Yellow leaves - too hot and dry?

Hi

This is my first post this season and my second year with my little front terrace garden. It's certainly a less depressing experience this year as things that died off in the wet and relentless slug attacks are coming through. (I am convinced slugs have fashions. Last year they ate the thyme back to stalks. This year, ignored completely).

My garden, which faces roughly north west (slightly more west than north) is experiencing more sun than it ever has. Partly due to weather and partly due to neighbours cutting back an overgrown hedge.

So now I have a new problem - lots of the plants have yellowing leaves. I'm seeing this particularly in the hydrangeas which were about the only good thing in the garden last year. The cyclamen I planted in what was previously a shady spot has almost completely died off - will it come back? A lovely caryopteris 'heavenly blue' I'm seeing dry brown tips in older growth although new growth looks fine. Some lemon thyme I planted this summer is also looking a bit yellow at the base. And there's a couple on the tea rose which went in this year from root stock too. Which looks distressingly like black spot but that's probably another story...

So, am I right in thinking this is a heat/position/ water problem? I can't move the hydrangea, but I am giving them a good drink every day when it's hot. If they're yellowing, should I be giving them more? I water every day (sometimes twice a day) on hot days but it's quite a small watering can so maybe am not giving enough water?

 

I suspect it is the heat and dryness.. Ive had this problem with a Cistus of all plants, though I think they do die down in the Med regions in the summer.

Keep watering.

The trees in the countryside, the shrubs anything like that is showing signs of wilting in general.. and the grass on verges is long dead.

 

Not during the day I hope?

If you water during the day while its scorchio, the water droplets sit on the leaves and act like little magnifying glasses, concentrating the sunshine into a single, intense point, which burns the leaves.

Best water either first thing in the morning, or at night. I soak the garden during the night. By the time the sun gets up the foliage has had chance to dry off, but all the water is in the soil where its needed.

 

It does sound like a shade issue (lack of) What is the soil like ? Is there any goodness in it?

Without seeing the garden .... Can only guess.... But to me it sounds like the plants you mention are struggling .......the rose now has desease ... Can I suggest getting some goodness into the ground ie horse/mushroom compost or similar ......... Give them a bit of love water in the evenings ...... Get yourself a bigger can if you can manage it ... Refill two or three time whilst the weather is like this..... The plants will repay you........

 

I was advised to water and give plants with yellowing leaves a dose of Epsom salts sprinkled around the base of the plant. I'm trying it with one of my two large, potted, bay trees which is looking rather pale and insipid. I'm hoping it will green up to match the other one.

 

Wow that brings back memories .... When I was 21 I wrote my first book on old wives tales that actually work... Epsom salts was one of many cures available and worked to a certain degree
I feel old now

 

Epsom salts? Well I never!

Fortunately gardener aunt passed on the 'not in the sun' tip so it's am and pm waterings. I think I definitely need a bigger can though - if only not to be filling 8 times in one watering :D

The soil round here is clay, fairly decent, I dug in compost last year and roses went in on a big pile of humanure (my parents have a compost toilet). I'm not so keen on using it as mulch though as though it's perfectly safe, you wouldn't risk on herbs/veg. But I hear roses are hungry plants plus I have some courgettes in too. No access to make own compost (small garden which I don't really want to lose any space by giving over room to compost). I think there is a place I can get horse manure near here. Do I just shove it round the plants like a mulch?

Eta it doesn't start to get sun until about 9am. Then it moves through the garden, one side is back in shade by 3 or 4, the other side probably isn't in sun until 10 but isn't back in shade until 6 or 7. I used to be desperate to get more light into the garden, at the moment I have too much!

 

if you're having trouble with slugs/snails its best to water early in the morning as opposed to in the evenings as you'll be doing them a great favour making it much easier for them to slither about the garden when they come out at night

 

You don't need to lug horse manure for the roses, chicken manure pellets are a fairly modern manure, cleaner and easier to use and also reasonably cheap to buy. Roses prefer rain water but when you use tap water - water at the base to help combat black spot. Remove any infected leaves from the plants and on the soil as the spores will lay in the ground and re-infect. Don't compost the infected leaves but either burn or bin them.