Why is my Woolly Bush Adenanthos sericeus drying and wilting?

[greg_r]

Hi, My wooly bush which was planted in the ground last September is not doing well. It established well but now the new growth are looking shrunk ( the leaves are not opening even though there seems to be new growth) 

Not sure what to do?
The ground is a a mix of clay and I had added new soil mix

 

when planting plus some compost on top last year. It established well.  
I added a 2-3 in layer of mulch few weeks back, could that be causing it to struggle? 

Any advice will be welcome? 

 

[EricL]

Hello @greg_r 

I'm sorry to hear your Woolly Bush Adenanthos is not in the best of health. If there are no external signs of fungus, infestation or disease, it's possible that the roots are soaked in water due to the clay soil. I don't recommend digging the plant out as this will result in further stress.

I suggest using a Brunnings 3 in 1 Soil Meter so that you can determine if there is too much moisture in the soil. Please make sure to use a wooden or metal stake to loosen up the soil to prevent the metal prongs of the meter from getting damaged.

The plant looks fairly established and it might be able to survive this event. At this point all I can suggest is to watch and observe. 

If any other symptoms occur, please make sure to let us know.

Eric

[greg_r]

So I checked it with the Soil 3 in 1 soil meter, as suggested. The moisture reading is 7 to 9 around the plant. 

Is it’s advisable to cover the roots with some kind of mat to avoid any rain water going in ( it’s raining quite a bit these days in Melb) ? Can I use some sort of dryer to dry the root out, make holes around the plant to help drying? Any suggestions are welcome. 

[EricL]

Hello @greg_r 

If there is any mulch near the base of the tree, I suggest moving them away from the tree to allow the soil to dry quickly. It is possible to move some of the loose soil away from the tree, but I don't recommend exposing the roots. 

To cover the base of the tree from rain, I suggest using builder's plastic to prevent water from gathering around the tree.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Randal]

Hi Greg

I know this plant as the Albany woolly bush, and I bought a small one as a Xmas tree and subsequently planted it (Sydney). I've read through the possible answers, but would add that maybe the soil contained remnants of fertiliser, or you have fertilised the plant. Being a WA native it's used to phosphorous-poor soils. I don't know if the commercially available woolly bushes are hybridised to deal with the generally rich soils of contemporary gardening.

The other thing is that it seems very large to be transplanted, and again, Oz natives seem to resent mature stage transplantation (in my experience!) and I certainly wouldn't try it again. 

In this situation I would do as others suggested and dry out the soil a bit; enhance drainage; and finally cut it right back so the bush isn't struggling to keep itself alive. It would have to be pruned carefully, as a lot of Oz natives are woody and don't regenerate from the wood, but it may work. Winter is shutdown time anyway, and this may reduce the stress.

All the best. Keep us posted.

[greg_r]

Thanks for the detailed answer.

I am trying to o dry the plants out by covering with a plastic sheet as suggested by one of the experts here. 

Any tips on how to prune, I am struggling with it; don’t want to prune too much. I’ve only brushed out the dead bits but not cut anything as I am not sure how to?
They aren’t any videos online for Wooly Bush pruning. 

[JacobZ]

Hi @greg_r,

To start with, make sure to use clean, sharp pruning shears. Clean cuts will regenerate much faster than rough ones and clean tools will help stop the spread of disease.

Start by cutting off any dead or damaged branches where no new growth is present. These branches are simply taking up space where new growth is possible, so removing them will allow new growth to come through.

Once the dead or damaged branches are removed trim about one-third of the new growth to keep the plant bushy. Make cuts just above where a leaf is attached to the stem and avoid cutting into the old, woody parts of the plant. 

Check the plant regularly for any new dead or damaged parts to remove and water the plant well after pruning.

You might like to check out these handy articles for some further guidance:

• Pruning Tips For Your Garden 
• Essential Tools To Prune Your Garden
• How To Prune Trees

Allow me to tag some of our resident gardeners to see if they have any tips to add, @Noelle, @mich1972, @Jewelleryrescue 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[greg_r]

Thanks. Since the plants is already too wet & I am working on drying it out, would be it ok to prune as per the tips you gave but not water afterwards. 

[JacobZ]

Hi @greg_r,

Absolutely, if you are happy that the plant is getting enough water then there is no need to worry about additional watering. 

The reason for this tip is that when the plant is "damaged" via pruning, it will use the water available to it to heal and regenerate the damage to itself. It's similar to how when you are sick, one of the most important things to do is keep up your hydration as your body will use it to fight the nasties.

If the soil is still damp around the base of the plant, there is no additional requirement for watering, but it is definitely worth checking.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[Randal]

Hi Greg

As Eric suggested, you can reduce too much water getting to the plant's roots by covering the surrounding area with builder's plastic. On the other hand, that in itself will help conserve moisture in the soil -- thinking of commercial strawberry growers here -- as water can't evaporate. Are you able to keep an eye on the weather? Maybe only put down plastic when rain is due. The bush's origin in southwest WA means it's used to cool rainy weather, though that unfortunately is changing now.

Regarding pruning, Jacob's list of references is a go-to. You can also google pruning Australian natives, as they do tend to get woody in the centre and won't regenerate from the dry wood. Any experts on this, please correct me if this is not so! Plants like banksias, callistemons / bottle brush, get woody. There's unlikely to be anything specific to woolly bush, I think.  

Randal