I planted some Viburnum x pragense (Prague viburnum) three
years ago. They have been doing OK, but not great, in our
climate. I think it's a bit too warm for them, though they
are said to do well through zone 8. They seem to be in the
only area of heavy soil on our property.

Recently, a few branches on one of the plants have wilted,
then died back. Is that within the range of normal responses
to a very wet summer? Or could this be a disease, perhaps
verticillium wilt? I have 8 or 10 viburnum species planted,
and none of the others (or anything else, for that matter) has
exhibited similar symptoms.

Pictures at

http://home.ec.rr.com/mpjr/garden/

Help will be most welcome.


Mike Prager
Beaufort, NC (on the coast in zone 8a)
(Remove symbols from email address to reply.)

I don't know the answer to your problem, but zone 8 to 10 can have amazingly
different Heat Zone requirements. I live in USDA Zone 8b, but the new Heat
Zone, I'm in 9b, almost 10. Summers here are very, very sustaining hot and dry.
South,central Texas. For example, today's average temperature should be just
about 90, which is a cool down. Do the math!

I have Viburnum davidii and V. burkwoodii. They both seem to be slow, are in
shade, and do put on growth, but down here, root development is much more
important the first three years of a plant, than the upper growth. Mine have
grown about 18 inches in two years, but next year they will take off, I'm sure.

I still don't know why you had that problem, but have you watered or is it in
the path of a sprinkler system which is not watering properly?

V

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 03:09:01 GMT, Mike Prager §§mprager@§alum.§mit.§edu
opined:

I planted some Viburnum x pragense (Prague viburnum) three
years ago. They have been doing OK, but not great, in our
climate. I think it's a bit too warm for them, though they
are said to do well through zone 8. They seem to be in the
only area of heavy soil on our property.

Recently, a few branches on one of the plants have wilted,
then died back. Is that within the range of normal responses
to a very wet summer? Or could this be a disease, perhaps
verticillium wilt? I have 8 or 10 viburnum species planted,
and none of the others (or anything else, for that matter) has
exhibited similar symptoms.

Pictures at

http://home.ec.rr.com/mpjr/garden/

Help will be most welcome.


Mike Prager
Beaufort, NC (on the coast in zone 8a)
(Remove symbols from email address to reply.)

In answer to your question, this was the wettest summer on
record, with twice to three times the average annual rainfall.
Usually our climate has sufficient water throughout the year
to sustain most established plants, except perhaps in August.
When it's excessively dry, I water. This year, that was not
necessary.

I suspect either it's Verticillium fungus or the roots just
got waterlogged after this constantly wet year, but I'd
appreciate hearing from anyone with experience diagnosing
Verticillium problems.

M



On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 13:01:48 GMT, animaux
wrote:

I don't know the answer to your problem, but zone 8 to 10 can have amazingly
different Heat Zone requirements. I live in USDA Zone 8b, but the new Heat
Zone, I'm in 9b, almost 10. Summers here are very, very sustaining hot and dry.
South,central Texas. For example, today's average temperature should be just
about 90, which is a cool down. Do the math!

I have Viburnum davidii and V. burkwoodii. They both seem to be slow, are in
shade, and do put on growth, but down here, root development is much more
important the first three years of a plant, than the upper growth. Mine have
grown about 18 inches in two years, but next year they will take off, I'm sure.

I still don't know why you had that problem, but have you watered or is it in
the path of a sprinkler system which is not watering properly?

V

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 03:09:01 GMT, Mike Prager §§mprager@§alum.§mit.§edu
opined:

I planted some Viburnum x pragense (Prague viburnum) three
years ago. They have been doing OK, but not great, in our
climate. I think it's a bit too warm for them, though they
are said to do well through zone 8. They seem to be in the
only area of heavy soil on our property.

Recently, a few branches on one of the plants have wilted,
then died back. Is that within the range of normal responses
to a very wet summer? Or could this be a disease, perhaps
verticillium wilt? I have 8 or 10 viburnum species planted,
and none of the others (or anything else, for that matter) has
exhibited similar symptoms.

Pictures at

http://home.ec.rr.com/mpjr/garden/

Help will be most welcome.


Mike Prager
Beaufort, NC (on the coast in zone 8a)
(Remove symbols from email address to reply.)


Mike Prager
Beaufort, NC (on the coast in zone 8a)
(Remove spam traps from email address to reply.)