SOME COMMON PLANT PROBLEMS BY TYPE & SEASON

 

BROADLEAFED EVERGREENS: COMMON PLANT PROBLEMS

*** VERY TYPICAL to suffer first year problems. The trick is to get thru this first winter, the hardest winter for plants to get acclimated.

Rushing to replace a plant with winter dieback likely insures you will be doing the same thing next year. By being patient and waiting for your
plant to build stronger roots, you will likely have a much stronger and more relaible plant for years to come!

REMEDY: Prune/Remove dead branches & plant will likely come back to 100%. In TIME! Usually by early June.
First, Check wood branches for green by cutting (scraping the surface of the bark branch). Click PHOTO to see example.
Most often the wood branches are green EVEN WHEN the leaves are yellow, orange or brown. This simpy means the old leaves are dead only, not the PLANT.
In order to make room for new leaves, you can speed up the process by "RAKING THE DEAD LEAVES (STRIP LEAVES FROM PLANT) ".
In a matter of weeks, and with prolonged hot weather, you will see continual improvement until your plant returns to normal. Early June.

PLANT NAMETIME OF SEASON USUALLY OCCURSPLANT CONDITION (How plant looks)Likely Cause of Problem
Andromeda (Click For Photos)MARCHDIEBACK ON TOPSTOO WET/DRY OR COLD WINTER
Aucuba (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILBLACK TIPSTOO WET OR COLD WINTER. NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Boxwood: English Boxwood (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILYELLOW INSIDEDRIED OUT
Holly : Small leaf (Crenata varieties) (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILLEAVES DRY AND BROWN/YELLOW BURNEDDRIED OUT
Holly: Inkberry Holly (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILLEAVES DRY AND BROWN/YELLOW BURNEDDRIED OUT, WIND BURN. NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Holly: Bigger Leaf (Nellie Stevens, Blue Girl, Mery Berry, San Jose, etc) (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILLEAVES DRY AND BROWN/YELLOW BURNEDDRIED OUT, WIND BURN. NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Laurel : Cherry Laurel (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILLEAVES DRY AND BROWN/YELLOW BURNEDDRIED OUT, WIND BURN. NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Laurel : Mountain Laurel (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILLEAVES DRY AND BROWN/YELLOW BURNEDDRIED OUT, WIND BURN. NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Laurel : Skip Laurel (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILLEAVES DRY AND BROWN/YELLOW BURNEDDRIED OUT, WIND BURN. NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Leucothoe (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILLEAVES DRY AND BROWN/YELLOW BURNEDDRIED OUT, WIND BURN. NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Rhododendron (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILLEAVES DRY AND BROWN/YELLOW BURNEDDRIED OUT, WIND BURN. NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER

NEEDLE EVERGREENS TREES AND SHRUBS) : COMMON PLANT PROBLEMS

*** Less typical to suffer first year problems. Again, the trick is to get thru this first winter, the hardest winter for plants to get acclimated. Rushing to replace a plant with winter dieback likely insures you will be doing the same thing next year. By being patient and waiting for your plant to build stronger roots, you will likely have a much stronger and more relaible plant for years to come!

REMEDY: Prune/Remove dead branches & plant will likely come back to 100%. In TIME! Usually by early June. First, Check wood branches for green by cutting (scraping the surface of the bark branch). Click PHOTO to see example. Most often needle evergreens just need heat! Sometimes is is also necessary to shake out some of the inner needles (last years growth, or also called secondary growth) to make room for new growth, or primary growth for the upcoming season. In a matter of weeks, and with prolonged hot weather, you will see continual improvement until your plant returns to normal. Early to mid June.

PLANT NAMETIME OF SEASON USUALLY OCCURSPLANT CONDITION (How plant looks)Likely Cause of Problem
Arborvitae (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILINNER BRANCHES ORANGENOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Leyland Cypress (Click For Photos) MARCH/APRILINNER BRANCHES ORANGENOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Spruce: Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILINNER BRANCHES ORANGENOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Clethra (Click For Photos)MARCH/APRILTOP 1/3 PLANT DEADWINTER COLD NOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Mimosa Tree (Click For Photos) *****WILL NOT CONSIDER FOR REPLACEMENT UNTIL MID JUNEMAYNOT PUSHING OUT ALL LEAVESNOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Honey Locust (Click For Photos)MAYNOT PUSHING OUT ALL LEAVESNOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Hornbeams (Click For Photos)MAYNOT PUSHING OUT ALL LEAVESNOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Japanese Maple (Click For Photos)SUMMERDROPPING LEAVESOVERWATERING
Oak Trees (Click For Photos) *****WILL NOT CONSIDER FOR REPLACEMENT UNTIL MID JUNEMAYNOT PUSHING OUT ALL LEAVESNOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Redbuds (Click For Photos) *****WILL NOT CONSIDER FOR REPLACEMENT UNTIL MID JUNEMAYNOT PUSHING OUT ALL LEAVESNOT ENOUGH PROLONGED HOT WEATHER
Grasses (Click For Photos)APRIL/MAYBROWN GRASSWINTER COLD

PLANTS THAT NEED "A LITTLE MORE TIME"

*The Following Plants will NOT be considered for replacement until the END OF JUNE

TREES

  • Redbud
  • Oak
  • Mimosa

SHRUBS

  • Skip Laurel
  • Cherry Laurel
  • Holly

*These plants require consistent warm weather to fully come back to life, especially after the first year of planting.

PLANTS THAT NEED "A LITTLE EXTRA CARE"

*The Following Plants will LIKELY require a light prune of the top of the plant:

  • Hypericum (St. Johns Wort): Cut back all old growth that is dead. New growth will come from base of the plant and replace the old dead growth


  • Clethra: Cut back the top 1/3 of plant that is dead. New growth will come from the end tips of the plant and replace this old dead growth.


  • Ornamental Grasses: Cut back in early March to 6" height. New growth will come from base of the plant and replace the old dead growth.

"DEER DAMAGE". What to expect from a trunk that is rubbed by a deer.

When the Cambium layer (skin of the tree trunk) is rubbed away from the tree, the tree will often die on the exact side of the tree rub. When the tree is deer rubbed 360 degrees around the trunk, trees are likely to die. Early on, when noticed, these young tree trunks must be protected with Tree Guard, Rutgers sells.

 
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