Knowledgebase
Red Twig Dogwood Bush #873204
Asked June 15, 2024, 9:34 AM EDT
I have red twig dogwood bush planted in a container on our back porch that receives morning and early to mid afternoon sun. Each year it starts off beautifully with healthy green leaves then by late May to early Hune it begins to have leaves that turn pale yellow with small brown spots and eventually die. The leaves are completely random throughout the bush. What is wrong? All the stems appears healthy and there is no insect activity. I water some daily during the hot weather otherwise the leaves wilt badly by the end of the day. I apply only a general granular fertilizer per package instructions in early Soring then mid Summer. Thank you for your assistance.,
Greenville County South Carolina
Expert Response
Hello, Received your inquiry and photos of your dogwood tree. Though this appears to be a fungal disease, I think your best step would be to submit plant samples to our Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic for testing. This way you would know exactly what the problem is and how to control it. I am enclosing a link to the website of the Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic where you will find plant submission guidelines, use the guideline for leaf spots. The plant samples are best taken and submitted during the first part of the week. When you have the plant samples ready, you can bring them to the Greenville county extension office for shipping to the lab. This office is located at 352 Halton Road, Suite 302 and is open from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday, closed for lunch from noon - 1:00 pm. A local phone number we suggest to call is <personal data hidden>, ext. 0 - to verify of when plant samples are sent in and to be sure someone will be there to help with the sampling process. There is a fee of $20.00 for the testing for which you will receive a report with an accurate diagnosis and treatment options. This report will be sent to your E-mail address within two weeks of the lab receiving the sample.
Hope this helps and if you have further concerns, please contact me.
https://www.clemson.edu/public/regulatory/plant-problem/index.html
Sincerely,
Russ Poston
Horticulture Information Specialist
Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC)
Clemson Extension
135 Old Cherry Road
Clemson, SC 29634
<personal data hidden>
Office Hours: 8 AM to 4:30 PM
