How to treat Hardenbergia Violacea leaves turning brown?

[cranberryend]

Hi there, my beautiful Hardenbergia has been doing well for the past two years.  It had new growth up until about a fortnight ago, which browning up along with all the other leaves.  I did notice some of the leaves had a bit of white/blueish underside and intended to research it - wondering if this has something to do with it?  Is there anything I can do to save it?

Any assistance much appreciated.

[JacobZ]

Hi @cranberryend,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings workshop community and thank you for your question.

I'd suggest you have a quick read through How to diagnose a sick plant from @Noelle our resident horticultural guru, this will likely shed some light.

Can I ask you to grab some photos of the white/bluish leaves up close? Identifying what this discolouration is will likely shed some light on the cause of the issue.

Browning leaves like this are usually a stress reaction to over or underwatering, nutrient deficiency, fungus or insect attack.

The first place to start is by inspecting the soil at the base of the tree. If it is constantly damp, then we'll need to look at increasing the drainage of the soil. This can be done by improving the soil health with Compost. Healthy soil will attract beneficial insects such as earthworms which will dig through the soil and create drainage channels. If it is bone dry, then increase the watering and add mulch around the base of the tree to prevent moisture loss from evaporation.

Nutrient deficiency is also a possible cause and adding some Scotts Osmocote All Purpose Controlled Release Fertiliser to the base of the tree will help regardless of the cause. If nutrient deficiency is the cause, then giving the tree some additional nutrients will help stop the issue.  If it's not the cause, giving it nutrients to help fight the cause of the issue is still worthwhile.

Once you've uploaded some images of the white/bluish leaves, I'll address the fungus issue as this sounds like it could be fungus.

In terms of insects, the approach varies depending on what you find. It doesn't look like an insect attack, but you should still investigate the tree for any signs. If there are holes in the trunk, chewed leaves or a considerable amount of insects on the tree, please upload a photo so we can recommend a method of managing it.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[cranberryend]

Hi Jacob,

Thank you so much for your response and that information.  I think it's likely that I have overwatered, as it has very suddenly become warm and I have been watering it every second day.  I've added fertiliser in the spring but will add some compost, thank you.  

I've attached photos of the underside of the leaves; the first one I took today, the second one being from three weeks ago, when I noticed the substance just before the plant took a turn and started to brown up.

Cheers, Anna

[JacobZ]

Hi Anna (@cranberryend),

The white/bluish stuff sure looks fungal, but it looks like it has more or less cleared up.

Yes, once a day is more than likely too much. Plants don't like wet feet for long periods of time and will react in a variety of ways including browning leaves.

While the heat will often mean the tree needs more water, once a day is likely a bit much. My suggestion is to continue watering, but check the soil has dried before watering again. If it is still damp from the previous watering, you should wait a day or two before checking the soil again. If it is dry, water, if it is still damp, continue to wait.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[cranberryend]

Hi Jacob,

Thanks so much for this helpful information.  Should I be removing all the brown leaves from the plant, will that be beneficial?

Cheers, Anna

[JacobZ]

Hi @cranberryend,

They will naturally fall off, so there's no real need to remove them.

I'd suggest you focus on getting the watering schedule perfect and monitoring the trees further.

If any negative changes occur, please reach out so we can offer further advice.

Jacob

[cranberryend]

Thanks so much, Jacob. Much appreciated