Shrubs

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Pineapple Guava

This is likely the flower of a Feijoa sellowiana commonly known as Pineapple Guava. It is a large fruiting, evergreen shrub or small tree and used primarily as a landscape shrub on the west coast of the United States but has the added feature of tasty, edible fruit and flowers. Does well in USDA zones 8 äóñ 10. What this really means is that it likes some cool weather, can go down to 10 deg. F, likes rain in the 30äó_ äóñ 40äó_ range, and doesnäó»t like super hot daytime weather äóñ so not as happy in the desert. Itäó»s adaptable to a wide range of soils, including acidic soil, but prefers a humus rich soil that is well drained. Adding compost and not manure works for this plant. Full sun is best äóñ but it can tolerate partial shade. The flowers which bloom in the late spring are edible if raised organically. The thick petals are succulent with a tropical floral flavor and are eaten fresh. Great sprinkled over a fruit salad. The petals may be plucked without interfering with fruit set. The fruit ripens in late fall, which is a great boon since almost everything else in the garden is gone. The delicious fruit pulp is sweet and tangy at the same time. Eat them by scooping out the fruit with a spoon, or you can cook them in puddings, pastry fillings, fritters, dumplings, fruit-sponge-cake, pies or tarts.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:30-07:00 December 28th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Winter Damage On Broad Leaf Evergreen

This is winter damage, which often makes small leaf imperfections and leaf spots from the previous summer more noticeable. Winter damage is caused by cold winds and/or sunburn from the sun reflecting off of the snow. The plants that most frequently show winter damage are the broadleaf evergreens such as Cherry Laurel, Rhododendrons, Holly, Camellias, Andromedas, etc. Boxwoods and Euonymus often turn dry and tan.

Because these plants have leaves that are scorched, the areas on the foliage that had some leaf spot damage from last summer are more evident. You'll see dark spots, or white spots where the leaf tissue actually died last summer or fall and now is turning tan or white. On some plants, such as cherry laurel, such dead leaf tissue often drops out and leave holes.

At this point there isn't anything that you need to do - the plant will drop this scorched foliage this spring and will put on new growth. To help prevent leaf spot in the spring and summer, make sure that the plants aren't getting hit with water from a sprinkler on a frequent basis, as this is a prescription for leaf-spot fungi. To help protect broadleaf evergreens in advance of winter you can use an anti-desiccant product in October, although in a really cold or snowy winter plants will still show some winter damage.

By | 2015-12-28T09:26:24-08:00 December 28th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Blueberry Problem Solving

This is not typical fungal damage that we frequently see on blueberries, so it might be most helpful to lead you though some problem-solving steps about leaf issues and this plant. You can think about these and decide what might best apply to your bushes and be most helpful.
1. The first thing to do is to look at how many leaves are affected and where they are on the plant. Are they all on the tops of the shrubs, for example? Or are they randomly placed on the tops, middle and bottom of the shrub? This is important in that if they are all on one side of a shrub, or all on the top of the plant, this would argue that something has hit the plants on that side or on the tops and caused the blackening that you see. Some possibilities include hot water (from a sun-heated hose), garden product/spray (fungicide or insecticide), cleaning product/spray, liquid fertilizer, etc.
2. Are the areas where the blackening is showing up more frequently hit with water from irrigation? Repeated splashing of water on foliage is a prescription for every fungal disease in the book.
3. Is the damage still going on? Remove any damaged leaves you see and monitor the shrubs over the next two or three weeks. If the damage has stopped, then no matter what has caused it you can relax and think about how best to protect these plants in the future.

