What is wrong with my pyracantha?

[hottentot]

Hi

The plant has turned yellow over the last few days.

It looked really sparse last year but seemed to recover.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Sounds lack malnourishment. Give it a feed

Wow that's really not happy is it? Usually they are as tough as old boots. Has it been particularly cold where you are? Or heavy snow cover? The leaves look like they have been frost-burnt.

Mind you although they are evergreen they do shed a lot of leaves in winter. Could just be limbering up for spring.

We had wet and then cold

It is coastal and on a North facing wall

When we moved in seven years ago it was thriving

Pyracantha is prone to fireblight - a bacterial disease that gives the plant a scorched look. It can spread easily to other plants of the Rosaceae family, including apple and pear trees, sorbus, hawthorn, cotoneaster, photinia.

If it is fireblight, you need to act quickly and cut down all the affected parts well into healthy growth, burn or bin the cuttings (not in a compost bin) and sterilise your tools. Don't feed the plant with a high nitrogen feed as it will encourage soft new growth which makes it more susceptible.

www.rhs.org.uk/disease/fireblight

I agree about fireblight - classic symptoms you have there. Sorry.

Thanks

How sad

We lost two other plants last year I am now wondering if it was the same 😳

I will remove it

Do I treat the soil or anything as I would like to replace it?

Thank knowledgeable folks 😊

Ah, commiserations - it is sad to lose a well-loved plant.

The disease itself lives on the infected plant and not in the soil, so the danger arises from any remnants left behind including the roots.

Dig out as much of the plant as you can, including the root system. Bin or burn all the plant material and sterilise tools.

Wait a season, or preferably two years, before replanting to give any remaining plant tissue time to breakdown and decompose. You can cover the soil with clear plastic for 4-6 weeks in the summer hot weather as the heat will speed up this process. Ensure good drainage. Fireblight thrives in wet conditions. Avoid nitrogen heavy fertilisers which promote soft new growth.

When replanting, choose a newer variety that is resistant to fireblight.
eg: The Saphyr series (orange, red rouge, jaune yellow), was specifically bred for this resistance, as well as resistance to scab (a fungal disease causing black spots affecting leaves, flowers and berries and early leaf drop).

Another variety is Orange Star - a newer award winning variety (with the added advantage of being thorn-free).

Thanks brambleberries 😊