Photinia Disease

Question

I have 2 red-tipped photinias about seven feet tall that are growing close to a concrete wall on one side. They get sun at least 8 hrs. per day. They do not have leaf spots but some of the leaves are without color – some maybe 1/2 green and 1/2 white – like the color is literally being drained out of them. Is this a disease or could it be a watering problem? I don’t see any bugs on the plants, and they otherwise look healthy. We recently had 2 weeks of wet weather, which is the opposite of our normal weather pattern – hot and dry (southwest Oklahoma)! Any help would greatly be appreciated because I don’t want to lose them.

Answer 1

Is your soil alkaline? That’s a common cause of chlorosis in photinia. Try adding some sulfur to the soil.