I have 7 healthy looking azalea planted in a row. Recently these evergreen azalea had leaves that were black on the edges or half of the leaf was black. The plants look healthy for the most part - any suggestions?
Kathy
azalea recently got black leaf
Could be Powdery Mildew. This is a fungal disease whose symptoms differ from one variety of rhododendron to another. While some varieties react by creating the well-known white spores, others get purplish spots, purple-brown areas and pale yellow spots; a few show little sign until much later in the summer. This disease will re-occur on leaves that have previously experienced it; only when the leaf falls will symptoms stop.
To help the new young tender growth, you can apply a fungicide like Remedy or Funginex (read the labels, protect your eyes and use gloves). Pick up plant debris from under the plant. Replace the mulch with new mulch and water only when the soil feels almost dry to a depth of four inches. Also, water the soil instead of the leaves. More frequent watering can cause fungal diseases and/or root rot.
Another possibility is some form of leaf spots, which are also fungal infections. Some infections happen after cuts or stress caused by sunburn, drought, winter damage or windburn. They generally occur during wet weather and many times are self-limiting when drier weather arrives.
thanks for your reply. I'll take a picture this morning and post - some are dropping leaves.
Kathy