Viburnums
- Thread starter j.cohenrn
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Hello, and welcome to the Forum.
Please describe the situation further. Do you know which species of Viburnum you have? Do you know if it is deciduous or evergreen? Photos will help immensely.
Please describe the situation further. Do you know which species of Viburnum you have? Do you know if it is deciduous or evergreen? Photos will help immensely.
Hi. I believe I have the viburnum suspensum. I have a lot of brown/reddish leaves that have little holes in them. Also, I’ve had them for a little over a year and hadn’t seen much growth. I’ll post some pics later today. Thanks so much for your help.
If you don't see anything eating the leaves during the day, go out an hour after sunset with a flashlight. That might reveal the culprits.
There is a Viburnum Leaf Beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni), an exotic pest from Eurasia, but I am not certain if it is found in Florida.
There is a Viburnum Leaf Beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni), an exotic pest from Eurasia, but I am not certain if it is found in Florida.
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Now having seen your shrubs, I think the main problem here is poor drainage. Older leaves turning dropping and not being replaced by new growth is only symptomatic. Cutting back on irrigation might help this situation, but if the soil is not draining correctly that may not be a full solution. Not to mention that frequent rain may be saturating the ground anyway. Sandankwa Viburnum (Viburnum supensum) grows well in mesic (moist) well-draining soils, but not in saturated or compacted soils.
If irrigation is needed do it deeply but infrequently. I would also fertilize the shrubs with a complete fertilizer and mulch beneath the shrubs with bark or wood chips. Mulching works synergistically with low irrigation by allowing the soil to remain damp (but not saturated) for longer between watering. Mulching also reduces compaction which contributes to poor drainage. Of course, if rain has been excessive then there may still be too much water.
Also, how many hours of sun do the shrubs get? Viburnum suspensum is somewhat shade tolerant but it usually is more vigorous with at least partial sun exposure.
I'm sorry there is no silver bullet here. Ultimately poor drainage kills more landscape plants than any other cause. However, these shrubs are not yet a lost cause. There is hope. However if the time comes that this bed must be replanted, pay close attention to the soil and drainage characteristics of the site. Mounding, amending, and careful plant selection are the answers, perhaps even a raised bed.
If irrigation is needed do it deeply but infrequently. I would also fertilize the shrubs with a complete fertilizer and mulch beneath the shrubs with bark or wood chips. Mulching works synergistically with low irrigation by allowing the soil to remain damp (but not saturated) for longer between watering. Mulching also reduces compaction which contributes to poor drainage. Of course, if rain has been excessive then there may still be too much water.
Also, how many hours of sun do the shrubs get? Viburnum suspensum is somewhat shade tolerant but it usually is more vigorous with at least partial sun exposure.
I'm sorry there is no silver bullet here. Ultimately poor drainage kills more landscape plants than any other cause. However, these shrubs are not yet a lost cause. There is hope. However if the time comes that this bed must be replanted, pay close attention to the soil and drainage characteristics of the site. Mounding, amending, and careful plant selection are the answers, perhaps even a raised bed.
A completer fertilizer is one that contains all nutrients. The exact formulation is not that important, and you wouldn't know the optimal amounts anyway unless you had your soil fully analyzed. That is not a bad idea, you might at least want to know the pH. If it is alkaline or overly acidic that could also negatively affect your plants.
With fertilizer, the three macro-nutrients (N-P-K) are most prominent. They many be listed in even percentages, such as 10-10-10 or differently 30-20-15. The higher the percentage numbers the less fertilizer you need or should use. The sources of the nutrients in fertilizer does vary. Some act more quickly or slowly than others, but otherwise the direct affect on plants should be similar, however larger environmental concerns and price are also issues to consider.
Fertilizing is not the primary issue that I see with your shrubs, but if watering and drainage issues are managed, more vigorous growth can help a struggling plant to rebound. I would start with a light ot moderate feeding and see if the shrubs respond.
With fertilizer, the three macro-nutrients (N-P-K) are most prominent. They many be listed in even percentages, such as 10-10-10 or differently 30-20-15. The higher the percentage numbers the less fertilizer you need or should use. The sources of the nutrients in fertilizer does vary. Some act more quickly or slowly than others, but otherwise the direct affect on plants should be similar, however larger environmental concerns and price are also issues to consider.
Fertilizing is not the primary issue that I see with your shrubs, but if watering and drainage issues are managed, more vigorous growth can help a struggling plant to rebound. I would start with a light ot moderate feeding and see if the shrubs respond.
Protect your Viburnums