I have two identical Nandinas (Heavenly Bamboo). Both are watered the same way...on the same drip system. One has foliage from the ground up and the other has lost all the lower foliage.
Any ideas what caused it and more importantly, what can I do about it?
I have never seen anything that could get to Nandina with any impact. I am going to watch this thread because I am really curious about your dilemma. Did you strip the bottom of the brances once the leaves fell off or did the entire branch fall off? No animal that I know of eats these either and of course the other nandina would not have been spared. The other thing that I think is strange is that usually there are more than two shoots coming from the ground for nandinas at that height. I remember the landscaper telling me to take out the oldest canes at the ground or the bottoms will get real bare and the tops too heavy.
Have you noticed any symptoms on the leaves before they fell off--spots, yellowing, crispiness, etc? It's hard to tell from your picture whether the leaves that are left on the top are healthy or not. You might check the drippers and make sure that the ones on that plant aren't clogged, or leaking and putting more water there than they're supposed to.
I've seen them florish in drought and in mud. The bare one had berries on it too or the beginnings of berries I can't tell from the photo.
Here's a closeup of the Nandina loosing leaves.
Here's another closeup of the Nandina loosing leaves.
found this in 'ask the experts'
Rec possibly chlorotic, spray foliage with chelated iron, apply fertilizer around plant, maintain acid pH
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Transplant shock can show up in any plant for up to 5 years, it all depends on the amount of stored sugars the plant has in it's roots and if they establish a full root system.
Both Nandina were planted at the same time by the same landscaper. The soil is the same for both. Same amount of sunlight. They both get fertilized through the drip system with an EZ-Flo system using organic fertilizer.
