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chueh_gw

brown and dried parts of a shrub/tree

chueh
9 years ago

I don't see any bugs or insects on this shrub seedling. I don't understand why the brown and dried parts are all completely brown and dried on the same branches, whereas the green and healthy ones are all spotless. I have even seen one shrub of the neighborhood with clearly defined half green and half brown branches and leaves.

What has happened? Thanks

Comments (5)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    when did it happen.. versus.. when did it appear???? .. thats the question ...

    after this horrible winter... that looks like half the shrubs in my MI garden ... and on a few.. they seemed fine.. until the heat of summer hit ... then.. presumably.. the damaged branches just couldnt support the leaves ....

    i cant see well enough.. do you know the plant ID???

    can you rule out winter damage???? .. and yes.. the vagaries of ma nature.. can impact one plant.. and not others... its called micro climate ... even within a small yard ...

    ken

  • chueh
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Ken. It's called fire thorn. I rooted some cuttings, and they were all growing pretty well until early summer. Yep, now as you mentioned about it, "the winter!" All the cuttings were from the same shrub, yet this half brown half green conditions only affected some of them.

    I see what you meant by micro climate

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    its difficult.. on rootings ... to determine who developed a sufficient root mass.. and who didnt ...

    did you mean.. you rooted them this spring???? ...

    how big were the cuttings... to get that large... any chance you can eyeball if what browned was the cutting... or new growth???

    but then.. you couldnt have rooted them this spring.. or winter would have been irrelevant ... unless the cutting itself was damaged from winter ...

    so many questions... so little time...

    ken

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    9 years ago

    Not absolutely certain this is the problem just based on what I see but fire thorn, Pyracantha, is extremely prone to fire blight, a bacterial pathogen that is encouraged by wet, mild springs and early summers. It gets its name by looking like someone took a blow torch to the tips of random branches. The easiest control is to seek out resistant varieties. Otherwise prune out affected stems now, sterilizing pruners after each cut. You might also want to try a fix copper fungicide (Bordeaux mix is suggested) in dormancy to kill any overwintering bacterial 'spores' that may be present on stems or branches.

    Only members of the rose family are susceptible to fire blight so not much need to worry about all your garden experiencing this issue

  • chueh
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Both replies are helpful and very informative from Ken and Gardengal. Thank you. Even if the problem was not caused by the above mentioned disease or damage, precaution and prevention is a good measure.

    I believe that I planted the cutting about last spring or so. Everything planted back then was fine. The brown appearance showed up around early summer or late spring.

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