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Rowan tree looking sickly

Jane.waller58Jane.waller58 Posts: 5
in Problem solving
My Rowan tree was planted 2 years ago. This season it started out looking healthy with lots of blossom and then lots of berries. Over the last week or so the leaves are yellowing and although it’s still hanging on to its berries it doesn’t look too good . I have another planted at the same time that is still lovely and green . I have watered and mulched both trees the same . Any advice would be welcomed . Thanks Jane .
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Have you got some photos @Jane.waller58 ?
    That will help with any advice. 
    More info would be good too - what else is around/near it, including walls, fences etc. Were the roots healthy on planting - ie not pot bound? Any obvious damage to a trunk/branch?
    Sometimes a tree will go into autumn mode earlier than another tree anyway. They don't necessarily go dormant at exactly the same time  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Jane.waller58Jane.waller58 Posts: 5
    The tree was healthy when we planted it . Our soil is not the best we do have quite a bit of clay . We have kept it watered during the hot summer last year and are working on improving the soil by adding compost . I haven’t noticed any kind of bugs or the like . The only thing I thought of was we have had lots of wind but we staked all the trees we planted . The garden is a new garden only been here 3 years and starting from scratch . anted
  • Jane.waller58Jane.waller58 Posts: 5
    This is the other tree looking healthy they’re planted approx 10 feet apart 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Is that a laurel planted beside/near it? There could simply be a bit of competition for moisture.
    Clay soil is absolutely fine, so no worries there. They look quite well sized trees, so you've done well to get them established. I don't think there's much to worry about to be honest. It may simply be getting less water than the other.

    They love plenty of rain, so keeping them well watered, and adding a mulch of well rotted manure or bark will help retain moisture. You may find that one will always be slow to get going, and quicker to wind down though. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Jane.waller58Jane.waller58 Posts: 5
    Thank you for your advice . It’s a Red Robin planted to its right so maybe I should think about moving that at the right time. Will keep up with the watering and hold thumbs that it’s ok . Thanks again Jane .
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Ah - I did wonder because of the stems, but yes, it may simply be down to that being a bit 'adjacent' .   ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • trevor.woolventrevor.woolven Posts: 2
    I have inherited a lovely Rowan tree in our new house but now I notice that the berries are rather shrivelled. There are several other Rowan trees in the neighbourhood (Forfar, East Scotland) and they all look in the peak of health. There is a fir tree of some kind planted right beside the rowan and the base of both are surrounded by heathers - could these be starving the rowan of nutrients?

    Thanks in advance for any advice
    Trevor
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Probably @trevor.woolven. If it's a native one [the best kind  ;) ] they do like a lot of water   :)
    Sometimes the damage is done much earlier though, so if it was particularly dry earlier in the year where you are, or if the ground was,  it can be hard for trees to stay hydrated. The bonny Kingdom of Fife tends to be a bit drier than the west anyway, but it's likely that the competition has contributed. Some heathers like a drier spot, but the fir will be the major factor. If you like it, you could probably move it - depending on it's size.
    I wouldn't worry too much though, unless you feel there's something else wrong with it? 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • trevor.woolventrevor.woolven Posts: 2
    Thanks, my gut feel is to remove the fir tree anyway as I much prefer the rowan and want to give it the best chance.

    Is it easy to take cuttings and propagate another rowan from the first?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They're normally done by seed, which can take a while to get something of any size. You might find a few seedlings around, courtesy of the birds, which you can pot on. I had one here which had obviously been around a while, but was constantly being hacked back along with some other bits and pieces. It's now a good size  :)

    Worth trying if you don't mind waiting though  ;)
    Alternatively, you could buy a young whip from a nursery or hedging site. It's bare root time soon, so you would get them fairly cheaply.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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