Daphne in distress?
Keith Warren
I have a mature Daphne (about 3 feet high) which blooms magnificently
every season.
It finished flowering in early spring, as usual. But although the
leaves all appear healthy - no visible sign of disease - they are all
drooping and have gone completely soft and limp. It's well watered and
I know of no changed environmental influence.
We're now well into a warm summer (daily average c25 deg).
Many thanks in advance.
KW
Morley
Keith Warren wrote in message <368b57cb...@newsource.ihug.co.nz>...
I really hope I'm wrong about this, but I had a Daphne Odora Aureomarginata
that was exactly as you describe and it just up and died. I understand
they're not terribly long-lived so I wonder if yours has simply reached the
end of its time? I love these shrubs so much that I'm beginning to think
that succession planting is a good idea! Morley
cormaic
Warren) enriched all our lives with these words:
>
>We're now well into a warm summer (daily average c25 deg).
>
our house! S'not fair! ;~)
--
cormaic - http://www.tmac.clara.net/cormaic/garden/garden.htm
Culcheth - paving pages at http://www.tmac.clara.net/paving2.htm
Cheshire Last Updated on 14th December 1998
(allegedly)
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Martin Tom Brown
<915106668.6056.0...@news.demon.co.uk>
fa...@swhl.nospam.demon.co.uk "Morley" wrote:
> Keith Warren wrote in message <368b57cb...@newsource.ihug.co.nz>...
> >Hello - I wonder if anyone can advise, please?
> >
> >I have a mature Daphne (about 3 feet high) which blooms magnificently
> >every season.
And the smell is gorgeous!!!
> >It finished flowering in early spring, as usual. But although the
> >leaves all appear healthy - no visible sign of disease - they are all
> >drooping and have gone completely soft and limp. It's well watered and
> >I know of no changed environmental influence.
It might be over rather than under watered.
> >We're now well into a warm summer (daily average c25 deg).
> I really hope I'm wrong about this, but I had a Daphne Odora Aureomarginata
> that was exactly as you describe and it just up and died. I understand
> they're not terribly long-lived so I wonder if yours has simply reached the
> end of its time? I love these shrubs so much that I'm beginning to think
> that succession planting is a good idea! Morley
They do, and are prone to virus diseases too.
Don't replant close to the original site.
Variagates are even more prone to attack.
Regards,
--
Martin Brown <mar...@nezumi.demon.co.uk> __ CIS: 71651,470
Scientific Software Consultancy /^,,)__/
PMoore2966
One of my daphne mezereums just died on me last winter and another, species
uncertain, but not odora, got so rocked by gales (last winter also) that I
thought it would follow suit, but it seems to have stabilised and is just
coming into flower again. I know they are fairly short lived. Good luck.
Hope it recovers.
Cheers all. Happy gardening this year.
I got my Chiltern catalogue, hooray!
Pam
Pam Moore,
Keynsham, Bristol
David Harby
<fa...@swhl.nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Keith Warren wrote in message <368b57cb...@newsource.ihug.co.nz>...
>>Hello - I wonder if anyone can advise, please?
>>
>>I have a mature Daphne (about 3 feet high) which blooms magnificently
>>every season.
>>
>>It finished flowering in early spring, as usual. But although the
>>leaves all appear healthy - no visible sign of disease - they are all
>>drooping and have gone completely soft and limp. It's well watered and
>>I know of no changed environmental influence.
>>
>>We're now well into a warm summer (daily average c25 deg).
>>
>>Many thanks in advance.
>>
>>KW
>
>I really hope I'm wrong about this, but I had a Daphne Odora Aureomarginata
>that was exactly as you describe and it just up and died. I understand
>they're not terribly long-lived so I wonder if yours has simply reached the
>end of its time? I love these shrubs so much that I'm beginning to think
>that succession planting is a good idea! Morley
>
From my experience of growing Daphne on the nursery and at home they
are frustrating and healthy looking plants do sometimes just droop and
die. Identifying the cause of death is usually difficult and sometimes
impossible even after samples have been looked at in a laboratory.
When they are dug up the roots may be in a poor condition. I have
known Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' where the roots have been damaged
during the winter and they have survived until a particularly warm
spell in the next summer when the few remaining healthy roots have
finally been unable to keep the plant going.
Phytophora and pithium fungal diseases can have symptoms of sudden
wilting but in my experience with Daphne these are normally secondary
infections that attack a plant that is already under stress for
another reason such as overwatering. If you scrape away a little bark
near the base of the stem and the underlying tissue is dull
green/brown this is a good indictor of a systemic fungal disease. You
may have a fungal disease in New Zealand that we do not see in the
U.K.
Some books refer to this habit of sudden wilting and suggest that it
is similar to clematis wilt. I know of pathologists who have made a
search of the scientific literature for more information but I don't
know of anyone who has found a specific cause.
Daphne odora's are prone to mosaic viruses which can soon weaken them
so I would agree with Morley that succession planting is a good idea.
Why not try taking a few cuttings each spring? Also virus is very
common on Daphne mezereum so if you have any in the garden take a
close look at these for signs of virus.
By the way I have a Daphne odora 'Leucanthe' in my garden that
originally came from New Zealand. It is now 14 years old, 4 feet in
diameter and flowering very well each spring.
Regards
David
PMoore2966
Dear URGers
Further to my posting about my daphne (possibly retusa?) which recovered from
last winter's wind damage: I spoke too soon!!!
Today I have had to stake it again as it was again at 45 degrees (angle, not
temp!). Somebody cross something for it for me please!!!
It is just showing its first blooms too. Wish I could remember what variety it
is.
Cheers all, good gardening in '99
Paml
Pam Moore,
Keynsham, Bristol