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Amalanchier - what’s wrong?

swdmbx95tvPMlArhzfswdmbx95tvPMlArhzf Posts: 3
edited July 2023 in Problem solving
Hi all. I hope someone can help me. I have a young amalanchier which has developed what I thought was leaf rust. However I have tried two different fungal sprays to no effect. I have absolutely no idea whether I’m doing the right thing, but can anybody advise what I should do? It’s over all the leaves. The tree is still small enough (only 2 metres to the tip) that I could pick off all the leaves, but I only just planted it out last autumn so don’t want to shock it any more! I’ve attached a photo of the problem. Thanks for any help you can offer.


Posts

  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    Plants can show signs of a fungal infection without the fungi necessarily being a major impact on their long term health. Leaves of Amalanchier are shed each autumn anyway so if it was my tree I'd just let it fight the issue it has on its own and only worry about it if it came back again next year. It may be just something that effects the leaves so maybe gather them up and dispose of them, when they fall off naturally so there is less chance of the transmission of spores from the material that falls near the tree to the new leaves that are growing next spring. Make sure there are no issues that are effecting the health of the tree and making it more difficult for it to fight off whatever is effecting the leaves. I've not heard of fungicides being particularly effective at treating disease on trees and potentially they can kill fungi that are beneficial to your garden. For the price of the two different fungal sprays you might have been able to get another young tree free from this issue and replace the one in the photo if it turned out to be a long term problem.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • swdmbx95tvPMlArhzfswdmbx95tvPMlArhzf Posts: 3
    Thank you so much for your answer. I really appreciate - and will take - your advice. I had to laugh - you’re right, the cost of the sprays was roughly half the cost of the tree. But I love the tree and it’s given me so much pleasure to nurture it that I’m going to see it through! Fingers crossed for next year. Will definitely clear away the dropped leaves in autumn, but do you think I should pick off the more obviously covered leaves now?
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    I wouldn't myself go picking off leaves that the tree is trying to hold onto particularly when it is only recently planted. If they were from a serious infection it would be more likely that the tree would be dropping them and I would pick them up and dispose of them then. Tearing at leaves could cause more damage to the plant than what benefit it might get from there being less of what is causing the spots on the leaves in the environment in my opinion. It would be different if there was signs of disease in the stems or branches and in that case I would remove the stem or branch that show signs of being infected back to healthy plant tissue. I find it can take a new shrub or tree a couple of years to settle in a new growing position before it begins healthy growth having had to focus on root development for a while after the root disturbance of transplanting.
    Good luck!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • Southcoastgran34Southcoastgran34 Posts: 7
    Be interested to see how your tree gets on as I also have a young tree about the same age, moved into new spot when I moved house in November but has every single leaf no having rust spots. See photos in my other post Rust on Amalanchier Ballerina.  Mine was a gift and would love to save it rather than replace it. 
    Fairies live at the bottom of my garden.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    As you only planted it in autumn, it's still trying to establish, and it may well have been short of water if you've had lots of dry weather recently. Trees need plenty until established, which takes around a year or so. 
    How is it planted and where? Is it very close to that fence for example? That can be much drier than more open ground. What care has it had and what prep did the planting hole have?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • swdmbx95tvPMlArhzfswdmbx95tvPMlArhzf Posts: 3
    robairdmacraignil said:
    I wouldn't myself go picking off leaves that the tree is trying to hold onto particularly when it is only recently planted. If they were from a serious infection it would be more likely that the tree would be dropping them and I would pick them up and dispose of them then. Tearing at leaves could cause more damage to the plant than what benefit it might get from there being less of what is causing the spots on the leaves in the environment in my opinion. It would be different if there was signs of disease in the stems or branches and in that case I would remove the stem or branch that show signs of being infected back to healthy plant tissue. I find it can take a new shrub or tree a couple of years to settle in a new growing position before it begins healthy growth having had to focus on root development for a while after the root disturbance of transplanting.
    Good luck!
    Thank you for that. No sign of infection in the branches so will leave it alone, keep it watered, clear leaves away when it drops them and hope for the best next year!

    Southcoastgran34 said:
    Be interested to see how your tree gets on as I also have a young tree about the same age, moved into new spot when I moved house in November but has every single leaf no having rust spots. See photos in my other post Rust on Amalanchier Ballerina.  Mine was a gift and would love to save it rather than replace it. 
    Good luck with yours! It’s such a shame - they look so beautiful when they’re happy. I definitely won’t be replacing - if it’s a fungus that it can catch this easily then it’s surely something it can survive, and if it is the location in the garden then I don’t have anywhere else so I would need to plant something else if it dies. Will repost next year with hopefully better news 🤞
    Fairygirl said:
    As you only planted it in autumn, it's still trying to establish, and it may well have been short of water if you've had lots of dry weather recently. Trees need plenty until established, which takes around a year or so. 
    How is it planted and where? Is it very close to that fence for example? That can be much drier than more open ground. What care has it had and what prep did the planting hole have?
    It may be a little thirsty recently (hosepipe ban so watering by hand) but has been given a good drink most nights since planting. I put in  8 trees (several metres apart from each other and different varieties) and all others have done well. This one looked great until about a month ago. It’s planted in a slightly raised border which was filled with new soil. It came from a 15 litre pot and i spent a while soaking and separating the roots, dug a hole about 50% bigger, then firmed it in with fresh soil. It’s had a handful of fish blood and bone into the soil (come to think of it, that was around the time it showed the spots. Could that be connected??) and I put a ring of bark mulch with a 10cm gap around the stem which I have religiously made sure is kept back from actually touching it.
    Thank you!
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    It doesn't look like a fungus.  It looks like the new, young, tender leaves on your plant dried out this spring.  I wouldn't advise either watering now, or not watering without looking at it, but a good soak once a week is better than once a night.
     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."
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