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Is this Fireblight?

deonc7X4QL-Odeonc7X4QL-O Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Total garden newbie here! I have a Pyracantha hedge that wraps my conservatory. About 30% of it has recently developed a lot of brown / black leaves and looks to be dieing (see the attached photos).

I've identified what appears to be Woolly Aphid in the dieing section but I'm not sure if this is the cause of the dead leaves? From my research online it seems to resemble Fireblight but I'd like some additional confirmation before I do anything drastic...

Can this hedge be saved?



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Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited May 2023
    I suspect the white fluffy stuff is woolly aphids.
    The die-back could be due to icy winds over winter, but I suppose it could also be something else.
    I have 2 euonymus that have suffered in the same way and I'm pretty sure mine are due to icy winds. It's the first time it's happened in 20+ years

    PS the other thing the white woolly stuff could be is euonymus scale insects - I get them on mine too.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    Be careful self-diagnosing on the internet.  Better to find a local gardener to look at the problem(s).
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I don't think that's fireblight, but it can be down to various things - weather being too dry, too cold etc, and it's right next to grass and the house, conservatory [?] and that can have an effect as it's competition for water and nutrients. Check it isn't terribly dry at ground level too, as many plants have struggled with drought conditions and then a bit of wet/freeze over winter.
    I wouldn't worry unnecessarily though. When plants are stressed by anything it allows infection/pests in. You can cut them back and they'll produce new foliage when conditions suit better. Sometimes that's the easiest thing to do.  :)
    I had a problem with one of mine having a bit of scab a few years ago - cut it all out, and it's been fine. The winter weather hasn't affected it in any way, but it's in the right growing conditions. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • CH1973CH1973 Posts: 73
    Wooly aphids definitely. Try wrapping tape around your fingers. They stick to it. Ladybirds will get a 3 course meal on what's left 😁
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Having worked as a gardener I have never seen fireblight to the best of my knowledge.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • deonc7X4QL-Odeonc7X4QL-O Posts: 4
    Thanks for your help everyone! It doesn't seem to be spreading any further so I'm considering all my options. I've tried to get a local gardener to take a look but unfortunately this time of year it's very tricky... I'm leaning towards removing the dead leaves and giving it a bit of a prune and just seeing what happens.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Just be aware that 'local gardeners' don't always have the answers either @deonc7X4QL-O  :)
    If you can remove the 'white fluff', you may see the scale insects or aphids, but the remedy would be the same - hand removal and/or a bit of pruning. Scale can often be removed by the methylated spirits method, or scrubbing it off, but that's not easy with a prickly pyracantha, for obvious reasons!
    I've never had scale on anything, and certainly not on pyracantha, but it's not necessarily a major problem. Stress allows pests to get hold, and that's the thing to address for future if possible   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • deonc7X4QL-Odeonc7X4QL-O Posts: 4
    Thanks @Fairygirl - I put out an sos to all the RHS qualified gardeners I could find in the area, but they're like gold dust right now - I'll address the Woolly Aphids and then prune back and see what happens. Worst case I'll rip it out and replace it, probably with something like Lonicera nitida 'Maygreen'. Seems ready like I can get some decently "instant" hedging from https://www.readyhedgeltd.com/ to lessen the pain in the short term :sweat_smile:


  • Winston_The_Gravity_ManWinston_The_Gravity_Man Posts: 263
    As a matter of interest about Fireblight (from the RHS website):  
    The bacterium is native to North America and was accidentally introduced into the UK in 1957. It was formerly a notifiable disease but this is no longer the case in mainland Britain; however it is not yet established on the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. Suspected cases in these areas should be reported to the relevant plant health authority.
    When there's always biscuits in the tin, where's the fun in biscuits ?
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    You're right to be careful about employing gardeners and checking their qualifications etc. There are a lot out there that call themselves gardeners but are really just hackers and slashers with not much plant knowledge. The professional gardeners on here like @GardenerSuze and @WonkyWomble are very much the exception.
    I've lost count of the number of "gardeners" who've knocked on my door touting for business, offering to prune my prunus tree at completely unsuitable times of year, and just looking blank when I tell them why it's the wrong time of year. I guess they're after work during the "off season" for lawn mowing.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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