Shrubs can serve as a means for dividing up sections of a yard, or for separating two different yards. Yet that natural barrier loses its appeal if the shrub’s leaves turn brown.
Questions to ask
Was there a severe drop in temperature? That could make the foliage on a shrub become dry and turn a dull color.
Was there an unexpected warm spell, followed by a return to colder temperatures? A warm spell could trigger the appearance of new growth. Later, the colder temperatures could end the development of that new growth. That would lead to the appearance of browning.
Things to check
• Is there an insect infestation? Look for webbing or crawling bugs.
• Could it be boxwood blight? A professional arborist would know what symptoms to look for
• Did the affected shrubs receive too much water? Check the soil. Has it become saturated? Saturated soil indicates problems caused by over-watering.
• Do the shrubs need to be watered more frequently? This is because the shrubs’ leaves maybe turning brown during the summer. That would indicate a need for something more than water. Instead, apply anti-desiccant.
• Did the affected shrubs receive too much fertilizer? If that appears to be the case, then flush out the soil using water.
Is there hope for the reappearance of green leaves?
Scratch one area of a branch on a bush. What is the color of the tissue under the bark? If it is green, then there is a good chance that the scratched bush will rebound from the browning of its leaves. In the spring, look for the emergence of plump and green buds. That acts as further proof that a bush can rebound from a condition that has caused it to have brown leaves.
Watching for what happens in the spring can prove especially important, if a bush has been exposed to a severe temperature drop, or to a warm spell, followed by a drop in temperatures. In springtime, a gardener should check for the emergence of new growth, if any bushes in the home’s yard have had to endure such temperature changes.
Still, the appearance of that new growth should not be seen as a guarantee that the growth-covered bush will keep growing throughout the coming summer. No plant can grow if it lacks food and water. Bushes get their food from the soil. The rain supplies some water, but a good gardener waters the home’s shrubbery. A lack of watering could cause a repeat of the transformative events that had taken place during the previous summer. Water and food allow for development of green growth. Yet leafy growth can turn brown, if a gardener does not bother to water a home’s shrubbery. Consult with an tree service in Palo Alto to know more about it.