Eugenia (Brush Cherry) problem.

[lennard]

I've got a row of these trees planted against a wall. The one in the middle is showing the sickness as well as others the closest to it. The ones the farthest away is not showing any symptoms. I first thought it was a soil problem and tried to used fertilizers and compost to solve the problem.

The leaves get leathery and heavily veined, yellow and fall. New growth bud out but do not mature. The twigs are not affected - the specific example is like this the last three years now. No visible signs of any insects - I have sprayed the tree for insects about three times now.

The tree and leaves:

bare tree.jpg

close up.jpg

I am planning to air layer some of these trees for bonsai but don't want to go ahead if the problem can' t be solved.

Would appreciate any help.

Lennard

[Neli]

It looks a bit like chlorosis Lennard.Can it be that when they were building there is lots of concrete bellow the soil level and is affecting the PH? Just a thought???
When the PH is high...some metal salts are not absorbed...

[lennard]

It looks a bit like chlorosis Lennard.Can it be that when they were building there is lots of concrete bellow the soil level and is affecting the PH? Just a thought???
When the PH is high...some metal salts are not absorbed...

They used all the concrete rubble to fill up this part of my garden - there is only about 40cm of garden soil where these trees are growing. If so how do I solve this - no way for me digging out the rubble.

Should I try to add sulfur or Aluminum sulfate?

I have bought some fertilizer for acid loving plants a while ago, maybe try it?

Thanks for replying - it makes sense.

Lennard

[Neli]

Darling I know that because I know how houses are built... ...Sulfur takes the longest time to acidify the soil. Alluminium sulfate is a bit faster...They are both long therm solutions. For immediate solution, try adding acid in the water...You know the dosage.
Another good thing is iron chelate...look at the composition of the acid fertilizer...try to find the acidifying composition...use that. Acidifying fertilizers can be expensive, and contain one or two of the ingredients mentioned here. But basically that is what is used. I have started using that on my acer from the UK, and it seems it is looking better. My water PH is 8.5.
For long time solution I made some sulfur slurry and watered it in the plants. Sulfur + bacteria produces one extra atom of hydrogen, which acidifies the soil, but it takes month for that process to have effect.
I shall email you some of the research I have done on it, if I still have your email, after my yahoo crushed.