The sprouting of the presumably sweet cherry rootstock could certainly be taken to indicate something has happened to it and it is responding to that. And we already know the rootstock is thought to have been attacked by borers and subjected to various treatments in recent years. If the scion looks good now I wouldn't worry about the vacation it took last season. I would remove any sprouts that appear to be coming from the stock. I wouldn't remove any upward-growing branches that are being produced by the scion, as weeping cherries may grow at the same level for years and then suddenly start hoisting themselves higher in leaps. This adding of layers can only enhance the beauty and interest of the tree, a significant improvement over it being a big mushroom with a flattish top. Such shoots, although rather erect at first soon arch over. They have the same leaves and shoot diameter as the rest of the weeping top, unlike the often much stouter and bigger- and broader-leaved rootstock sprouts - which may also appear high up on the trunk - if the weeping scion was grafted on top of a tall sweet cherry stem. If yours is one of these "high grafts" everything coming from the trunk below the branches of the weeping cherry will belong to the rootstock.

Applying salt (NaCl) is perfect! ....... as an example of a decidedly bad idea. Sodium (Na) is an essential element for normal growth, but it becomes toxic very quickly when it exceeds appropriate (extremely low) levels. Salt also raises the level of dissolved solids in the soil solution, which makes it more difficult for the plant to take up water and the nutrients dissolved in water. There might be a handful of terrestrial plants that grow near bodies of saltwater or in saline soils, but they are few and the proclivity would be well-known if it was a landscape plant used as commonly as hibiscus. No plant expert would suggest applying table salt to landscape plants. Check carefully for mites. They usually affect older and lower leaves first. Are you fertilizing? Any idea what your soil has/lacks in the way of nutrients? Hibiscus stands out as something of an exception insofar as its nutritional wants are concerned. It likes more K than N and only VERY small amounts of P. the RATIO of a fertilizer for hibiscus in containers would be somewhere very close to 6:1:10. Since how your soil tests out impacts how you fertilize, We have no idea what's appropriate for trees in the ground, If your soil leans toward sand/sandy loam, it's likely the ratio above would be close. Do you understand the difference between a fertilizer's RATIO and it's NPK %s? An example will probable explain, in case you don't know. 20-20-20 and 5-5-5 are both 1:1:1 ratio fertilizers. 9-3-6 is a 3:1:2 ratio, and 12-2-20 would be a 6:1:10 ratio. Nutritional deficiencies of the mobile nutrients (N,P,K,Cl,Z,Mo) show up in older leaves and leaves closest to the trunk. When you planted out, did you bare root the plant (best to do)? Or, did you simply separate the plant from the pot and drop it in a planting hole? Do you have a nematode problem where you live? Bayer 3-in-1 for Insect Disease and Mite Control is a better choice of product and should be used according to package instructions, not halved. To me, it looks like over or under-watering (symptoms the same) or nutritional, possibly insects (mites). If you're watering while you can easily detect moisture in soil surrounding roots, it raises the probability of over-watering, so cut back. If every time you check the soil is bone dry, things would point toward under-watering. I'm in MI, so can't be of much help in the watering dept. BTW - does your home have a water softener? If yes, is it an ionic exchange system (requires salt), and has water at the hose bib been routed around the softener (if you have one)? Al

Thanks so much for the replies. I had replied yesterday in detail, but I guess I closed the browser while it was still in preview mode as the post is not here today. The pot is 7.5 gallons, but you can't see that from the angle of the photo. The plant is a Homestead that is 16 inches tall. Days are high 70's to mid 80's with nights in the high 60's. The plant has no business being stressed under the current conditions. July is hell here. April is nice. The watering has been fine. Not too soggy, but not too dry. I can't see how environmental stress will only affect half of the plant. Notice in the pictures that on one side of the branch the leaves hold their shape when lifted by the stick, but the leaves on the opposite side fold over limply. My first year gardening turned to disaster due to nasties in ground. I had six awesome plants growing over six feet tall and one by one they dropped. Healthy one day then two days later limp from top to bottom. I'll find out if this is it as this plant won't make it if it is the same thing. I don't want to keep it around if this is the case, but I want to at least let it stay around to verify that it is indeed a terminal problem. 2003... About two weeks later.... *sigh* mule That cut stem victim is doing great as of right now. It is well behind its brothers and sisters, but it looks healthy as can be. I can't believe it! its_kristy That is the best candidate yet. I have a hard time finding pictues of it in its early stages, so I'm not sure. Thanks again.

Hello all, I'm in Brisbane and over the last couple of months this young Euodia has developed a problem with it's leaves and green stems. It's been a fairly wet summer and the soil is a bit clayey where it's planted but well dug out. I actually moved this plant, about 10 months ago, a couple of metres as I had planted it too close to another tree. Thank you for your suggestions on what this might be that is deforming the leaves and stems. I'm guessing a fungus?