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Escallonia laevis 'Pink Elle' Leaves

Enthusiasticamateur89Enthusiasticamateur89 Posts: 9
in Problem solving
Hi all, long time lurker first time poster here after some advice.

I planted this pink elle last year towards the end of summer and it did great over winter, even got a couple of flowers in what would have been it's second flush.  However, over the past couple of weeks I've noticed that some of the leaves are turning yellow and some are spotted.  Is this the dreaded leaf spot or just a case of the plant dropping old leaves or something else like stress due to not enough water?

The plant is in a south facing bed but fairly sheltered behind a low wall.



TIA

K

Posts

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited May 2023
    Your soil does look rather dry which could explain the yellowing and leaf drop which are common symptoms of dehydration.  Try watering your plant thoroughly so that the soil is moist but not waterlogged and top the area around it with an organic mulch.  Keep it well watered during dry spells. Welcome as a new poster!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Enthusiasticamateur89Enthusiasticamateur89 Posts: 9
    edited May 2023
    Thanks plantminded.  The soil does appear to dry out on top very quickly but is still reasonably damp beneath which I've always thought Is ok, especially with the amount of rain we've had recently and the clay soil that I have (don't want to make it too waterlogged even though it appears to drain ok).  I'll water and give it a general feed and see if it improves. I'm hesitant to put a mulch around as we have a lot of cats in the area who would use it as a toilet. Do you think a non degradable mulch such as slate would help to keep moisture in?

    Thanks again 🙂.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    It’s also quite usual for evergreens to shed some leaves after a cold spell.  If you think your soil is moist enough, don’t overwater, they don’t take well to waterlogging. I understand your point about the organic mulch, slate, pebbles or bark would also help to retain moisture.  I wouldn’t feed your plant with a fertiliser at the moment, wait until you see no further yellowing and leaf drop.  
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Enthusiasticamateur89Enthusiasticamateur89 Posts: 9
    Just an update,

    I watered well, put some compost around the base to try and conserve water, picked off and loose leaves and it's beginning to look healthier.  Possibly me worrying about nothing and it was just a natural process of getting rid of old leaves.

    Thanks again 🙂
  • lynne.michelsonlynne.michelson Posts: 1
    I have the same problem.. with escallonia Leavis Pink Elle leaves turning yellow. tracking if the watering helped you?
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