Is this rot, sunburn, or something else on my rhododendron?
K JM_6A
6 years ago
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Embothrium
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoK JM_6A
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Is this crown rot or something else? Are my plants doomed?
Comments (12)Hello All, An update here. I've finally concluded it's the water and not the fertilizer because it was happening in baby plants that had never been fertilized. It's a reddish brown crust (iron?) forming on the innermost leaves of the plants. IâÂÂm attaching a picture of the latest victim that was transplanted from a mother leaf a couple weeks ago. You can also see a brown crust forming on the perlite. Something tells me that is not a good sign. One variety in particular is very sensitive to it (Caribbean Blue) but some varieties (Starry Night Blue, Buckeye Lazy Daze) are immune to the problem. Unfortunately, 75% of the varieties I'm growing now are showing this problem to some degree. Our town water dept. claims the water is soft but lime scale deposits in the bottom of my coffee pot and at the drinking fountain at work say otherwise. I have lived in hard water areas in the West before and the local water where I live now in MA is not that hard, but apparently it has enough minerals it to cause problems. (Most of MA gets its water from the Quabbin reservoir which has very soft water but our town uses local ponds). I have an aquarium test kit in storage that I will have to dig out to test the hardness and pH of the water. In the meantime I bought a few gallons of purified water (reverse osmosis) that I will be using for the time being. If anyone else has some insight into this, IâÂÂd appreciate it, thanks!...See Moreroot rot or something else?
Comments (2)The bronze coloration in the fall is a trait of the plant and is sought after. A high water table is bad, very bad. It is best to plant in a raised bed in such a situation. But the problem you see doesn't seem to be acidity related or root rot. Low soil acidity causes chlorosis, yellowing of the leaves between green veins. Root rot causes general decline of the entire plant, not just a couple branches. The dieback you see can be caused by borers, or by a summer drought or even some roots in too wet an area. It is best to remove the dying branches and destroy them. If the ground is too moist, replant in a raised bed. Here is a link that might be useful: How to care for rhododendrons and azaleas....See MoreRust, sunburn, or something else? Help please!
Comments (7)I do not have any suggestions about the marks on your plants, if you don't mind - here is what I think may not be needed for succulent bed: Peat moss actually helps water retention, so adding lots of it into succulent bed may not be a plus. If you think of where the succulents grow in wild - it is mainly rocky, gravely sites. Not rich soil, with manure and mulch, or Cacti&Succulent soil. I am not suggesting your plants will die (I have grown succulents in garden soil and had some much around them too - just because I planted them in beds where many other plants were), just that enriching the soil for succulents is not necessary. Most will grow better in 'poor' soils. I have number of stonecrops - will check them tomorrow to see if they have similar damage....See MoreSunburned Leaves or Something Else?
Comments (14)That's what it looks like on many roses in my garden (including my young-ish Souvenir de la Malmaison) this time of year. In my soil, it's a bit of salt buildup, inherent in the soil, plus the recent extreme heat. The older roses, those in the best spots, and the more resilient types handle these conditions better and don't show as much of that kind of damage, but others look less than optimum. It's transitory and happens year after year in this garden -- everybody survives and has improved looks in fall. In fact, some of the less attractive plants are already putting on nicer growth, after the past cooler week or two....See Moredavidrt28 (zone 7)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoakamainegrower
6 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoK JM_6A
6 years agoMike McGarvey
6 years ago
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