Daphne looking unwell

I’ve had this daphne for around 15 years now, I believe it is a variegated lollipop shaped plant and is very fragrant. It seems very top heavy, and earlier in the year the snow tipped it over onto the ground - I don’t think any roots were exposed and I managed to pull it back up and secure the trunk to a nearby post. I’m hoping it hasn’t been too effected by this as it is now flowering well.

My worry is that the leaves are yellowing and a lot have fallen off, and it is generally just looking unwell. I’ve been watering it with an ericaceous liquid feed both in the ground and over the leaves every fortnight which seems to be helping a bit. I was wondering if anyone could advise please on how best to prune it. I’m fine with the size so I’m not wanting to prune it to make it fit into the area, I just thought a prune might benefit it health wise and make it less top heavy. It’s also got some strange growths on it (pictured), I’m not sure if these are bad and whether they can/should be pruned out.

I’ve been looking online and it seems that sometimes Daphnes’ can die for ‘no reason’ and that they only live to a certain age, so I was thinking maybe these issues are because my daphne is old? Any advice would be gratefully received, as this daphne is really nice and I’d be sad to lose it.

Thank you!

 

If it was tipped over by the weight of the snow, I'm wondering if the root disturbance has unbalanced it. Strange how the most scented plants can turn into right divas when they're upset!
Of course, it could be soil too damp, that can cause leaf drop, so lay off the watering around the base. The last picture looks a little like a gall mite. Unsightly, but not a real problem.

 

Thanks for your advice, hopefully it’s just a bit upset with the root disturbance and will settle over time. I’ll keep an eye on how much I’m watering it to avoid overdoing it and am glad the weird growths shouldn’t cause a problem.

 

Thank you, I’ve read online that pruning can be a bit risky so I’ll leave it alone for a while and then maybe give it a very careful prune.

 

Daphnes are utterly temperamental! As per the info you've already found, they don't live forever, and even without being disturbed, a big, formerly healthy plant will suddenly die for no apparent reason. I do hope yours pulls through, but best to accept that you'll need to replace it with something else, eventually.

 

I had a Daphne odora near the front door for 15+ years, next to a Sarcococca confusa, flowered beautifully most years, 2019 it really flowered fantastically and then died, the flowers dropped off as they finished then the leaves and I removed the remnants in June.
Yesterday I bought a Daphne bholua "Darjeeling" to replace it.

 

@NigelJ do you think there is any risk of species specific replant disease? Daphnes are not cheap!

 

@CarolineL The wisdom of planting in exactly the same spot had crossed my mind and I'm looking to put it in near the same path rather than in the same place. You are right they are not a cheap plant to replace.