Forum home Plants

Is our Photinia Red Robin tree ok?

davebettzdavebettz Posts: 84
Hi my dad mentioned our red robin tree didn't look too good? It flowered in April/may and has since dropped all it's leaves.

It's been potted since the start of the year.
«1

Posts

  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,008
    When you say its been potted , I would have thought a shrub/tree of that size would be struggling to intake enough water .
    With recent warm drying winds , your plant would have been unable to transpire at a pace to compensate .
    A second possible reason is Fireblight disease (I hope not) which affects members of the rose family ; symptoms include an apparent scorching of the leaves combined with leaf-curl ; exfoliation is then rapid and the plant normally dies .
    I lost a large specimen once ; it was growing in a moist position so drought wasn't responsible .
    I blame the above , (Fireblight) .

  • davebettzdavebettz Posts: 84
    Paul B3 said:
    When you say its been potted , I would have thought a shrub/tree of that size would be struggling to intake enough water .
    With recent warm drying winds , your plant would have been unable to transpire at a pace to compensate .
    A second possible reason is Fireblight disease (I hope not) which affects members of the rose family ; symptoms include an apparent scorching of the leaves combined with leaf-curl ; exfoliation is then rapid and the plant normally dies .
    I lost a large specimen once ; it was growing in a moist position so drought wasn't responsible .
    I blame the above , (Fireblight) .

    My sister also has the same trees we got them from a showhome site,she planted hers in the front and there's have done the same as our potted tree??
  • davebettzdavebettz Posts: 84
    edited June 2019
    The branches are still green underneath

  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,008
    edited June 2019
    It could be a combination of reasons ; last years long hot dry-spell maybe manifesting itself this year .
    When you got them from a showhome site , had they been looked after properly?
    Nursery grown plants are often raised in controlled conditions , then exposed to the elements outdoors , which can be a shock to the system to say the least .
    It may also be possible the plants were imported specimens ; if Dutch they would have been raised in near-perfect conditions (as they do) , then as I said above exposure outdoors might have taken its toll .


  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 11,161
    I must admit the first photo of the leaf looked like fireblight to me, the 2nd looks like a type of fungal  infection. The fact that all the trees have done the same thing makes me wonder if they were affected before they were planted, it's a bit of a coincidence .
    I agree it would be better off in the ground than a pot. How long have you and your sister had them? Were her's planted in the ground straight away ?
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,008
    My specimen Photinia (Stranvaesia) davidiana 'Palette' died last year showing similar symptoms ; a catastrophic loss to me as it was  thirty+ years old ; a sad loss .
  • davebettzdavebettz Posts: 84
    Just checked and we've had them since last summer August. I can't plant it in the ground as we've drainage pipes underneath where it currently is.

    Sister planted hers in the ground straight away,she's saying hers are fine actually

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 11,161
    Well, that's something, at least her's are okay. I am stuck to be honest,  as Paul says it may well be fireblight. Have a look at this info from the RHS 
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=160
  • davebettzdavebettz Posts: 84
    AnniD said:
    Well, that's something, at least her's are okay. I am stuck to be honest,  as Paul says it may well be fireblight. Have a look at this info from the RHS 
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=160
    Had a quick look so the only thing I can really do is try and trim it back?
  • craigbeckcraigbeck Posts: 8
    edited June 2019
    Did you feed it? That pot is a little small and the nutrients would have been taken up after a while - I'm assuming that last picture is an old picture.
    I would get a bigger pot and lightly feed it when needed, every 4-6 month.
    But that original pic looks a lot sad, here's hoping and crossing fingers but hope is low, sorry.
Sign In or Register to comment.