Wilting photinia ‘red robin’ hedge could have a fungal challenge

Q: Hi Ken, I have a red robin hedge outside the front of my home and it was there when I moved in. I have been here about 11 years and around a month ago (May) I noticed that some of the leaves on the sides and top are wilting. The rest of it is beautiful. The hedge is 30 foot in length and it is only the first 4 foot of it that is a problem at the moment. I live in Chelmsford, Essex and I would be grateful if you could tell me is the plant dying or is it just the cold winter we have had, and what can I do to put it back to good health.Thank you, Rose

A: What you are describing sounds a bit like Honey Fungus, which is not that unusual with photinia. Dig into the soil about seven to nine inches and see when carefully digging if there are any black bootlace looking streams, these are the tell-tale signs. Sadly no cure is available and it will move through the host plants. So, now I’ve mentioned the worst possibility, here is an alternative suggestion of another problem.  Try this first, – it could just be the fact of two harsh winters so start giving your plant a dose of a foliar feed like Maxicrop all over the foliage as a tonic (not in sunlight though as you will scorch the foliage). Do this every two weeks and watch for good results. If not take some pictures and email them across to me and I will then have another look at your problem. Hope this helps, Ken

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