Viburnum plants dying

Several months ago my husband and I planted six viburnum bushes approximately 5 feet tall. Our soil is typical for the Clayton/Smithfield area and consists of a clayey/silt.

We have watered the plants on a regular basis as we did plant them mid-summer and wanted to ensure sufficient water. However, I am noticing that my viburnum leaves are browning and beginning to curl and drop off.

I am not sure which species of viburnam I have, I believe it is the snowball. Can you assist me with why my leaves are turning brown, curling up and dropping off?

-- Catherine


Anne's Response:

Most viburnums are deciduous plants so I would expect them to lose leaves in the fall. It is a bit early but dogwoods and some other trees are already losing leaves, probably because of the low rainfall this summer. Since your plants were put in the ground this summer they may be under a bit more stress than they will be in future years. You may want to use some composted leaves as a mulch under those plants. It will help the soil retain moisture and will provide some nutrients for
root growth this winter.

Save My Dogwood

I have a Dogwood that is 10+ years old, the leaves are drying and wilting on the tips. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can get my tree healthy?

Liz


Anne's Response:

Liz,
There are several causes of the symptoms you describe. The plant could be in too much sun and if it is also in an area that does not have enough moisture in the soil the leaves could get scorched. Making sure the plant is watered regularly and keeping a layer of about 3 inches of organic mulch under the limb spread of the dogwood will help the plant survive. We have also had high humidity and temperatures this spring that encourage the spread of mildew fungus. The other symptom for powdery mildew is a grey powdery coating on the surface of the leaf. Mildew can be prevented with a fungicide spray but once the symptoms have appeared about the only thing you can do is keep the plant healthy with water, mulch and some fungicide to keep the fungus from spreading. If the blooms of the tree were deformed and discolored the plant may have a Botrytis infection. When the infected flowers drop on the leaves they produce the damage you describe. A fungicide applied when the tree starts to flower helps control this disease.

Curling Leaves on Tomato Plants

All of our tomato plants' leaves are curling under. They are producing tomatoes like crazy, though. We fertilize them with Miracle Grow -- don't know what's up with them.

Kathy


Anne's Response:

Curling leaves on tomato plants can come from uneven watering - especially too much water. It is also caused by insect damage - especially spider mites and aphids. You can usually see signs of insect damage on the back of the leaf. Washing the insects off the back of the leaf with a strong stream of water from a hose is one safe way of taking care of the problem. You may need to add some lime to the soil to counteract the acidity of a lot of nitrogen fertilizer from the Miracle Gro.

Unhealthy Maple Tree

Anne,

I have a Red Maple that is not doing as well as my others. It gets the same water and sunlight. However, the leaves are a bit smaller. I have noticed tiny, black spots on the bark of the tree. Any thoughts?
Ron

Anne's Response:

Ron,

There are often differences in the size of leaves on two different red maple trees. If plants are the same named cultivar they will be quite similar but for seedling grown trees you can expect variability in size and color of leaves and ultimate height of the plant. There are a number of canker diseases that will form spots or lesions on the trunk and twigs of red maples. Some of them will cause the plant to produce smaller leaves. If the spots are on limbs and twigs but not the main trunk of the tree the limbs can be pruned to remove the infected area. The usual remedy for canker lesions on the trunk of the tree is to remove the tree to keep the infection from spreading to your other trees. My advice is to find a certified arborist to diagnose the problem and recommend a treatment procedure.

Ligustrum Leaves Turning

Anne,

I have a ligustrum that the leaves are starting to turn upside down. It is getting plenty of water and 6+ hours of sun. It is not turning brown or wilting. Just the leaves are starting to turn upside down. It is the strangest thing. I live in Richmond VA. Any advice?

-- Di and the Boys


Anne's response:

It is not unusual for ligustrum to have such problems with leaves after high winds or ice storms. Sometimes the leaves will recover but often the change does not occur until the old leaves fall and the new ones come in. I can’t find any disease or insect problems in my references that produce that symptom. The level of light would not be a problem. Ligustrm does not like wet feet but the symptoms are usually loss of leaves; with drought the leaves wil curl backward but the shiny face remains facing up to the sun.

Yellow Holly Leaves

We recently bought a home in Greensboro (we moved here from Maryland)and our yard is nicely landscaped but was not taken care of by previous owners. The bushes were overgrown with a lot of dead branches, black spot and packed with dead leaves. I cut back the bushes and trees in early spring and cleaned out the dead leaves and branches. My holly trees are now in bloom but I have noticed a lot of yellow leaves. I fertilized them with Acid fertilizer in early spring. What should I do to treat the trees?


Anne's response:

The yellow leaves are the natural aging signs of a plant. Expect about 1/3 of the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. As long as new growth appears, the plant is healthy. You fertilized the plants at the proper time of year.