.

How Do You Repot Medinilla?

Medinilla magnifica in the flowerbase

Medinilla is easy to care for and needs repotting once in a while.

  • Replant Medinilla in a large pot using potting mix.
  • Prune and trim the plant's top once a year to maintain its size.
  • Replace about two to three inches of the top soil with a fresh potting mix once in two years.
  • Keep the plant in the same container every two years.

When And How Often Do You Prune Medinilla?

Always remember to do the pruning at the end of the blooming season. Start trimming from the youngest branch to promote more branching. Remove the withered leaves, dried flowers, and overgrown stems.

Can You Plant Medinilla On Trees?

You can grow Medinilla on trees. These plants are epiphytic and can thrive in the rainforest. They grow more on shrubs and trees than on the ground.

Medinilla plants live through the support of trees but are not parasitic. They don't harm the tree hosts and coexist with them.

What Are The Common Pests On Medinilla?

These are the common Medinilla pests problems:

Mealy Bugs

Mealybugs are pests with a fuzzy white appearance. You will know your plant is infested with mealy bugs if you see a furry cotton-like on the stems that can also attack roots.

The leaves wilt and lose their color, and your plants will die. These mealy bugs came from contaminated soil, fresh produce from a store, or from a plant you brought from outdoors.

You can only determine mealy bug infestation once the damage is massive. Here is what to do to get rid of mealy bugs  from Medinilla and other plants:

  • Remove the infested plant and rinse with running water.
  • Shake off carefully the excess water and dry it.
  • Use rubbing alcohol for the remaining white spots on the plants that were not removed through running water.
  • Spray with natural pesticide.
  • Inspect the plant, roots, base, soil, and pot. Wash the pot if necessary.
  • Discard the old soil where the infested plant came from.
  • Replant it in a new pot with fresh potting soil. Water it thoroughly.

Spider Mites

Red spider mite infestation on vegetable

Spider mites are pests related to spiders and ticks that are destructive to farmers and gardeners. Their population grows and spreads quickly, and they are hard to eliminate once they have infested the whole farm or garden. There are times when it's too late to discover spider mites infestation.

These are the signs that there is a spider mites infestation:

  • There are yellow or white spots on the leaves.
  • Check the underside of the leaves for webbing or silk threads.
  • You can shake off one leaf on a sheet of white paper and get a magnifying glass to see those dust-like specks. If they move and have eight legs, you already know they are spider mites.

Here are the steps to control the infestation:

  • Isolate the infested plant.
  • Use organic pesticides or insecticides to prevent harming the plant and to avoid killing beneficial predators like lady beetles that destroy spider mites. Organic pesticides are also safe for humans and pets.
  • Create an environment around your plants that attracts natural predators to control pests.

Aphids

Aphid on the green plant

Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects in green, red, black, yellow, gray, or brown color. Matured aphids may have or may not have wings. They feed off the plant leaves and shoots.

To remove aphids, here are the steps:

  • Wash the plants with intense water pressure using a water sprayer or garden hose. This can also wash other pests living in your plants.
  • Developing an environment that can attract natural predators such as parasitic wasps, lacewings, and lady beetles.
  • Use organic pesticides to kill the aphids.

What Are The Organic Pesticides Available?

These are the recommended organic pesticides and insecticides you can use for Medinilla:

Bonide Organic 3-In-1 Neem Oil

Neem oil is an ideal insecticide to control mites, mildew, and more. Because this insecticide is organic, it is perfect for indoor and outdoor plants, vegetables, flowers, fruits, herbs, trees, and shrubs. Bonide is already a 3-in--1 miticide, insecticide, and fungicide.

Click here to check neem oil on Amazon.

Natria Neem Oil

Natria is an organic pesticide from neem oil, which is ideal for indoor and outdoor plants. You can spray it on fruits, trees, vegetables, nuts, and flowers.

Natria Nee Oil controls aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, caterpillars, midges, flies, beetles, and more.

Click here to check Natria on Amazon.

Trifecta Crop Control

Trifecta is a natural fungicide, pesticide, and insecticide made from food-grade ingredients. This pesticide controls spider mites, fungi, mold, aphids, powdery mildew, botrytis, grey, russet mites, and other parasitic species.

Click here to check crop control on Amazon.

EcoGarden Organic Pesticide

EcoGarden Organic Pesticide is for ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, landscape plants, spices, herbs, and fruits. Because this product is organic, it is safe for humans, pets, pollinators, honeybees, and soil microorganisms.

Click here to check the organic pesticide on Amazon.

Summary

Knowing your plant's basic needs to thrive and survive also helps to prevent damage and death. We hope we helped you through this discussion.

If you want to learn more about gardening tips and hacks, you may visit these posts:

How Do You Prune & Propagate Medinilla? [Step By Step Guide]

When To Apply Fertilizer After Transplanting

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