Portland OR: Burned look on leaves, various garden plants

Anyone around me having trouble with this? It's on various plants around my yard, direct sunlight doesnt seem to have an effect. I am clipping them off as it happens, then a new plant will get it. If I have to I can add a picture tomorrow. Thank you!

Could be they just don't like the heat, even if the sun isn't directly on them. Many of my lilies are fried, so to speak.

We moved a fence that was between our 12 ft rhodys and hydrangeas. this summer my hydr. have leaves that are fried. Soon as the rhodys grow out from where the fence was they will shade the hydr. but until then they get fried leaves. I sprinkle them daily, would that encourage the frying of the leaves?

Oh I think the heat is definitely leaving some damage. It is interesting to note what seems to be ok in this Texas kind of heat.

I would keep water off of the hydrangea leaves and just bottom water. Water droplets on the leaves may be causing a lensing effect that concentrates the sunlight and burns the leaves.

So you think the heat alone can cause this, even if it's not in direct sunlight? Some leaves have a scalded look accross most of the leaf, others just have a crisp edge that curls and looks burnt and deformed. It's been going on for awhile, but I don't remember if it correlated with the other heat wave we had or not. (fried brain syndrome lol) Thanks, and stay cool : )

I used to have a hydrangea on the north side of a fence and it got real ratty looking in the summer but always came back the next year with normal leaves, until the summer heat hit. I wonder if they now have varieties more tolerant of heat. I'll try to take special notice of hydrangeas around town here and see if they look burned. Not today though, I'm hunkering down in front of a fan and bucket of ice!

It's happening on different types of plants, roses, hydrangeas, succulants, lilac, etc.

I'm no expert, but if you can rule out other environmental problems that might be going such as soil pH, overfertiliziation and herbicides (even if you didn't use them, your neighbors may have), I would say it's the heat. Can you post some pictures?

Yes, although I seem to be having technical difficulties right now. Check back later...thank you! I'm worried its a fungus or bug that is spreading. This is my first summer in this house so I'm still learning about much of the yard. (My favorite part of a new house, discovering all my new plants and foliage!)

Ok trying to photo thing again....

Next Image

One More

You know, I'm going to give you the best advice that anyone here can give you. Call your county extension office tomorrow and describe these symptoms. You can even guide them to these pics on DG since it is a free forum to everyone. How cool is that!

Since the symptoms are similar on a wide variety of plants I doubt that it is a disease since different plants are susceptible to their own variety of diseases. I checked my roses and they look fine but my lilies are taking a big hit from the heat. I had a max of 101 deg. in the shade here today. Maybe it is a matter of too much water or too little water or not watering deeply enough. I just don't know.

You might try sizing your pictures a little bigger and reposting them. I shoot for 40-60kb. I assume you are on the learning curve of posting pictures?

Anyway, call the extension service. That is what we pay taxes for so you might as well get something out of it. You will most likely talk to a Master Gardener.

LOL I thought I had the resolution set larger but by the time I actually got them uploaded it was 104 here in the shade, and I about died just walking outside. I will try again when it's cooler during the day. It was smothering outside when I was looking for good shots.

As long as it isn't something that's spreading. I had some scalded looking leaves (about 85% of the surface of the leaf) too but when I went out I couldnt find them, not sure if they were pruned or what while I was at work Friday night.

OK thanks for your help : ) Just havent run into something like this on so many plants before.
Michele

If the damage is mostly on the sunniest side of the plant and the interior and lower foliage looks OK it is probably sun/heat related. Our plants are not used to this 100+ temperatures. I know I'm wilted!

I second Paradalinum's advice, if you think it might be something other than heat damage check with the Extension Service.
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/locations.php

Looks like typical sunburn on the plants. I wouldn't worry about them at all. I have lots of plants that look like that. They will just grow new leaves and move on.
Carol

Thanks to all, had a family emergency, plus a death in the family, all over the course of 2 days - so the yard has taken a back seat for now. I will continue to keep a watch on them. Thanks again, you all are great*
Michele

Do you have any energy efficient heat reflective windows that can be reflecting sunlight on those plants when you don't notice?

It's a sneaky form of light or heat damage from sun and window combinations.

I've seen scorched leaves, and huge rectangles in west lawns, the size of the windows.

There's an advice topic on my Advice 2 page about it if anybody is interested about how much heat reflects.

Everyone seems to have provided all possible answers ..... I would only emphasize the problem that watering plants can have if the sun hits the wetted leaves - it is like stir fry - water gets hot and cooks the vegetation!

Soaker hoses and keeping water ON the ground - as long as leaves don't get wet - will eliminate water as a possible cause.