Leaf loss is not always due to damage. But when the young foliage falls, both pests and weather conditions can be the culprit. With the right care, you can prevent damage.
Old green leaves will eventually fall off
Leaf fall from old foliage
As an evergreen plant, medlars keep their leaves over the winter. In the following vegetation period, the tree develops fresh leaf sprouting, which differs in color from the old leaves. Since the plant changes foliage at this time, leaf fall occurs. Only old green leaves are affected. As long as there is enough fresh foliage and the young leaves look healthy, you don't have to worry about the health of the plant.
Young leaves fall off
If all the leaves dry up and fall off in spring, one possible cause is the persistent frosts of last winter. They ensure that the ground, including the water, freezes down to the deepest layers. The roots of the medlar are no longer supplied with water. The trees lose moisture in winter through their evergreen leaves. In direct sunlight, evaporation is particularly high. There is a shortage of water. Since the plant cannot regenerate the tissue in spring, it sheds the dried leaves.
care measures
With minor frost damage, the shrub will sprout again in the spring, so that the traces of winter are quickly overgrown. If the frost has also damaged shoots, only a radical pruning down to the old wood will help. Wait until the last frosts have settled before pruning. Photinums tolerate pruning well and will also sprout again from the old wood.
prevention
Give the wood a potash fertilizer in August and avoid the use of nitrogenous fertilizers. Nitrogen ensures that the plant develops new shoots later in the year. The fresh wood cannot fully harden until the onset of winter. It stays soft and is more susceptible to frost damage. Potassium fertilization supports the plant in hardening and thus makes it more resistant to ground frost. The shrub can replenish its water supply by watering it extensively before winter.
Loss of leaves due to root damage
Root damage means that the leaves are no longer supplied with water. If the substrate is waterlogged, the roots will rot and the medlar will droop its leaves. When choosing a location, make sure you choose a well-drained substrate. A mixture of perlite, sand or gravel and nutrient-rich garden soil is ideal.
Damage to the root system can also indicate voles. The pests eat at the roots in winter. The shrub is no longer firmly attached to the ground and hardly sprout. Since the voles mainly concentrate on young plants, you should avoid planting in autumn. Natural enemies such as birds of prey, cats and weasels contain the vole population.
These are other causes of root damage:
- fungus
- Vine weevil larvae
- nutrient deficiency