After you think through the possibilities above, the best thing to do will be to
A. Water deeply less often - for blueberries in the Northeast, this is usually a good soaking once a week. Get a rain gauge and water until it shows an inch of water, once a week.
B. If you suspect a fungal problem spray with an organic fungicide such as Actinovate, Seranade, sulfur or copper.
C. Be sure that nothing else is hitting these leaves... no liquid fertilizer, no household cleaners, no insecticides, etc.
D. If you haven't had a soil test done recently this is never a bad idea although damage such as you show in this photo shouldn't be related to the minerals in the soil. Nevertheless, it's good information to have.
E. Don't sprinkle the foliage when you water and try not to have these plants hit with lawn irrigation etc - splashing of water on leaves is a prescription for every leaf spot disease in the book.
F. Fertilize only with an organic fertilizer once a year.

If this problem continues do take samples into your local cooperative extension or knowledgeable fruit-raiser in your area.

By | 2015-12-12T17:12:05-08:00 December 12th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Blueberry Problem Solving

This is not typical fungal damage that we frequently see on blueberries, so it might be most helpful to lead you though some problem-solving steps about leaf issues and this plant. You can think about these and decide what might best apply to your bushes and be most helpful.
1. The first thing to do is to look at how many leaves are affected and where they are on the plant. Are they all on the tops of the shrubs, for example? Or are they randomly placed on the tops, middle and bottom of the shrub? This is important in that if they are all on one side of a shrub, or all on the top of the plant, this would argue that something has hit the plants on that side or on the tops and caused the blackening that you see. Some possibilities include hot water (from a sun-heated hose), garden product/spray (fungicide or insecticide), cleaning product/spray, liquid fertilizer, etc.
2. Are the areas where the blackening is showing up more frequently hit with water from irrigation? Repeated splashing of water on foliage is a prescription for every fungal disease in the book.
3. Is the damage still going on? Remove any damaged leaves you see and monitor the shrubs over the next two or three weeks. If the damage has stopped, then no matter what has caused it you can relax and think about how best to protect these plants in the future.

After you think through the possibilities above, the best thing to do will be to
A. Water deeply less often - for blueberries in the Northeast, this is usually a good soaking once a week. Get a rain gauge and water until it shows an inch of water, once a week.
B. If you suspect a fungal problem spray with an organic fungicide such as Actinovate, Seranade, sulfur or copper.
C. Be sure that nothing else is hitting these leaves... no liquid fertilizer, no household cleaners, no insecticides, etc.
D. If you haven't had a soil test done recently this is never a bad idea although damage such as you show in this photo shouldn't be related to the minerals in the soil. Nevertheless, it's good information to have.
E. Don't sprinkle the foliage when you water and try not to have these plants hit with lawn irrigation etc - splashing of water on leaves is a prescription for every leaf spot disease in the book.
F. Fertilize only with an organic fertilizer once a year.

If this problem continues do take samples into your local cooperative extension or knowledgeable fruit-raiser in your area.

By | 2015-12-11T05:40:33-08:00 December 11th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Winter Damage


This is winter damage. Winter damage turns whole or part of broadleaf evergreens brown and often makes small leaf imperfections and leaf spots from the previous summer more noticeable. Winter damage is caused by cold winds and/or sunburn from the sun reflecting off of the snow. The plants that most frequently show winter damage are the broadleaf evergreens such as Cherry Laurel, evergreen Magnolias, Rhododendrons, Holly, Camellias etc. Boxwoods and Euonymus often turn dry and tan.

Because these plants have leaves that are scorched, the areas on the foliage that had some leaf spot damage from last summer are more evident. You'll see dark spots, or white spots where the leaf tissue actually died last summer or fall and now is turning tan or white. On some plants, such as cherry laurel, such dead leaf tissue often drops out and leave holes.

At this point there isn't anything that you need to do - the plant will drop this scorched foliage this spring and will put on new growth. Once you see that new growth appearing you can clip off any toasted twigs or branches that are not responding with new leaves, and prune any odd looking limbs away.

To help prevent leaf spot in the spring and summer, make sure that the plants aren't getting hit with water from a sprinkler on a frequent basis, as this is a prescription for leaf-spot fungi. To help protect broadleaf evergreens in advance of winter you can use an anti-desiccant product in October, although in a really cold or snowy winter plants will still show some winter damage.

