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Hawthorn tree disease - what is it?

jessica_macskimmingjessica_macskimming Posts: 1
in Problem solving
Hi

i have a red berry hawthorn tree and it’s looking very sorry for itself. Can you please help me figure out what is wrong with it and then how best to treat it

The leaves look like this and hardly any foliage and it’s got white fluff on its branches 

thank you 

Jessica 

Posts

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    The white fluff is probably wooly aphids, have a poke around in one of the bits and see if there's a small bug in there. as to the leaves they look pretty normal for this time of year. If they turned colour early it's probably a sign of some form of stress.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Lots of trees are showing signs of stress from recent droughts last year and this.  If you get a wet winter it should recover but keep an eye on it next year and make sure it is watered generously in hit, dry spells and give it a good 10 litre bucketful a day poured slowly so it soaks in.

    Woolly aphid is unlikely on hawthorns as they tend to stick to apples, cotoneaster and pyracanthas - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=724 but it may be scale insects - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=224 which shouldn't really harm the tree unless it is rampant.  You could try pruning off now, while the tree is dormant, any small twiggy stems that have bad infestations and burn them or bin them but don't compost them.  Make sure your secateurs are clean and sharp and clean again after doing this.

       
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Is it very near that fence? That may not be helping. If it's very near lots of other planting, it's competition for water and nutrients, so that can have a big effect as @Obelixx describes, especially if you're in a drier area.
    They're generally pretty trouble free unless damaged in some way. It also depends where you are - hawthorns are all pretty bare here, so the foliage isn't necessarily an indicator of poor health, but if it's been bare for a while, that's different .  :)
    A photo of the whole tree might help too, if you can manage one  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Mike AllenMike Allen Posts: 208
    Stop worrying.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Very helpful - not  :|
    Ignore that comment by Mike Allen  @jessica_macskimming.

    If you follow the advice given, it should help, but any other info would help give more advice or assistance   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Mike AllenMike Allen Posts: 208
    Fairygirl.  May I ask why you posted the other member to ignore my post?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Mike Allen said:
    Fairygirl.  May I ask why you posted the other member to ignore my post?

    Advice to stop worrying, without giving an explanation, comes over as really patronising. 

    If you believe there is nothing to worry about then it’s helpful to explain why .... otherwise the questioner learns nothing about their plant. Not very helpful. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    @Dovefromabove has covered it.  :)
    If you must post in the middle of the night @Mike Allen, think a bit more about what you've said, before pressing 'Post'. 
    No wonder some new posters give up.  :/
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    Mike Allen said:
    Stop worrying.

    I agree with your post Mike. The hawthorn are hardy trees and are dropping their leaves for winter now anyway. Some hawthorn here have lost all their leaves already while some are green and just starting to get the leaves thinning out. They also regenerate very well from set backs. I had one particularly ugly die back in one of them last year that killed the main leader down to about half the height of the young tree and it just grew another one and is looking fine now.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I agree @robairdmacraignil ... hawthorn are tough as old boots ... and if a poster doesn’t know that and is worried it’s helpful to explain why there’s no need to worry ... just as you have 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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