Trees and shrubs like witch hazel prone to leaf scorch if not watered enough
Q: “Did Mother Nature put a spell on our newly planted witch hazel? This happened in the last couple of days.” — Becky Maganuco, Glencoe
A: It has been a challenging year to get a new garden or even a planting of new shrubs like your witch hazel established with the hot and dry weather over the past months. The dry weather is continuing into fall so watering continues to be important. The “spell” on your witch hazel is most likely leaf scorch, which can occur on any species of tree or shrub, as well as herbaceous plants. Leaf scorch typically occurs after long periods of dry, windy weather when the roots of a plant are unable to supply water to the foliage at a rate that keeps up with the water lost from the leaves by transpiration. Long periods of bright sunshine can have the same effect. Since your shrubs are new, with a more restricted root system, they would be more prone to leaf scorch if you were not watering enough.
A plant’s location in the garden can also promote leaf scorch. An example of this would be sandy soil that dries quickly, planting sites with obstructions like retaining walls or nearby pavement that restrict root growth and exposed sites that are windy. Insect and disease issues can affect the plant’s ability to take up water as can drift from herbicides.
The leaf scorch on your witch hazel appears to be mild, with the leaves remaining attached, so little damage will result. The best thing to do will be to monitor the soil moisture more carefully and water more if needed throughout the fall. It would be a good idea to water some even in November, if the weather continues to be warm and dry. It’s best to avoid having plants go into winter under drought stress. Newly planted trees and shrubs will benefit from deep watering at the base using a hose. I have found that sprinklers and sprinkler systems do not consistently deliver enough water where needed to establish new trees and shrubs. Monitor the plants and the garden soil to ensure watering is being done properly.
Severe cases of leaf scorch, in which plants lose many of their leaves prematurely, are of more concern but do not necessarily mean the plant is lost. These plants will be weakened, though, if the leaf scorch occurs over repeated years.
For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information