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Crataegus laevigata Paul Scarlet - hawthorn

aryanna japhayelaryanna japhayel Posts: 1
in Problem solving
I moved into a new house in 2012, and had all the soil that the builders left taken away and new top soil put in- I purchased a Hawthorn as above in about 2015 and ever since I have had it, the berries drop off over the summer, and the leaves start to fall almost as soon as they appear. The old growth leaves drop mid summer and the new growth almost gone before the autumn. It flowers well in the spring- but why do the leaves drop so early? They do have some sort of spotting on the leaves. I do not have any other issues with plants in the garden- I top dress the soil each year with well rotted horse manure as the soil is clay - I add grit to any thing I plant- any ideas on what I can do to help the tree to stop dropping its leaves? 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hawthorns perform best with plenty of moisture, so the berries dropping is often a sign that they haven't enough to fully open them. The dropping of foliage early is often because there's not enough moisture too.
    The size of the tree and how well it established are factors.
    Have you got any photos @aryanna japhayel ? That can help enormously with advice  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    They aren't usually very demanding trees, so I wonder if it has a disease? Perhaps leaf blight?
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • fiona.m.watsonfiona.m.watson Posts: 1
    I have the exact same problem with my lovely Paul’s Scarlet.  No leaves by end July.  Definite leaf blight but I don’t know how to deal with it. It started after we had a succession of very wet (non existent) summers. Got a tree surgeon to prune and thin to allow more air circulation but no difference. Also try to rake all fallen leaves but almost impossible task. Someone suggested just digging it out and replacing with something else!  Any other suggestions? Thanks.
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