Ed B wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a one year old hebe that is looking very sorry for itself. I
called the garden centre and they suggested i cut the stalk to check it
ws alive, and it is green so I presume that's a yes. However it is very
sparse, all the bottom leaves have dropped off and the top ones are
hardly what you'd call shiny. Some are half brown.

What should I feed it to try and perk it up

cheers
ed


Hi Ed,

Alas, Hebes suffer from a leaf spot fungus that causes defoliation, and I'm
sure this is what you're seeing. I have never sprayed mine - I don't know
if there is an appropriate fungal spray. I try and keep mine clean by
removing affected leaves from the plant and any that have fallen to the
ground. These are capable of reinfecting plants. You may feel it is worth
spraying with, say, a rose fungicide, or you could ask at the garden centre
for something more specific. If you spray, make a point of spraying the
ground under the Hebe as well, to kill any resting spores.

I am always wary of feeding sick plants but, once you have cleaned it up,
you could give your Hebe a half-strength foliar feed. I would personally
choose a high potash feed, as this will harden the plant and help it produce
flowers. (A nitrogenous feed would make the growth more soft and sappy, and
more prone to disease).

If there's enough healthy growth, you could take cuttings, which are really
easy: just trim them, pop them in cuttings compost, keep them watered and
lightly shaded until they 'take'. They grow really quickly.

Hope this helps and that you have success.

Spider