Strange croton growth?

I have a croton that is about 1m tall. for the past 2 years it has hs very unusal bushy tip growth. the stem has grown to be about 5cm X 1/2cm wide kind of like a fan but with multiple new growth all over the top of it. the plant looks healthy but is very strange.


It is a fine leafed croton which i grew from a cutting. i have others of this type, but they all appear normal. Could it be a chromosomal mix up? I have checked it for disesae and it appears fine

Strange croton growth?
you have mealy bug;get a spray bottle mix 50%watter 50% alcohol %26amp; add one teaspoon of soft soap (like the kind for hands)put in sink or tub %26amp; wash it top %26amp; bottom.mealy will spred to your ather plants.i hate them.
Reply:What is going on is a condition called brooming. You may have heard of it ...its is more comon in conifers. It is the reason why we have many of our dwarf varieties of conifers in fact. What you can do is clip off the unusual massing and grow see if you can get it to root...if so you may be onto a new cultivar of dwarf croton. Check the parent stock for any other unusual growth. Chances are you might get some ...but then again you might not.


Good Luck with it.
Reply:Well from one of my source books:


Some Croton(Codiaeum) grows outdoors,cool spells maybe the cause. As you are aware these plants like lots of heat.It is not a good house plant unless there is high humidity with heat that is provided. Then outdoor exposure deepends on variety. Plus needs regular misting. Then have you checked to see if this plant maybe root bound. If you have not replanted the plant in two years you usually need to repot in a new pot twice the size that it is in now.


Example: If currently in a 4" pot then needs to be repotted into a


6" or 8" if roots are grown around in circles. Then trim little roots off then add Plant harmon or Vietminium B-1 or Miraclegrow Plant Liquid Plant Food. Good Luck:
Reply:may just be a fungus among us.

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