i have a row of burning bush. they seem to start fine in spring and then they look like this… i dont overwater. this looks to be the same issue year in and out.
please dont look at my email. i live in TO but work in St Catherines.
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners,
Looking at your photo of your burning bush (Euonymus alatus) it may be lack of water, which would make the leaves around the edges dry out. Watering shrubs in a contained location is necessary even if there was rain. The rain may not be sufficient. Set up a weekly watering schedule water for at least half an hour under the shrubs.
Burning bushes are very resilient and adapt to most soil types. However Verticillium wilt or a fungal disease can cause the leaves to turn brown. Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease that is found in the soil; to confirm your soil is infected with Verticillium Wilt, a soil test would be required. Guelph University does provide soil testing here is the website. Guelph Soil Testing
Our website has information on Verticillium Wilt
What is Wrong With our Burning Bush
When the leaves fall do not compost them; remove them and throw them out.
Burning bushes can be affected by spider mites, which would be too small to see in the photo. You can look for them on the under side of the leaves with a magnifying lens. The University of Kentucky entomology site has information and photos of what they look like: Spider Mites
If you read our Identifying Verticillium Wilt and what is wrong with our burning bush, you will have read that burning bush is an invasive species. Our website has a link to a publication from the Ontario Invasive Plants Council that provides more information and suggests alternative plants, if you would like to consider replacing your shrubs:
June 4, 2024