Holly - Is this a disease?

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• davejeyasingham Posts: 4

  June 2022

  Pic attached

  IMG_20220604_185746_557.jpg 4.9M

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• davejeyasingham Posts: 4

  June 2022

  (I spent today cutting away a fair bit of the red leaves, and spraying with fungicide for the second time...it seems like a losing battle, as there are not that many uninfected leaves left now). Any advice?

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• Borderline Posts: 4,700

  June 2022

  I think your shrub might be an Oregon Grape, Mahonia Aquifolium. They do get some fungal leaf spots which can quickly spread through wet leaves in cool damp weather. You are doing the right thing. Remove the infected leaves and ensure dropped leaves are raked off the base of the soil to limit further re-infection. Also, avoid watering overhead to keep the leaves from spreading the spores about. 

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• davejeyasingham Posts: 4

  June 2022

  Thanks Borderline. Will do.
  
  [I've had a terrible year with fungal/diseases...I've practically lost a 2m by 2m photonia as well. It's lost every leaf, but still alive (i.e.green under the bark). Not sure whether to dig it out. Or try and treat it, and see if this comes back next year.]
  
  And ironically, the roses dont have any black spot on them at all this year...lol.

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• Borderline Posts: 4,700

  June 2022

  Photinias are prone to leaf spots and sometimes they don't drop their leaves. I believe that most plants grow stronger if you give them the best conditions. Photinias prefer full sun and need some protection from cold winds. Prune back some branches in early summer. That gives them time to put on growth whilst the weather's warm.
  
  With your Mahonia, don't worry about it being sparse once you've pruned off the areas with the damaged leaves, they will soon regrow in the warm months. The shrub seems pretty established, so it should recover soon.
  
  The fungal infections are specific to the plant so unlikely to spread to different types of plants, which is why your roses are not suffering.

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