Need help saving my outdoor jasmine plants

[cristina753]

I planted two jasmine plants about two years ago, and up until a few months ago they were beautiful and full of flowers. Recently, sadly they have lost over half their leaves, they are yellowing, have dark and white spots on them, and some very strange white hairs under almost every leaf (not white flies, not mealy bugs - please see photos, they are impossible to remove even if you scrape them with your nails). I would be SO GRATEFUL if anyone could help me out and guide me as to how to organically treat them. I have asked at nurseries about the strange hairs under the leaves and no one seem to know what's going on. I really want to save them. Thanks!!!

[imafan26]

The black spots could be bacterial. The white things may be some kind of sucking pest like a scale. The holes look like slugs. These usually happen when you have a plant that grew very thick and when it was wet took a long time to dry. Dark wet conditions you will get slugs coming in to eat holes in the plants.

Once a plant is weakened it becomes a prime target for multiple problems.

For the slugs and snails you need to put out slug bait something like sluggo which is o.k. for organic.

It is hard to control black spot unless you cut back most of the plant and destroy the bad leaves. Repot it and get it in better air circulation and also because slugs and snails are often eating the roots of the plant in the pot as well.

Make sure you clean the tools like clippers and wash your hands between snips so as not to transfer the disease to other parts of the plant or to other plants.

[cristina753]

Thanks for your reply imafan26. I actually cleaned up my jasmine plants today (got rid of all ugly leaves) and found on two occasions green leafhoppers! I believe they could be the culprits, and also learned they transmit bacteria that could be causing the white and black spots (leaf scorch?). Bummed! ...Only thing is though that I still can't explain the funny white hairs under the leaves; still a complete mystery. Any experience battling leafhoppers organically? I sprayed both plants with insecticidal soap after cleaning them, but I think I should get a good natural predator. Any suggestions truly welcomed!

[imafan26]

Leaf hoppers are hard bodied and insecticidal soap works best on soft bodied pests. Insecticidal soap and horticultural oil may work on the nymphs but won't do anything to the adult leaf hoppers which will just fly away. They do have predators that can keep them in check. So it is best to plant habitat and plants that will attract beneficial insects.

[applestar]

You said leaf hopper -- but I'm thinking that might mean the fluffy white things are TREEhopper or PLANThopper nymphs. What did the "leaf hopper" look like?

https://bugguide.net/node/view/303598/bgpage

They could also be wooly aphids, but the infestation of them that I had on my blackberries were much more dense and fluffier -- it looked like pure white lint got stuck on the underside of the leaves. Have you tried wiping/swiping them off?

[cristina753]

Thanks applestar. I actually caught one today and it looks just like the one on this picture and it is 1/8" long. Regarding the white hairs, I'm still clueless... I did try wiping them off with an alcohol dipped q tip but they are impossible to remove.
I will buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewing, and/or minute pirate bugs and see if I see any improvements. Bummer is that now I'm finding leafhoppers in all the plants in that area of my yard!

[cristina753]

Thanks imafan26. Will do.