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Sat, Aug 22, 09 at 10:43
| I planted 2 24" wide Pieris Japonica plants in May, 2009. They are both dying now. The soil has good drainage but it has rained so much in southeast PA this spring and summer. I can't tell if they are overwatered, underwatered or something else happened. They do not look diseased. The leaves started dropping, then turned brown at the bottom and then fell off. Now all the leaves are turning brown. One died before the other within weeks. They were expensive shrubs. Does anyone know what happened to them? We live in a wooded area -- they got some sun and some shade, in a place where there previously were mature rhododendrons that the deer ate, so I replaced them with the Pieris. Thanks in advance! Judi |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by mainegrower Z5b ME (My Page) on Sun, Aug 23, 09 at 15:46
| There can be many causes for the symptoms you describe, so your County Extension Service or perhaps the nursery where you bought the plants are better places to find a definitive answer. The most common cause for this, however, is probably failure to loosen and/or soak the root ball at the time of planting. Peat based potting mixes can actually repel water once they dry no matter how much rain there has been if not dealt with. If the pieris were planted in a hole that acted like a sump or "bathtub", this, too, could have killed the roots due to lack of air. |
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| I agree that failure to open the root ball may be the problem. |
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