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Poorly/Dead bushes. Advice needed please!

Samridout92Samridout92 Posts: 95
in Problem solving
Hi I have 2 bushes which were luscious last year. But look dead this year :( any advice? The one closest to the wall may have been drowned as it’s close to the drain to the left and it was blocked last year! Thank you in advance :) 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,942
    The rhodie is right next to grass - and it'll be bone dry. The dry conditions over the last couple of years will have been a bridge too far for it.
    It looks like it's in a very poor site. They need lots of moisture and some dappled shade to  perform well.

    I can't see the other one well enough, but I'd guess it's struggling in that site too. Is the new green growth from the same shrub? What is it anyway - do you know?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Samridout92Samridout92 Posts: 95
    Fairygirl said:
    The rhodie is right next to grass - and it'll be bone dry. The dry conditions over the last couple of years will have been a bridge too far for it.
    It looks like it's in a very poor site. They need lots of moisture and some dappled shade to  perform well.

    I can't see the other one well enough, but I'd guess it's struggling in that site too. Is the new green growth from the same shrub? What is it anyway - do you know?
    Thank you for the quick reply! Both were inherited With the house we purchased so unsure what they are! New growth from the same shrub, would you recommend maybe cutting down to new growth? And removing the Rhode?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,942
    The rhodo really isn't happy. It's not a very good pic I'm afraid. You could prune it back, saturate it, lift and relocate it, but it depends whether you can be bothered or not.
    I can't see what that other shrub is, and I can't turn it to see it anyway. Have you got a closer photo?
    You could just hack it back and see , but again- its stuck in there next to concrete or something, so it's probably exhausted itself. If it's something that was grafted, it would also suggest that the new growth is from a less well behaved rootstock. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Samridout92Samridout92 Posts: 95
    Fairygirl said:
    The rhodo really isn't happy. It's not a very good pic I'm afraid. You could prune it back, saturate it, lift and relocate it, but it depends whether you can be bothered or not.
    I can't see what that other shrub is, and I can't turn it to see it anyway. Have you got a closer photo?
    You could just hack it back and see , but again- its stuck in there next to concrete or something, so it's probably exhausted itself. If it's something that was grafted, it would also suggest that the new growth is from a less well behaved rootstock. 
    I think as nice as it is I don’t have room for the rhodie anywhere else :(:smile:

    I have taken a few more photos :):smile:

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,942
    I don't think that 2nd one is very happy, but the new growth suggests it's recovered.
    It looks like a laurel or something. 
    There are some very bad splits higher up, so the best thing is just to cut back to that new growth, then clear all the debris away to give a clear site below. 
    If the site was waterlogged, there's a good chance the soil is pretty horrible, but the site doesn't lend itself to improvement, so I don't think you can do much with that. It's a case of wait and see. 

    If you have nowhere else for the rhodie, cut it back, and water thoroughly - not overhead, right in at the base, and give it  a bark mulch, if you can get any. Compost will do if you have nothing else.  Keep an eye on it, and you can give it a feed specifically for rhodos, once it looks like it's growing a little bit more happily . 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Samridout92Samridout92 Posts: 95
    Fairygirl said:
    I don't think that 2nd one is very happy, but the new growth suggests it's recovered.
    It looks like a laurel or something. 
    There are some very bad splits higher up, so the best thing is just to cut back to that new growth, then clear all the debris away to give a clear site below. 
    If the site was waterlogged, there's a good chance the soil is pretty horrible, but the site doesn't lend itself to improvement, so I don't think you can do much with that. It's a case of wait and see. 

    If you have nowhere else for the rhodie, cut it back, and water thoroughly - not overhead, right in at the base, and give it  a bark mulch, if you can get any. Compost will do if you have nothing else.  Keep an eye on it, and you can give it a feed specifically for rhodos, once it looks like it's growing a little bit more happily . 
    Thank you for the advice! Will cut it right back I think and see. If it dies might make a raised bed or something that space! 

    RE the rhodie, where should I cut back to? Leave what’s alive or go for a full cut back? 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,942
    edited May 2020
    Back to healthy growth.  Cut out anything that's completely dead  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Samridout92Samridout92 Posts: 95
    Fairygirl said:
    Back to healthy growth.  Cut out anything that's completely dead  :)
    Perfect. Thank you again. I have some bark so will put that down to :) 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,942
    I'd clear away some of the grass too - give it some proper space, and a defined border   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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