Hi, I just planted 2 bobos this year, and noticed leaves turning yellow in the bottom part of the
plant. I would like to know did anyone experienced this also and what did you do?

Thanks,
etl75

Maybe too wet? Transplant shock? Has it bloomed. Ours is blooming(not same type) but very low to the ground.

Yes, Kssmith its blooming . My husband is watering them everyday for the 1st month , we should decrease it to weekly now :)
Thanks.

Rather than water on a specific timetable, dig down a little near the plants to see if the soil is damp or dry and water when the soil at root depth seems dry. Whether watering every day makes the soil too wet depends on how much water is given at a time. It can happen that not enough is given to allow moisture to get down to the roots and it evaporates instead.

Having said all that, it's not unusual for the lower leaves on a plant to turn yellow from simple ageing. It may also mean the plant needs fertilizing but I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to do that if they were only recently planted.

Actually Iam Inserting a bamboo stick to check if the soil is moist or dry, I heard about iron deficiency did someone encountered that before?

With iron deficiency it would be the youngest top leaves that turn yellow first and the leaf veins would, at least to start with, remain green, so it's not that. Because it's the lower leaves I would look first at nitrogen deficiency, although if it is only yellow between the veins and the veins are still green it could be magnesium deficiency. That's assuming it is a nutritional issue. It may be nothing more than the plant is shedding its older leaves. Did you get them from a garden center in pots?

Yes Sooby I got them from a garden Center in pots I have a picture of a young and old leaves that turned yellow

Ah, ha! That last picture with the marble rocks in it gives us a clue. Marble rock should never be used for mulching or under plants that like an acidic soil. They leach alkaline substances and raise the pH of your soil, sometimes to the point that the plants can't utilize the nutrients in the soil even if there is plenty there.

Some people put lime under hydrangeas to turn the flowers more pink, but from many I've seen (not here, but where I come from in BC they are very common) it can also make the plants suffer this way.

I'd remove all the marble rock from anywhere near the plants and water them with a weak, soluble fertilizer, about half strength of what it says on the package.

Still, it's not uncommon to lose some lower leaves on new plants anyway. As long as the new (top) leaves are healthy, and it stops before fall, I wouldn't worry too much.

etl75 said:Yes Sooby I got them from a garden Center in pots I have a picture of a young and old leaves that turned yellow

Thanks for the pics. I think that's either normal aging and/or they could use a bit of nitrogen. Possibly they've used up the nutrients in the root ball and haven't extended the roots out into the soil much yet. I don't think soil pH is as much a factor with the PG type hydrangeas like this one. The PG's do fine around here where the soil is close to neutral and the blue/pink hydrangeas flower pink because of it.

I use the marble rocks for border but not for mulching thanks for the info
Sooby and Elaine

Oh, yes it looks nice and the marble isn't too close. The plant does look overall just a little bit pale to me though. Maybe the color is washed out a bit in the picture?

Also there are a few leaves near the bottom of the photo with a reddish tinge - could be some fert with a little extra Epsom salts would help green it up a bit. Still, I'd go light on the fert until you're sure the plant isn't in distress. A watering can of soluble plant food at half strength, with a tablespoon or two of Epsom salts, and wait a week or two to see the results. If the color improves, I'd put down some time-release pelleted fert that will last the rest of the summer and leave it be.

thanks elaine

i have a couple plants that have yellowing leaves on the newer upper leaves - - should i assume iron deficiency? something else?

pic attached (compare center plant to other two)...

They sure look like they need some fertilizer, Max. I'd try the same as I recommended above, a watering can with half strength soluble fert and a tablespoon or two of Epsom salts added. Be sure it's well dissolved. See if that greens them up within a week or two.

Did you add fertilizer when you planted those? Some kind of slow-release pelleted fert is what you'd usually give a shrub for long term growth in a spot like that. (something that says "last for 4 months" on the label would be good for this summer unless you live in the South.

maxcaviar said:i have a couple plants that have yellowing leaves on the newer upper leaves - - should i assume iron deficiency? something else?

It's certainly a possibility. Can you get a closer picture of the leaves? It looks as though the veins are still green but just to make sure. If it was magnesium deficiency it would show on the older leaves rather than the newer ones. Do you know your soil pH?

i do not know ph. on that subject - - can someone send me a place to send a sample to for testing? spent time on that and got nowhere. i am repeatedly told to contact my "local extension" program but they have nothing.

anyway, a close up is attached.

and they have gotten plenty of fertilizer and are just now recouping from getting fried during a spring heatwave we had in so. cal.

thanks

i will try the epsom salts (think i still have a bag somewhere) along with iron too - - nothing wrong with combining right?

thx

Not sure about combining, Max except that you won't know which it was that worked, if it works . .. .

That being said, I'd try the chelated iron first. Since they've had plenty of fert, Sue is right, it looks more like iron chlorosis to me now that we see the closer shot. The old leaves on the section with the flowers looks fine but all the newer leaves are yellow with green veins.

One more question, are they always in the direct sun? They really do better in the shade, especially when the weather's hot.

To answer your pH question, if you can't get a soil test done at your County Extension service you can get a soil test kit either online (I got one from Amazon) or at any nursery or big box store. A kit for one test costs about $4 but you can get one that will do 10 tests for about $12 if you want to test different

well either the iron or the epsom salts must have done the trick (see attached, some unrelated browning due to 100+ temps this week). thanks

Paniculatas like Bobo react to heat-related problems with yellow leaves in the summer. Some varieties like Limelight end the summer with very few leaves at the bottom of the stems, thus 'showing the legs', which drives some people crazy. Little Lime can do that too. Keeping the soil as evenly moist as possible may help but try not to overwater either as roots may get oxygen deprived and produce yellow leaves..