By | 2015-12-10T21:18:56-08:00 December 10th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Rose Bud Problems

When buds on roses brown and wither there are several possibilities and you can decide what's most likely in your case:
1. Not deep enough watering. If the plant is only being watered by hand, or for 15 or 20 minutes with automatic irrigation, that isn't enough water to sustain the development of flowers. Roses benefit from a really long soaking every five to seven days depending on the weather. Solution: water deeply less often.
2. Fungus. (aka Botrytis blight) This happens most frequently when a rose is getting hit frequently with water, either by hand watering or irrigation - sometimes it's drift from a sprinkler that's watering the lawn. You can help the situation by stopping any water from hitting the flowers and using an organic fungicide such as copper, sulfur, or one of the beneficial bacterias.
3. Fertilizer burn. Sometimes people use a spray-on synthetic fertilizer and the concentration is a bit too high. This can burn foliage and flowers. Even a high concentration of fertilizer applied to the soil, especially around dry plants, can cause fertilizer burn. Usually, however, fertilizer burn from soil-applied product will show on the leaves as well as the buds/flowers.
4. Thrips. These tiny insects damage a bud but when you peel the bud open you see tiny, eyelash size insects. Thrips are less of a problem up north but not out of the question. Go to your local garden center for a product labeled to control thrips.

By | 2015-12-08T14:26:58-08:00 December 8th, 2015|Shrubs|1 Comment
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Spikenard Elk Clover

Elk Clover is an energetic plant creating drama in the garden with its bold form, huge leaves, attractive spikes of white flowers and its warm creamy yellow foliage and wine coloured streaked stems add unexpected punch to the fall garden.
Aralia californica's very large green leaves are compound with 3-5 leaflets between 6 - 12 inches long.
Stalks of small white roundish clusters of star shaped flowers begin blooming in late spring to early summer, though more often from June to August or even October when grown in deeper shade. The flowers are sticky.
The fruit of Elk Clover is round, dark purple to black and only about 1/4 inch in diameter.
The buttery yellow autumn foliage is beautifully contrasted to the wine-coloured streaks which appear along the large stems. In true perennial fashion, this native dies to the ground each fall, only to return the next spring.
Found in moist and shady spots, Aralia californica establishes naturally in many plant communities from southwest Oregon to western and central Californica, wherever it finds cooler, moister areas. Common neighborhoods are yellow pine forest, foothill woodland, chaparral, valley grassland, and wetland-riparian communities. It is especially prolific in the San Francisco Bay area of California.
Spikenard tolerates sand, clay, serpentine and seasonal flooding. as long as there is regular water. Typically, Elk Clover selects moist shady areas, streamsides, or canyons at elevations below 6,500 feet.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:30-07:00 December 7th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Lilac Leaf Spots

This looks like lilac leaves, yes? But no matter what plant it is, there are several possible causes of leaf spot, and for most gardeners what is most important is the answer to the question, "So how can I help this plant?"

Leaf spot such as you see can be caused by something physically hitting the plant, a fungus, or a bacteria. A physical cause would be something such as hot water from a sun-heated hose, a cleaning product such as window cleaner, a fertilizer spray or drift from an herbicide or other garden product. If this is the cause the damage doesn't spread and there is no threat to the plant.

Fungus can cause leaf-spot and although the damage can be unsightly it seldom causes plant death. Bacterial blight can be more problematic and there is no cure. We've included a link in "additional comments" about bacterial leaf blight on lilacs.

