New Garden - Plants yellowing

bj.shepherd

Hello, I moved into my new house in November and over Easter I took the front garden back to basics. New lawn and wider beds. The lawn is coming on great and looks lovely and lush. The plants started out looking great but they’ve all started to yellow now and are looking a sorry bunch. They were all planted with a mix of compost and rotted manure dug into the planting holes to give them a good start. I’ve sprayed for mildew and given them a feed but I fear I’m either too late or I’m not tackling the root cause. The garden is south east facing. Any help or advice would be gratefully received.
(sorry the pictures are out of sync).

DampGardenMan

Yellow leaves are usually down to either chlorosis (lack of nutrients, e.g. iron) or watering problems (too much water or too little!). Since you said you've fed them, what's the soil like? Wet? Dry? Are you in the wet NW?

AnniD

This is purely a guess, but l'm wondering if it's something to do with the manure you put in each planting hole. Even rotted it could be "burning" the roots. Was it something you bought from a garden centre, or from stables or somewhere like that ?

fidgetbones

Have you tested the soil to see if it is acid, neutral, or alkaline?

bj.shepherd

Thank you for your replies. The soil looks dry on the surface but is still retains moisture below. It’s not soggy ground though and I’ve kept them watered during the driest spells. 

The manure is from a garden centre, I decided to incorporate something as I didn’t think the soil looked/felt in the best condition. But the lawn didn’t have any manure added before being laid (just some multipurpose compost) and it’s doing amazingly well.
Maybe I should take the bull my the horns and dig them up and work the enriched planting holes in to the bed as a whole? 

I haven’t tested the soil yet, I think it’s probably on the acid side in the area as the neighbors have some decent looking camellias and magnolias.

southwood

Hello ,

 can I suggest that some of your plants look to be under attack from mites spray with neem oil and water if you find any, watering regimen and the manure you added are poss causing the yellowing because of anaerobic bacteria and the locking out of other minerals through the feed you gave them on top of the manure

I would try an iron supplement that's what your hydrangea is needing , something with an NPK of 0.0.0 wilkos do a good one that's got magnesium and manganese to help your plants uptake the iron , watered in once a week without any other fertilizer.

All the best

George

Helix

Agree that looks like some insect damage.....check the leaves carefully especially the underside.   Otherwise I think like other possibly you’ve overdone soil prep.  How much rotted manure did you use in each hole?  For those sizes of plants a handful is well enough.