Help needed please

[Jonesie]

Just wondered if you guys can give me any advice on these trees. From what I can remember they are Red Robins but I'm no tree expert.

 

I put them in about 3 years ago and last year they had good foliage and blocked out people from seeing in the house from the back. This year the don't have the same amount of foliage and the leaves are all dropping down and in generally look very sorry for themselves.

 

Need some advice as to what to do, as I don't want to loose them:confused1:

 

 

[Kev Stephenson]

:001_tt2:You need a tree experts forum for that, we are just a bunch of gear junkies here.:thumbup:

[Mick Stockbridge]

I'd say you should have staked your Red Robins 'Photinia' when you planted em Justin, I bet they initially put on loads of growth and now they're suffering from wind rock....try staking em asap and a good watering.

[Mick Stockbridge]

Also I've just realised that you must have bought them as standards where as Red Robins are normally sold as shrubs with foliage all the way down the stem. Your standards have put all their new growth in the top and created a bigger sail area which will make the wind rock worse. Get someone that knows what they're doing to stake em and remove any dead and cut back the sail area to growing points.......less foliage will give the roots a chance to settle in......well that's my opinion anyhow.

[Jonesie]

Thanks Mick

 

They were staked until 2 weeks ago I took the stakes out as I thought the ties where strangling the tree, do you you think I should still re-stake them but this time put the stakes in a lot deeper.

 

The black lines is where the stakes were and there is 4 marks on each tree, could this be where the problem was:confused1:

 

[Mick Stockbridge]

Well there's yer problem mate. Should've left the stakes in place and just slackened off the ties. Just put it all back in place without putting the stakes any deeper.

[Mesterh]

I removed the stump from a red robin shrub the other week.

 

Customer said it just died all of a sudden.She had another one in the garden that looked in good health.

 

Both were fairly well established.

 

I didnt have a clue what killed it if anything.

 

Sorry but no help whatsoever.

[Andy Collins]

have you noticed any spots on the foliage? Photinia can suffer from Photinia Leaf Spot if subjected to particualrly cold winters (such as the one we had this year) This may lead to defoliation. Leaf spot is an environmental disorder, and is not usually fatal to the plants. I would give them a liquid feed to help them pick up, just once a year, as a healthier plant is less susceptible to disorders. I'm also suspecting the young buds/growth have been hit by the cold Northerly winds which kept on coming this year, and maybe even the late frosts nipped new growth.

[Jonesie]

Thanks Andy

 

I'll give them a feed any idea what I should use, here is a photo of the leaves and your right with the spots. Are these what you meant?

What should I feed them with?

 

Cheers Mick

Think I'll put some stakes back in as well.

 

[Hodge]

have you noticed any spots on the foliage? Photinia can suffer from Photinia Leaf Spot if subjected to particualrly cold winters (such as the one we had this year) This may lead to defoliation. Leaf spot is an environmental disorder, and is not usually fatal to the plants. I would give them a liquid feed to help them pick up, just once a year, as a healthier plant is less susceptible to disorders. I'm also suspecting the young buds/growth have been hit by the cold Northerly winds which kept on coming this year, and maybe even the late frosts nipped new growth.

 

Nice one, thats whats up wi mine:thumbup: