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| I have an established ruby red weigela whose leaves are wilting. I live in the northeast and we have had a rainy summer. When i pruned some of the dried dead leaves i noticed that the woody stem was still green. Is there any hope that this schrub will survive and what can I do. I did fertilize and the rain finally stopped!!!The shrub still looks sick. HELP |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by dan_staley USDA 5/S 2b (My Page) on Fri, Aug 14, 09 at 11:59
| Patience. Dan |
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| Is the shrub in a low or poorly draining area? Are all the leaves dead? Did the problem seem to occur rapidly or over a period of time? Did you notice anything unusual before the plant started having problems? I think more info will be needed to know what happened. Why did you fertilize it? Did you apply fertilizer after the problem occurred or before? If before, how long before? |
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| Weigela's like a well drained soil and can thrive in dry soils rather well. Based on your comment that it has been a rainy summer, tells me that is the issue. For one, do not fertilize and two do not prune (at this point in the year) unless the stem is DEAD, meaning scrap the stem. If its green, leave it. As Dan said, patience. Leave it alone. If you have a thick layer of mulch pull it back if the soil seems saturated. I suggest cutting back any dead stems anytime, then in early early spring cut back 1/3 of the largest stems down to the ground. Thing will come back like gangbusters...trust me. |
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| Whaas I think you are right on. It definately has been a wet summer here. I am gonna pull back the mulch and hope for the best. I fertilized it on the recommendation of the nursery where I bought it.The leaves look completely dead but the wood is still green. I am hoping it will survive.Thanks for the advice!!! |
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| Many nurseries seem to recommend adding fertilizer to anything and for any reason. If they try to sell you the fertilizer, their profits may be the reason for the recommendation. If they don't push their fertilizer, then they probably just don't understand that fertilizer isn't the great cure for all plant problems. Giving a stressed plant fertilizer is somewhat akin to force-feeding someone who is sick. If a lack of nutrients in the soil is the source of the plant problem (just as if starvation was the sick person's problem), then fertilizing (force-feeding, in the case of the sick person) may help. If that isn't the problem, then it may even be detrimental. Pulling back the mulch may help dry out the soil, if saturated soil is the problem. But, if that is the problem, the problem may be chronic (as similar conditions reoccur) until drainage is addressed in one way or another (drainage solution, relocating plant, etc). |
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