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Aucuba wilting and black leaves

d4rmsd4rms Posts: 3
in Plants
Hi,
I know there are a few discussions on the topic but wanted to know there is a different reason for my particular issue.
We planted a row of aucuba japonica crotonifolia in March 2020, used root grow and bone meal in the soil too.
There has been a row of bedding plants alongside it for about 5 months and it has not caused any issues.
Out of 9/10 aucubas, 1 is particularly bad as per the pics and i dont want it to get worse.
It has been healthy until the last few weeks, and the bedding plants see to have excessively grown so i wanted to know if they have sucked all the nutrients out of the soil to cause this issue, or do you think it is another case of root rot. Also please advise on the best way to remedy the situation as i dont want it to die.
Look forward to your advice thanks.
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Posts

  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    edited September 2020
    Welcome to the forums.
    Aucuba are normally bomb proof plants which can grow in full sun or shade.
    Normally no support is required.

    Maybe the roots dried out before the plants had settled in.
    Not sure why the one is not happy.

    I am rather concerned that you have planted a whole row of them.
    You do realise that they will grow to completely fill the whole of that border.
    Each one can grow to 3m in height x 3m wide.
    They can be pruned, but then you would lose any berries.
    You would not be able to grow any other plants.
    Is this what you wish/ intended?
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • SydRoySydRoy Posts: 167
    Aucuba don't like damp conditions or being over watered. Is the soil moisture retentive or the drainage poor?
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'd pull them out. Your bed would look much better without them.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • AstroAstro Posts: 433
    I would try and have a look at the roots,  if they look softer or blackened it could be root rot.

     I had it happen to me after moving an Aucuba to a different planting area that got more watering.  It was fine all through the summer and then suddenly started to wilt around autumn. I had to get rid and take it as a lesson.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    There are a number of reasons. Lack of water or too much water. As mentioned by others, check the soil. They don't like to be sitting in excessive wet soil. Although they are bomb-proof once established, they would do better in a shadier position.

    The leaves are easily damaged by too much sun or watering overhead when the sun is out. But the recent droopy appearance will indicate a water issue, lack of it or too much of it.

    I agree that there are too many plants for that space. If they are to grow and thrive, they have the potential to grow wide. Think about what you are trying to achieve. The border does not look all that wide.
  • d4rmsd4rms Posts: 3
    Thanks for everyones advice much appreciated.
    They are planted in a line to eventually create a hedge, with some room for a line of bedding plants in parallel to it. The beddingplants have grown considerably so it looks a bit random at the moment, but nice colours at least lol. In a couple of years the aucubas should be more prominent as a bordering hedge so should look better.
    Soil is fairly moist, and roots seem healthy so i am hoping the wilting and blackening was because it was fairly hot and dry the last 6 weeks. I have pruned the damaged leaves and branches and will monitor closely.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If they do thrive, you're going to be spending a lot of time trying to keep them in that wee space.
    As others have said, they get big. Very big. It's not the best hedging plant for the room you have there unfortunately. 
    They're more likely to be suffering from lack of water than too much, unless there's something wrong with the soil and the drainage. I'd agree with @Borderline re the site too - a lot of sun can easily cause them to scorch/blacken, and also to struggle.
    They aren't very established yet - it's only 6 months since planting, and shrubs of any kind take a while to get their root systems going well. Many areas have had such difficult weather conditions to deal with too, which makes it harder still. Putting other planting in alongside them is competition for water and nutrients too. It's best to leave the space, and just add a mulch of some kind.  :)
    All you can do is keep them ticking over just now, and there'll hopefully be an improvement next year.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    You will have to make a decision in the future.

    Super colourful border...full of Petunia, begonia, tagetes etc.Looks great.
    OR
    Very boring Aucuba that completely fill the border, with no room for anything else.

    There are so many fantastic shrub, cannot imagine why anyone would decide to plant a whole border with them. Sorry.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    Totally agree with @Silver surfer who said in an earlier post on this forum that "years ago [Aucuba] was the shrub that local councils planted round public toilets to hid them from view." ;)
  • d4rmsd4rms Posts: 3
    Appreciate the comments. Just for some background, as per the attached pic, we used to have conifers for privacy from the main road a few houses down the street. We ripped them including roots out, and the idea was to plant a row of something to get a 4/5ft hedge with a bit of space in parallel where we could lay a thin line of bedding plants. Thats why we went for aucuba rather than laurel or conifers again as slower growing. Im open to other suggestions for slow growing and pleasant looking hedges if you think it would look nicer than the aucuba. 
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