Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Why is my Elaeagnus limelight, looking wilted and yellowing?

Poppies08Poppies08 Posts: 41
edited July 2018 in Problem solving
ive had it for a few months, since near the start of the year, but it looks like something is really wrong? It is regularly watered ?
«1

Posts

  • Poppies08Poppies08 Posts: 41
    edited July 2018
    It also has some brown spots on the under side of leave?
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Can you post a picture?
  • Poppies08Poppies08 Posts: 41
  • Poppies08Poppies08 Posts: 41

    Mary370 said:
    Can you post a picture?
    Mary370 said:
    Can you post a picture?
    Yeah posted :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Looks totally dehydrated I'm afraid.  :/
    You need to get it out of the grass, or at least cut out a proper bed for it, and keep the grass away from it. Dig a decent hole and get some well rotted manure, and/or good quality compost, and replant, after throughly soaking it. Water it with a bucket of water, and do that every few days. A mulch of bark or similar will help maintain the moisture too. 
    I'd also cut it back a good bit, as it'll struggle to maintain the top growth if it's dried out below soil level. This dry, hot weather means lots of plants and shrubs are struggling if they don't have good established root systems, and are mature enough to cope.
    They're tough plants, so a bit of care and vigilance until the weather cools a bit, and there's some decent rain, and it should be fine   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Poppies08Poppies08 Posts: 41
    Fairygirl said:
    Looks totally dehydrated I'm afraid.  :/
    You need to get it out of the grass, or at least cut out a proper bed for it, and keep the grass away from it. Dig a decent hole and get some well rotted manure, and/or good quality compost, and replant, after throughly soaking it. Water it with a bucket of water, and do that every few days. A mulch of bark or similar will help maintain the moisture too. 
    I'd also cut it back a good bit, as it'll struggle to maintain the top growth if it's dried out below soil level. This dry, hot weather means lots of plants and shrubs are struggling if they don't have good established root systems, and are mature enough to cope.
    They're tough plants, so a bit of care and vigilance until the weather cools a bit, and there's some decent rain, and it should be fine   :)
    Aw no that is so sad! I have been watering it so much but does look like it is thirsty! I think I will dig it up and do what you have said, as sadly the soil in my garden is very very rocky and the garden suffers from quite bad subsidence! I think I will put some good soil in and soak it extremely well, how would you recommend cutting? Thank you so much for helping me :) 
  • Poppies08Poppies08 Posts: 41
    Fairygirl said:
    Looks totally dehydrated I'm afraid.  :/
    You need to get it out of the grass, or at least cut out a proper bed for it, and keep the grass away from it. Dig a decent hole and get some well rotted manure, and/or good quality compost, and replant, after throughly soaking it. Water it with a bucket of water, and do that every few days. A mulch of bark or similar will help maintain the moisture too. 
    I'd also cut it back a good bit, as it'll struggle to maintain the top growth if it's dried out below soil level. This dry, hot weather means lots of plants and shrubs are struggling if they don't have good established root systems, and are mature enough to cope.
    They're tough plants, so a bit of care and vigilance until the weather cools a bit, and there's some decent rain, and it should be fine   :)
    Okay thank you so much, it’s so strange I have been watering ever single day but the garden suffers from subsidence and has very very bad rocky soil! How much would you suggest I take of? :) thank you 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think the conditions you have it in are less than ideal then Poppie. You shouldn't need to water it every day if it's properly established, and has good soil to grow in. It should be a nice bushy, strong growing shrub. It may also be a bit pot/root bound - which means that instead of the roots growing out into the surrounding soil, they just keep going round and round, therefore getting no nutrition and water.  Mine's only been watered once this year - planted last year sometime, after being in a pot for a long time while I sorted the border it was going into. It's grown about a foot in each direction, and has more new growth appearing all the time. 
    Plants of any kind are better soaked thoroughly then left for a while before watering again - especially in the long dry spell we've had.  Light watering doesn't penetrate the soil properly, and therefore encourages roots to be near the soil surface, which in turn, prevents good root establishment. 
    I'd take off a good foot at least - cut back to healthy looking growth points. Don't feed it - just get it into a decent soil medium and water throughly [ Less top growth makes it easier for it get rehydrated] That's by far the most important thing to do. If you don't have a better spot for it in your garden, you'd be better putting it in a large container with a good soil based compost. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Poppies08Poppies08 Posts: 41
    When I say every single day, I mean from when it has been very sunny! Typically otherwise not, as it rains often where I live! Thank you so much for the advice which I will follow, as I’d hate to see the plant not at its best! I hope to make it as healthy as possible! :) 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi Poppie - apologies for my slow response. I think the real issue is the growing conditions. Even a healthy, sturdy, easy shrub like Eleagnus will struggle if the soil it's growing is is no good. Rubble and poor soil means the water just goes straight through and disappears - very little is going into the plant. 
    In the right conditions - that should be big and bushy by now. Don't worry - just address it, and in six months or a year, it should be much better. If you're going to lift it and pot it up, or move it to a better site, give it a real soaking first, and prep the pot or new planting hole really well before replanting it  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.