| Hello: Last fall, I purchased three Monrovia Gold Spot Euonymus' at a local nursurey here in Central NJ. I planted them in the front of my house, about 2 feet from the foundation with a southern exposure in full sun. They seem to have survived the snowy winter we had. Back in April, the had alot of buds on them which have now opened into the typical green/yellow leaves. However, I notice that all three plants seem to have alot of tan colored leaves deep inside the plant an are dropping alot of these leaves. I went back to where I purchased them and the man there told me that this is normal. He said it was due to the cold, snowy winter we had and that "sucked" alot of moisture out of the plant. Is he right or just giving me a story. I've been watering regularly and had expected that the dropping leaves would have stopped by now (early May). From what I described, do you think these three plants are still healthy? Is there some type of fertilizer or something I can apply the help these shrubs if there is something wrong. I look forward to your response. |
| These plants do typically lose some of their interior leaves in the spring. A hard winter can also cause them to lose some additional leaves. This would be especially possible for plants set out in the fall because they lose moisture throught their leaves during the winter, but the new roots are not established enough yet to supply them. These plants are sturdy growers and should be fine. With ouor dry spring this year especially they should be watered to keep the soil moist. Take care though not to overwater them. The soil should be moist, but not soggy. A weekly deep soaking plus a layer of organic mulch should encourage them to root deeper and be more drought resistant. Water them into the fall too as needed if there is no rain, check the soil with your fingers to make sure it is moist. Once established, these are relatively drought tolerant plants. |
