Ribes Sanguineum plants in our yard keep dying - Ask Extension
Hello,
We have been adding native plants to our yard the past 4 years and are now Backyard Habitat Certified. We planted two ribes sanguineum bushes...
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Ribes Sanguineum plants in our yard keep dying #876736
Asked July 10, 2024, 5:53 PM EDT
Hello,
We have been adding native plants to our yard the past 4 years and are now Backyard Habitat Certified. We planted two ribes sanguineum bushes and they were both dead two years later. I will note that on one, it tried to bud out in November of the second full year we had it in the ground, but then it did not come out at all the next summer. So two lasted two years, and we put in a couple more and they died after just one year. I would say these plants got sun about half the time. Our back yard is pretty wet through the winter months. My suspicion is that they got too much water and drowned. Thank you for any thoughts you may have.
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. There are 5 diseases which are common in this species: https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-and-disease-descriptions?title=ribes
We cannot diagnose which your plants have (if the cause is a disease) without clear photos of the plants and foliage. If the problem is a soil-based fungus, common in wet soil, an examination of the soil by a lab would also be necessary. Could you please provide some pictures? Thanks!
We cannot diagnose which your plants have (if the cause is a disease) without clear photos of the plants and foliage. If the problem is a soil-based fungus, common in wet soil, an examination of the soil by a lab would also be necessary. Could you please provide some pictures? Thanks!
Here are pictures of a single dying white flowering currant. This one gets lots of afternoon sun. There is nothing left of the other plants that died.
Thank you.
Without a soil test, we can't tell exactly what soil disease (called "root rot") your plants have, but probably Armillaria described here: https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/blackberry-rubus-spp-armillaria-root-rot The photos don't show any mushrooms, but they may be under the mulch at the base of the plant.
"Cures" are expensive and largely ineffective, so successive plantings will meet the same end. I suggest that you remove and destroy the remaining plant, and find another species which is not susceptible to the fungus in its place. This article has a list of resistant plants, some of which are native to our region: https://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/files/244383.pdf
While the fungus might be either Phytophthora or Fusarium, none of the chemicals are available to homeowners, so would have to hire a commercial applicator. https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/gooseberry-currant-ribes-spp-root-rots
I hope this is helpful. Good luck!
"Cures" are expensive and largely ineffective, so successive plantings will meet the same end. I suggest that you remove and destroy the remaining plant, and find another species which is not susceptible to the fungus in its place. This article has a list of resistant plants, some of which are native to our region: https://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/files/244383.pdf
While the fungus might be either Phytophthora or Fusarium, none of the chemicals are available to homeowners, so would have to hire a commercial applicator. https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/gooseberry-currant-ribes-spp-root-rots
I hope this is helpful. Good luck!
