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What is wrong with this shrub?
Pewe
Posts: 4
It was here when we moved in 18 years ago.
It was always very dark green and very thick with leaves.
This year the leaves are very pale, and the foliage is very thin.
Anyone any ideas:
- what it is
- what may be wrong with it
- can it be saved
Any input greatly appreciated.
0
Posts
I don't know what is wrong with it and not entirely sure what it is, but I think it looks starved of nutrients have you ever fed it ?
@Kef - we have never fed it in the 18 years we've been here. But that is certainly worth a try - what with?
@pansyface - (love the nickname) We have a couple of similar shrubs which have different shaped leaves which do flower, but this one never has.
Is it strangled by the ivy invading it?
I wonder if it is a very hungry Choisia Tenata ?
Plants are like humans and animals and need a balanced diet to keep them fit and well. Pale leaves like that indicate chlorosis which is caused by a shortage of magnesium as well as iron. It can be remedied with applications of Epsom salts poured over the the leaves as a foliar feed - 1 tbs/15ml to one gallon/5 litres of water. Do this once a month till improvement shows.
For iron deficiency, you need to water it at the base with chelated or sequestered iron which is available in several forms from the garden centre so follow the instructions given.
For either treatment, use rain or distilled water and not tap water as this often contains chlorine and calcium and won't help at all. Feed the plant every spring with some pelleted manure or blood, fish and bone and give it the magnesium and iron treatment from time to time once it recovers. Give it a mulch of well rotted garden compost or manure every autumn once the soil is good an moist from autumn rains and you should have a happy shrub.
Definitely an Eleagnus, not Choisya Ternata.
Eleagnus ebbingeii.
I find these unreliable and likely to die in patches or completely with no apparent cause. I have a large one going brown this season. I don't think they like being cut back a lot, though this may be 2+2=5. The current one was crushed by a falling tree a few years ago and cut right back. It grew back beautifully and is about 7' tall but quite obviously dying now
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks for all the input.
Today we got some epsom salts and sequestered iron powder.
We'll try this and see what happens over the next week or so and I'll report back.
Footnote:
I could not believe how difficult it was to find the products.
Although Boots have epsom salts on their web site the local store (Bridgwater) said the were out of stock and had been for some time. Other local chemists such as Lloyds say the don't keep it because a) there is no demand, and b) because it can be used in making explosives (????)
B&Q have Sequestrene on their web site - but don't stock it in the local store and offer no alternative.
I eventualy found both in a local Mole Valley Farmers store where they keep a different brand of sequestered iron product, and keep epsom salts for treating horses?????
Here we are a week after treatment, and the new smaller leaves seem to be growing well - larger now and the correct silver green sparkled texture - so here's hoping
Thanks for all your input and suggestions.