On 15/05/2014 16:00, Jim S wrote:
On Thu, 15 May 2014 14:55:10 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

On 15/05/2014 10:11, Jim S wrote:
On Wed, 14 May 2014 21:25:56 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

On 14/05/2014 20:25, Jim S wrote:
I have a pyracantha (firethorn) about 5/6 years old. Last year, and again
now, the leaves have appeared thin and curled-in and although they don't
fall off I can clearly see the black bark between the thin foliage. The
flowers on the other hand don't form properly before withering.
I sprayed with a systhane fungicide, but it was either too late or the
wrong stuff. It made it no worse, but no better.
I am in the North-East and firethorn is used by the local council as
hedging so it should be fine.
Any ideas, as I am on the point of digging it up?

A picture is worth a thousand words here. Choices would be aphid on the
underside of the leaves but your mention of black bark makes me think
more of fireblight which is presently zapping my brother in laws hedge.

Try this:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ik6fmpy61...um0a7yZcuyXHpa

Hard to tell from those pictures. Any chance of some taken in the dry
and a wider view and a macro close up of the curled leaves ?

My instinct is that it is sap sucking pest damage to the tender young
new leaves curling them up but I can't see any obvious signs of pest.

Fireblight leaves things looking like they have been scorched with a
blow torch.

Try same site again - new ones have pyracantha prefix.
I see no signs of pest or fungal damage either.

The last one looks like it could be fireblight but the rest look pretty
nondescript. Try spraying with a foliar feed and cross fingers.

Either it will grow out and get going or expire from whatever afflicts
it. It must be under severe stress since it should be covered in flowers
about to open at the moment (unless you pruned it badly).

--
Regards,
Martin Brown