Leaves falling off Burning Bushes - Ask Extension
Hello, I have a grouping of 7 burning bushes which I planted about 15 years ago. They are now about 7 feet tall and 6 feet wide. I just noticed the l...
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Leaves falling off Burning Bushes #876548
Asked July 09, 2024, 5:06 PM EDT
Hello, I have a grouping of 7 burning bushes which I planted about 15 years ago. They are now about 7 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
I just noticed the leaves are falling from some of them. The plant on the end is the worst, but I see it starting on others.
After reading other posts, I looked for spider mites and other insects but I have only seen some larger spider webs in areas.
I sprayed this morning with Neem Oil, underside and topside of all leaves.
Can you please look at the pictures and let me know what you think?
I have include a good closeup of some leaves.
Thank you!
Cobb County Georgia
Expert Response
Hi Mark,
The first picture - the close-up of the leaves - shows severe two-spotted spider mite damage. They can be a problem on burning bushes, especially during hot, dry weather. They are very tiny. One way to try to see them is to hold a sheet of white paper under a twig, then tap the twig hard and examine the paper. You should observe small specks moving around on the paper. If you have a hand lens or magnifying glass, you should be able to see them clearly.
Here is a link to an article about two-spotted spider mites: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/spider-mites
Best regards,
Sandy
The first picture - the close-up of the leaves - shows severe two-spotted spider mite damage. They can be a problem on burning bushes, especially during hot, dry weather. They are very tiny. One way to try to see them is to hold a sheet of white paper under a twig, then tap the twig hard and examine the paper. You should observe small specks moving around on the paper. If you have a hand lens or magnifying glass, you should be able to see them clearly.
Here is a link to an article about two-spotted spider mites: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/spider-mites
Best regards,
Sandy
