How to Treat Mount Airy Fothergilla With Dying Leaves & Brown Spots

Check first to make sure soil drains well and the plant is getting proper moisture. If drainage appears poor, such as if you find pools of standing water around the plant, incorporate organic material into the area carefully, avoiding damage to the roots. Soil should be moist, not soggy.

Prune to keep this shrub vigorous and to allow for good air circulation throughout the branches. Thinning allows sunlight to reach inner branches as well. If dying leaves with brown spots are on inside branches, lack of sunlight may be the problem.

Inspect leaves closely, checking the undersides carefully. While not a common problem, insects may be causing brown spots and dying leaves on Mt. Airy fothergilla. Treatment may be as simple as blasting the leaves with your garden hose, or as complicated as mixing a systemic treatment. Organic control can include loading a sprayer with a mixture of dish soap, mineral oil and water and thoroughly spraying the shrub.

Remove dead and dying leaves on the shrub. Prune yearly and fertilize the specimen with a complete fertilizer two or three times while it is actively growing. Stress may be weakening the Mt. Airy fothergilla, making it susceptible to infestations or disease pathogens. A healthy shrub is less likely to develop brown spot and dying leaves.

Contact your local Cooperative Extension office if the above measures have not corrected the issue. Bacterial or fungal disease can create brown spots and dying leaves on the Mt. Airy fothergilla. Your local plant professionals stay current on health issues for plants and will know if there is a new pest or disease that may be causing the problems on the Mt. Airy fothergilla.