Photinia Trees really struggling

Bill Carr · Jun 10, 2019

hello Newby here but desperate.

Just over 6 years ago we planted 5 photinia trees alongside a fence to form a bit of a screen. They were about 9ft when planted and were £275 each.

All fine until just after last winter where one of them showed new shoots in the spring but then just died.
It was a very cold winter so I put it down to that and bad luck.

It would now appear that this year another 2 are going to give up the ghost and are looking very unwell. These 2 did flower earlier this year along with the other 2.
The leaves don’t really have spots on (I’ve tried to research as much as possible about unhappy Photinias)

Thank You

Bill Carr · Jun 10, 2019

Further info..
The footballs were put in quite big holes, and should this be the issue I would expect it to have caused problems prior to 5 years in.

If food/nutrients were an issue I would expect the middle ones to suffer more.
My thought was are they exposed, which would account for last year with may be the could weather and wind, but we haven’t had a harsh winter at all this year. I am located in South Manchester so nowhere extreme.
The soil is not clay heavy either. Fine for 5 years then not well

pete · Jun 10, 2019

Not sure this is much help but I have a few well established large shrub type plants that have not started to make any growth this year.
Even noticed street trees dying or failing to shoot this year, most have been there for years.

My only guess is last summers drought pretty much finished them off.

Verdun · Jun 10, 2019

Photinias, in my experience, can be fickle; they can, do, suddenly suffer and decline.
Here 2 red robins died, a little red robin suffered plus Pink Marble???

I successfully grow lots of shrubs, perennials, grasses etc. My soil is suitable ...neutral and free draining...and the situation relatively sheltered in a walled garden near the coast!!

I often notice photinias fading from wonderful foliage shrubs to awful specimens in a relatively short time.....I wonder if verticillium wilt is the cause

Bill Carr, since they have grown well for a few years the site cannot be waterlogged or unsuitable. If mine, I would give a balanced feed and mulch well.

Bill Carr · Jun 14, 2019

Thanks for the replies.
Will give a good feed and hope for the best.
Would a hard prune help or just finish them off?

Verdun · Jun 14, 2019

Keep us posted then Bill.
I don’t think hard pruning will do any harm at all....after all photinias are often grown as hedges where regular pruning is the norm.

Marley Farley · Jun 15, 2019

Hi @Bill Carr i don’t know if this will help but it could explain them dying off and not looking healthy.. I do think last year’s king hot summer and then a dryish winter hasn’t helped either though..

Red Tipped Photinia and Disease Symptoms The main culprit among photinia bush diseases is Entomosporium mespili, the fungus that causes photinia leaf spot. Like most plant fungi, this one thrives in the cool, moist environment of the fall and spring and attacks the most vulnerable new growth that gives the shrub its name, red tipped photinia, and the disease spreads from there. The photinia fungus won’t kill the plant immediately or even during the first season, but will return year after year until the constant leaf drop and the depletion of nourishment that results weakens the plant to the point of death. The first signs of photinia leaf spot are almost unnoticeable. Tiny, round red spots appear on leaf surfaces and because the leaf color of the new growth they attack, the darker red spots are easy to ignore. In a matter of days, the spots enlarge and eventually become dark purplish circles surrounding gray, dying tissue. The photinia fungus usually spreads from new growth to old only because of the new leaves making it easier for the spores to take hold. Once the fungus takes hold in the red tipped photinia, the disease’s circles continue to grow and merge until large unsightly ‘sores’ cover the dying leaves. The production of spores can be seen in the black blotches inside the circular damage. At this point, there is nothing to be done to keep the disease from running its course. Recognizing Life Cycles in Photinia Bush Diseases The red tipped photinia disease follows a definite pattern or cycle and it is important to understand this cycle for the treatment of red tip photinia and disease eradication. The fungal spores spend the winter in fallen, infected leaves or in late emerging new growth. These spores are released into the air in late winter or early spring where they land on any nearby photinia bush. Diseases like this one tend to spread from the bottom to the top of the infected plant because the spores can’t travel that far. This inability to move any great distance is also the reason photinia leaf spot may attack a shrub in one area of the yard while another area remains untouched. During the rainy weather of spring, the spores continue to spread through water splashing from one leaf to the next until the entire shrub is infected. Prevention and Treatment of Common Photinia Bush Disease Is there anything that can be done about red tip photinia disease? Yes, but it’s a matter of prevention rather than cure. First and foremost, rake up all fallen leaves, and if the shrub is already infected, remove all affected leave and branches. Cover the area under and around the shrubs with new mulch to cover any leaf parts and photinia fungus spores that remain. Do not repeatedly trim endangered shrubs to encourage the new red growth. Keep trimming and shearing confined to the dormant winter months and dispose of all clippings. Consider replacing dead or dying shrubs with alternatives. A mixed hedge will be more resistant to photinia bush diseases if the susceptible shrubs are placed farther apart. Remember, the spores don’t travel very far. Stagger new plantings rather than creating the traditional wall of shrubs. This will increase light and airflow around the shrub and decrease the conditions in which the fungus thrives. There are chemical treatments available. Chlorothalonil, propiconazole, and myclobutanil are the effective ingredients to look for in available fungicides. Be aware, however, treatment must begin early and be repeated every 7-14 days throughout late winter and spring and again in the fall when the weather cools. Red tip photinia disease can be devastating, but with diligence and good garden housekeeping practices, the fungus can be driven away.
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Photinia Trees really struggling

Bill Carr Apprentice Gardener

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Bill Carr Apprentice Gardener

pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

Verdun Passionate gardener

Bill Carr Apprentice Gardener

Verdun Passionate gardener

Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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Just planted a Photinia hedge

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Photinia Trees really struggling

Bill Carr Apprentice Gardener

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Bill Carr Apprentice Gardener

pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

Verdun Passionate gardener

Bill Carr Apprentice Gardener

Verdun Passionate gardener

Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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