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Lilac with yellow/brown leaves
mellealgardening
Posts: 7
Trying to work out what’s happened to my Madame lemone lilac. Leaves have curled, turning yellow/brown very anaemic ? Is this lack of iron or to much sun ? It is sitting near taller shrubs that will shade a bit ? It’s been watered regularly over the dry period and has mulch? Help !
0
Posts
I would guess it's just the end of a rather tough season. Leaf-drop started early this year. Look around.
Scratch the bark near the tip of a few branches, and see if it is still alive and green underneath. If so just leave and hope for a good flowring and a kinder 2023.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
During a hot, dry spell you need to water generously - 15 to 20 litres or more depending on size - a couple of times a week rather than give a daily dribble so that the water goes down deep where the roots need it.
Lack of iron or magnesium can also make leaves chlorotic (yellow) but it's a bit late in the season to be correcting that so I suggest you give it a very good drink at least once a week until proper rain arrives and then, in autumn and after leaf fall, give it a good mulch to help retain the moisture and feed the soil organisms.
Next spring, give it a feed of slow release rose or tomato fertiliser with some Epsom salts mixed in as they contain magnesium. You can also do a foliar feed by spraying the leaves with 15ml of Epsom salts diluted in 5 litres of water.