Burning bush dieing? - Ask Extension
Hi there,My burning bushes have been planted for about 2 years now and after the winter a few of them didn't come back. they started growing leaves re...
Knowledgebase
Burning bush dieing? #640272
Asked May 24, 2020, 1:03 PM EDT
Hi there,
My burning bushes have been planted for about 2 years now and after the winter a few of them didn't come back. they started growing leaves really low on the plant and then just last week all the leaves that were growing died. Any advice?
My burning bushes have been planted for about 2 years now and after the winter a few of them didn't come back. they started growing leaves really low on the plant and then just last week all the leaves that were growing died. Any advice?
Adams County Colorado
Expert Response
There was a good deal of shrub dieback this winter. We also are seeing some late leafing out of trees and shrubs. Have you pruned the bush? Have you fertilized? Did you winter water? Could you cut into a few branches of the Burning Bush and see if there is any green present? If there is, the branch is alive. If not you may have lost the bush. We look forward to hearing from you.
Hi there,
Thanks for the response! So the ones that are struggling the most leafed out at the bottom and then the leaves died. The other plants that are doing better the leaves are still struggling. They brown on the edges of the leaves and until the full leaf is dead. This progress down to the stem/ trunk.I have had the drip line on them and have done shrub fertilizer spikes. They got limited water in winter. I pruned them two weeks ago ( disinfecting with every cut and used sealing spry on the bigger spots. I also sprayed them with a anti disease and insect spray just in case. I don't see any bugs or disease. I did some googling and saw what a cancer looks like and found one spot where on the branch turned purple and everything above it died. Not many other sport like that. I attached a picture with what is still living.
Thanks for the response! So the ones that are struggling the most leafed out at the bottom and then the leaves died. The other plants that are doing better the leaves are still struggling. They brown on the edges of the leaves and until the full leaf is dead. This progress down to the stem/ trunk.I have had the drip line on them and have done shrub fertilizer spikes. They got limited water in winter. I pruned them two weeks ago ( disinfecting with every cut and used sealing spry on the bigger spots. I also sprayed them with a anti disease and insect spray just in case. I don't see any bugs or disease. I did some googling and saw what a cancer looks like and found one spot where on the branch turned purple and everything above it died. Not many other sport like that. I attached a picture with what is still living.
Hi,
Thanks for the pictures and response. It looks like your shrubs are extremely stressed, both from last winter and the freezes we had this spring. When did you use the fertilizer spikes? Since fertilizer can encourage quick growth, this will stress a plant even more as it's struggling to survive. Also, it is never a good idea to spray for diseases and/or insects you haven't identified, as this can cause damage to the plant.
At this time, the best plan would be to water only when needed, if the soil is dry (test with your knuckle and if it's moist a few inches below the soil line, do not water). Let it rest and see how it progresses throughout the season. Cut off any dead branches, but you don't seal the cuts. Woody shrubs heal these cuts on their own and need to be uncovered to do so.
Hope this helps. Thanks for contacting us.
Thanks for the pictures and response. It looks like your shrubs are extremely stressed, both from last winter and the freezes we had this spring. When did you use the fertilizer spikes? Since fertilizer can encourage quick growth, this will stress a plant even more as it's struggling to survive. Also, it is never a good idea to spray for diseases and/or insects you haven't identified, as this can cause damage to the plant.
At this time, the best plan would be to water only when needed, if the soil is dry (test with your knuckle and if it's moist a few inches below the soil line, do not water). Let it rest and see how it progresses throughout the season. Cut off any dead branches, but you don't seal the cuts. Woody shrubs heal these cuts on their own and need to be uncovered to do so.
Hope this helps. Thanks for contacting us.
