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Poorly unknown shrub

LotteDx45LotteDx45 Posts: 4
in Problem solving

We recently moved house (March last year) and I've been trying to get to know my new garden. One adopted plant is a large shrub about 2.5m tall and 2m wide which had beautiful white sprigs of flowers on through (I think the early summer?). Unfortunately it's now showing signs of disease, has dropped all it's lower leaves and I'm not quite sure how to help it! The leaves are getting black spots then turning yellow then falling off. I've tried to attach a photo but as this is my first post in the Forum, now quite sure of it's worked! Any guidance on potential shrub care would be gratefully received. At the minute I've just pulled the diseased leaves off to buy some time. Any thoughts?

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  • DurrendalDurrendal Posts: 62
    LotteDx45 says:

    We recently moved house (March last year) and I've been trying to get to know my new garden. One adopted plant is a large shrub about 2.5m tall and 2m wide which had beautiful white sprigs of flowers on through (I think the early summer?). Unfortunately it's now showing signs of disease, has dropped all it's lower leaves and I'm not quite sure how to help it! The leaves are getting black spots then turning yellow then falling off. I've tried to attach a photo but as this is my first post in the Forum, now quite sure of it's worked! Any guidance on potential shrub care would be gratefully received. At the minute I've just pulled the diseased leaves off to buy some time. Any thoughts?

    See original post

     Hello Lotte!

    It's regretful but the image didn't come through. Maybe you should try again? The members can help you much better if you attach a full length pic of the plant in question along with close-ups of leaves and the problematic leaves too.

    May the flowers always be in your favour!

  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 3,853

    HHi Durrendal,

    There's no point quoting the OP's message in your answer. image

    You are invited to a virtual visit of my garden (in English or in French).
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,136

    Try re-sizing the photo to reduce it as there is a limit.

    Please also tell us where your garden is so we can judge if this is a seasonal behaviour or a problem.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • LotteDx45LotteDx45 Posts: 4

    Hi Durrendal,

    Thanks - I'll try again. I was trying on my phone so now swapped over to the laptop. Second time lucky!

    image    image    image    image

    Not sure why the last photo is on its side, I have rotated it before uploading, but hopefully you get an idea of the size of the shrub from it.

    Thanks,

    Lotte

  • LotteDx45LotteDx45 Posts: 4

    I should note, we're in Rugby - Midlands area. Garden is fairly sheltered - and faces south east.

  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 3,853

    Escallonia. Probably a white cultivar. That kind of plant can look quite ugly. I've uprooted all my specimens.image

    Last edited: 02 February 2018 17:57:20

    You are invited to a virtual visit of my garden (in English or in French).
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,136

    This is an evergreen shrub but it will lose leaves in hard winters.   It cab be pruned in spring if you want to reduce height and width.  Also a good idea to take out some of the oldest looking stems right back to the trunk as this encourages healthy new growth and, if done every year, you gradually renew the shrub and maintain vigour.

    Make sure you also remove any damaged branches and any that are rubbing against another and causing damage to the bark.   

    Give it a generous feed of pelleted chicken manure or blood, fish and bone in spring and it will reawrd you with fresh foliage and flowers..

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,699

    Your Escallonia looks like it needs rejuvenating and is suffering a bit from black spot because it has become weak. At this time of year, it is important to collect all dead and fallen material like twigs and leaves and remove it from under the shrub. Scrape off the top layer of soil too, to limit further re-infection.

    The yellow leaves will continue to drop, so keep on top of removing the leaves. Once you have scraped off the top layer, re-lay a fresh layer of compost or mulch like bark chip. But before that, you will need to add some feed into the soil. Seaweed or Blood Fish and bone will do.

    Realistically, the shrub needs to be pruned back, but this will mean you lose flowers this year, but in my opinion, if you don't prune back, you will not get a great display anyway. A compormise might be to cut away the dead and very woody sections first and maybe prune the rest after flowering this year. Hopefully, pruning back will help the shrub spring back some new shoots for the following year's flowers. You can prune from now right up to spring time. 

  • LotteDx45LotteDx45 Posts: 4

    *Immediately googles Escallonia*

    That's perfect, thank you everyone! That looks spot on.

    It mentions that it's an evergreen shrub, so it definitely not happy if it's dropped all its lower leaves.

    Your advice is very very gratefully received. I'm quite happy to prune back and have an "ugly" year if it means that the shrub has a better chance of being healthy.

    Thanks again - massively impressed with the speed and knowledge of people on this Forum.

    Lotte

    Last edited: 02 February 2018 18:12:06

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