spots on photinia...help!

15 years ago

We live outside the Los Angeles area and planted 7 photinia cut as trees right behind our pool to block the house behind us. They are now about 10 years old and the perfect height...tall enough to block the house, but not too tall so that we can see the mountains above. I noticed that we have brownish red spots on the leaves. It is mostly just on the new growth. I took a sample in to 2 nurseries and was told it was some sort of fungus and that the trees would eventually DIE! I asked if there was anything I could do, and was told probably not, but I could try and prune back the effected leaves and then spray, but that once the fungus hits, they trees usually die with in a year or 2. I am so upset, since it took years to get them the way we wanted. Anyone have experience with this or know if photinia dies with the fungus? (these have the green leaves and the new growth is a red leaf and gets a very small flower in the spring)

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Comments (5)

hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
15 years ago
Here's some information. You may need to spray with fungicide. Don't give up yet and don't panic--Photinias are very tough plants

Here is a link that might be useful: Photinia leaf spot information
hosenemesis
15 years ago
Hi brownthumb,
Sorry I can't give you good info like hoovb did, but I can give you my sympathies and hope your photinias bounce back. My sister-in-law just lost her 30 year-old oleander hedge that blocked the neighbor's direct view into her backyard and swimming pool. No more skinny-dipping. It breaks one's heart.
Renee
brownthumb33
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you so much for your help. I sprayed some fungicide last weekend. I tried cutting most of the spotted leaves off, but of course there is NO way to get them all or reach them all. I am just hoping this will work (by getting off some bad leaves and spraying the rest> and I will not be too late to save these trees!
jean001
15 years ago
The fungicide for photinia leaf spot serves a protective purpose. In other words, it protects new growth from becoming infested.

I'd say that the nurseryman you spoke with was being rather dramatic when he said the trees would die in several years.

Here in the PNW, photinia are affected every year. And I would suspect the NW infections are more extensive thn those in your region, simply because our climate is more wet than yours. Our photinia trees/shrubs live many years in spite of the problem, although I must admit that they can look rather nasty if in a site favorable to infetion..

In OR, the suggested sprays for homeowner use are any of these: Daconil; Hi-Yield Vegetable, Flower and Ornamental Fungicide; Immunox; Systemic Fungicide (ferti-lome); or Rose Pride Funginex.

Because the trees are so important to you, consider hiring a certified arborist to spray because they have equipment you don't. Look for a certified arborist in the Yellow Pages under the heading of Trees or Tree care. Companies that have a certified arborist say so in their ad.

The appropriate time to spray is in early spring when the new shoots are developing. In oher words, protect new growth from becoming infected.

Also useful for limiting infection are good air circulation (thinning the trees might help); keeping the leaves as dry as possible; and full sun exposure. Also remove and destroy affected leaves.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
15 years ago
Yes, you just need to spray to protect the new foliage, before it is infected, so you'll be spraying mainly in springtime. Also check to see if Banner-Maxx is listed for that fungus. Banner-Maxx is effective much longer than Immunox, etc--3-4 weeks instead of 1-2 weeks.