Sandcherries and Japanese Willow

20 years ago

Hi, can any one tell me what is wrong with my Purple Leaf Sandcherries and my Japanese Willow? They were fine until last month Â in the last couple of weeks, they have changed. The Sandcherries leaves are turning orange with brown spots - almost like dried/burnt appearance; the flowers are still on the Sandcherries and no colour change there. My Japanese Willow leaves are brown and dried up - still attached to branches. Unfortunately I am unable to attach pictures with the message.

I have two other Japanese Willows in another part of the yard and they are doing great. I have scrapped the branches on the problem Willow and they are still green but the leaves attached to them are brown and dried up.

I have various opinions as to the cause: from something wrong with the soil to a disease with the Sandcherries; no opinions on what is wrong with the Willow.

Note that the grass started turning yellow last fall in the area along the fence after a heavy rain fall (right after our neighbor stained his fence) Â could it be the type of stain he used that may have contaminated the soil around the fence area? Having said that, my Spruce, 2 clematises, babyÂs breath (all grown in the same area as the Willow and Sandcherries) are all fine but grass around the area is slightly yellowed, the Purple Leaf Sandcherries are turning orange, half the Willow is brown (the part nearest to the fence). If it is the soil, is there anywhere that I can get the soil sampled and can the soil be corrected?

Thanks for any help/ideas.

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Comments (4)

jroot
20 years ago
Did your neighbour spray the stain? If so, this is very possibly the problem.

Is the soil too dry, or more likely too wet? It is really hard to guess when your area says, Canada. That is too large an area to hazard a guess at weather related causes.
semigreen
Original Author
20 years ago
I'm in Richmond Hill, Ontario; someone at a nearby nursery suggested 1 of 2 reasons: MLS virus from leaf hoppers or the plants (sandcherries)are sitting directly on top of clay soil (roots are not getting nutrients). He is not sure what is wrong with the Willow. He suggested that I should try to dig carefully around the plants to see if they are planted directly on clay soil. Both the Sandcherries and the Willows were planted in October last year. My landscaper will replace the plants but replacing them may not be a solution if it is not virus related. I did some carefull diging today below the sandcherries and the Willow, most of them were hitting clay soil. I'm hopping that is the problem and will chat with my landscaper - guess his guys didn't remove eoungh of the clay soil before planting.

If there's other possible causes - I'm open to them. Thanks very much.
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glen3a
20 years ago
Semigreen, my purple leaf sandcherry is planted in very clay-like soil and suffers from chlorosis (lack of available iron for the plant). It starts off the spring nice deep reddish purple, then the new growth after that is like you describe, sort of orangy. I am trying to improve the soil around it to help it out.

Not sure what could be wrong with the willow. If they are like most willows, I believe they are tolerant of just about anything.

Regards,
Glen
semigreen
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks Glen....I spoke with my landscaper and he will replaced them but I want him to replenish the soil before doing so.