What's happened to my cordyline?

A couple of weeks ago I put some bonemeal on my cordyline and since then it's gone all blotchy.



The cordyline is about 4 years old but it has only just been moved into full sun around two months ago.

Can anyone guess as to what could be happening?

 

I'm not sure, my green ones go blotchy as well.
Yellow spots very similar.

The plants seem to grow out of it, but I'm wondering if it is a virus.

 

I've just remembered, a couple of weeks ago I also top dressed with ericaceous compost. Could that be my problem?

 

That’s rust I think

Not a lot you can do, however cordylines naturally drop their old leaves so if mine I would cut off those affected leaves and would do so asap

I think the bone meal is simply coincidental unless you overdid the concentration.

Don’t water too much either......I never water cordylines in pots or in the ground Grow cordylines hard and unfussed over

No, the ericaceous compost would not have affected those leaves

 

Am I right in thinking rust usually rubs off?

Only the yellow spots mine get are very similar to the picture but they have no surface rust like deposit.

 

Signs such as these spots often appear as a result of watering. Sometimes the 'slight damage' caused can weaken the the outer suface of the leaves, similar to our skin where some minor injury has taken place. This is when basically any fungal type infection can take place.

Moreoften than not, it's down to watering. Not always you and the hosepipe but rain also. Tiny droplets of water remain on the leaves, the sun even if weak can be enough to cause the droplet to become a magnifying lens. Many of us have done this as kids. A lens and focusing it between material and the sun's rays and we get a tiny fire. In the case of leaf blotches as per this thread don't panick. In most cases the chlorophyll in the leaves fights off the problem. Even if the latter fails and the spot gets bigger even expanding to the full width of the leaf. You can cut the leaf off or let it take it's course. It is most unlikely you will lose the plant.

 

No Pete, rust in this sense does not rub off. It is a fungal disease...sometimes devastating. Just looks a bit like rust that’s all!
Rust can be caused by all manner of things and some plants are more susceptible than others

 

I'm going to let it run its course as the over watering suggestion does make sense. These blotches have only appeared since I started my spring time 'care' of the plant. Bonemeal on - water it in. Top dress the plant - water it in.

Also, we have had some early morning frosts followed by bright sun.

The plant is around 4 years old, but the previous 3 years I had very little interest in the garden so maybe it had been thriving on neglect?

 

Yep hoofy, “thriving on neglect” sounds about right