The bottom line for most home gardeners is "So what do I do now?" and the answer is several fold: 1. It often helps a plant to spread an inch of composted manure over the ground from the trunk or main stem to about a foot beyond the drip line. If the plant hasn't been fertilized recently it is also a good idea to apply some organic fertilizer on the surface of the ground before you put this composted manure down.
2. Water the plant DEEPLY once a week if it doesn't rain at least 3/4 of an inch.
3. When infected leaves fall, rake them up and throw in garbage, not in the compost.
4. If you suspect fungus you could use an organic fungicide such as Actinovate, but this won't help if the problem is bacterial.
5. Have a pH test of the soil done if this is a lilac - lilacs grow best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils.
6. Don't apply any other garden products such as insecticides "just in case." Do not apply random, single fertilizers or minerals such as Epsom salt, super phosphate etc as this can put soils out of balance.

By | 2015-12-06T22:52:01-08:00 December 6th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Weigela

This is a Weigela shrub. Weigelas flower in spring with pink trumpet-shaped blooms. Weigelas grow best in full sun and bloom every year in Spring. There are many kinds differing in pigmentation, so we cannot determine which specific species this is from. After the short flowering season in July, prune back your weigela. To encourage new flowers next year, cut back new growth by two thirds. The flowers for next year will grow on the old wood, so cutting back the new shoots encourages them to develop and increase the flower bearing stems. With correct pruning, the flower bearing branches will grow rapidly and the weight of the flowers will bend the branches so that they display the bell like flowers to their best advantage. To encourage the development of larger and more numerous flowers, you can cut the growing tip of the flower bearing stems in May. This can also help to maintain the shape of the shrub. Weigela manages quite well in poor soil, but it helps if you introduce fertilizer or compost after the second year, unless you notice that the plant is not prospering as it should. Although a slow release commercial fertilizer is often recommended for weigela, they thrive in soil that has had a level of humus or garden compost worked into it.

Weigela can suffer significant shoot loss in a hard winter. To protect the roots and to prepare the soil for the next year’s growth, cover the root stock with a top dressing of good garden compost.

Weigela is a shrub that can add enormously to the pleasure of your garden because the shrub is attractive to both butterflies and humming birds. By planting them alongside similarly attractive plants, you can help to maintain the humming birds that are attracted to your garden.






By | 2015-12-05T22:06:55-08:00 December 5th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Poor Root System Or Soil Issue

Its probably a root, and/or water and/or soil issue. Often times we see plants in a group or row do this for two reasons: 1) If the plants have been recently planted, this plant has not developed a proper root system for the needs of its above-ground growth. This could occur due to extreme differences in the ground soil and the soil/amendments put in the hole around the plant. If the soil around the hole is very hard and does not drain well, it can act like a bowl and hold too much water at the root zone. 2) For newer or older plants, it could be due to excess or not enough water for the soil composition in that area. You would think that soil in the same area is exactly the same throughout, but it can be different enough in the area of this plant's root zone to creat a problem; and sometimes we don't realize the water is either draining toward or maybe away from a particular plant. It would be important to know if the plant wilts during the warmest part of the day, and then recovers in the cooler evening and morning hours. This would indicate a root rot issue that could be encouraged by too much water in the soil (for the soil composition in this particular area). We recommend checking for irrigation leaks in the immediate area, proper operation of any irrigation in this area, and appropriate watering schedules for these plants. If you can correct any issues, the plant should recover but it may take some time. If the plant continues to decline, we recommend pulling it out of the ground and examining the root growth for white healthy roots (vs. brown, very wet roots), and soil moisture. The soil should be moist, not wet and not extremely dry. If you find the roots have not grown due to extreme soil hardpack, correct any issues with hole preparation, mix ground soil with well draining soil amendments to put back around the root ball of this plant and water properly. If the roots are rotten, correct any issues and replace with a new plant, planting as described. Keep in mind that if this is being caused by a fungal pathogen in the soil, the disease will be encouraged by excess moisture and putting most any plant back in this same spot without proper soil and water may cause the same problem again. You can allow the area to dry completely (under as much heat as possible) to try and reduce incidence of diseases that occur in soil.

By | 2015-12-05T11:21:24-08:00 December 5th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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