Fungus on winter jasmine?
I think my beloved winter jasmine has a fungal infection. It appears to be affecting some of the branches as well as the leaves. I'm not absolutely certain because I can't remember if the leaves change colour like this before dropping.
Also, I have read somewhere about quite a nasty fungus that produces this red colour on leaves and branches. It's been in the ground 3 years now and I've been training it up the arch in the photo'. I pruned it quite hard this spring after it finished flowering to get rid of cross branches and straggly and unproductive ones.
It has responded with a lot of new growth, some of it extending a couple of metres from the centre and it has become quite bushy and dense. I've included some photo's of healthy, dark green leaves for comparison.
So, could anyone confirm that it has a fungal infection, and if so would you cut out all the infected growth. I have sprayed it with a fungicide as a precaution.
And, would people with more knowledge than me cut out some of the central, woodier older growth in the centre and train the longer newer growth. I do know that a plant needs good air circulation to help in avoiding fungal diseases.
In fact, many of my plants have suffered from fungal infections this year, roses, sweet peas, calendula, and hollyhock. I put it down to the very mild and wet winter and spring.
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Im certainly no expert, but that dosent look fungal to me, i would be leani g towards a defficiency of some sort, whatever it is it looks lile the roots cant feed the growth adequately.
This is only an opinion, so please do some research before you act, i would reduce the growth, feed and water well, maybe give it a mulch of well rotted f.y.m.
Apart from the paler bits the plant looks healthy, i doubt this is much to worry about, after that long hot dry spell we had, many things have reacted strangely, it will most likely come good with a bit of tlc
Hi Soulboy - I agree, I think it's just been stressed by weather conditions. Most of the plant looks great.
You've done right to prune it after flowering, because next year's flowers are produced on shoots under a year old. Next year you could make sure the soil is moist after pruning it, then mulch well with garden compost.
Thanks everyone for your replies. It's good to know that it's not an infection. Liriodendron, thanks for the advice, I do do this after pruning any of my bushes.