Our 13 year old Rhodedendrons in front of the house have slowly been dying over the past three years. We tried feeding, watering, and spraying with milky substance for a bacterial infection with no results. The leaves turn brown on tips and curl. The tops of leaves are pale in color with veins remaining a darker green. The underside of leaves have tiny rusty/brown colored dots. What should I do?
It sounds like there are a couple of issues. The first is the soil content seems to off. If the leaves are chlorotic and you see the veins, then the soil is deficient in certain minerals. We can take a soil sample to determine this. The second issue could be a root rot disease called phytophthora root rot. We can take a root sample to find out and treat if needed. The last thing is a canker caused by environmental stress (lack of, or excessive moisture) and extreme winters. There is nothing to do for this but improve soil conditions and prune out infected branches. You can click here to schedule an appointment for us to come out for samples and in-person advice.
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