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plum loropetalum disease/fungus #198298

Asked July 10, 2014, 5:03 PM EDT

I have a number of loropetalum in my yard in 2 distinct varieties.  One variety, which I believe to be a Better Homes & Garden's miniature plum, has a disease or fungus that I cannot diagnose and have been unsuccessful in treating.  (I've been using Bayer 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control every other week for approx 2 months, and have been applying an azalea 10-5-4 fertilizer.)  Normally, the plants have very dark, almost maroon foliage, so clearly there's a problem. I'm relatively certain heat / water are not the problem because the condition developed prior to the high temps and the plants thrived last summer. I've tried additional water, but it makes little difference. (In the photos attached, you can see in the 2nd frame, the sickly loropetalum existing right next to the healthy other variety indicating that they get the same treatment and exposure, so I'm fairly certain that the sickly variety must have a disease or fungus.) The leaves become moddled and lose their coloring, then they dry, curl and fall off.  The plants are in decline, and obviously I'd like to save them. Please help identify the problem and provide treatment suggestions.Thanks for any help you can provide!!!

Williamson County Texas

Expert Response

I'm not sure there is a disease issue with this plant. The symptom looks more like nutritional or water issue than pathological (disease). High pH (causing some nutrients unavailable to plants) or water-logging may cause something like that. Have you tried to do a soil test (pH and EC) of the soil underneath or looked at the soil moisture? Although the sick looking plant is very close to the healthy looking plant, its root environment could be very different. 
An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 25, 2014, 10:18 AM EDT

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