Ask Gerry

My question is a very general one and I would imagine a lot of perople have noticed this and that is that the leaves of many deciduous trees are almost gone and we're still in July. Sycamores and horsechestnuts for example are all looking the worst for wear. Some have observed that the west side of many trees are faring the worst. Do you have any ideas/suggestions as to why we are seeing this?

I have a fatsia for several years but find that something always eats the leaves. I dont think it is slugs or snails. Have you any suggestions, Please

I have 3 evergreen tree in my front garden and over the last couple of weeks they come burnt or brown in colour. No all of the tree is brown only the SE Faceing section. What should i do to get these to recover, these are 6 ft in hight and about 5-6 years old

At least 80% of the leaves on my wisteria have withered and fallen off i have been watering it as normal, however the plant has had to endure strong winds for the last month, it is six years old any ideas best regards.

I have laurel hedge, planted about 4yrs ago, and I just noticed that the new leaves are turning brown/black and curling up and dying. There is plenty of new growth, but this just seems to have appeared lately. I have a LOT of hedge and it seems to have spread. Could you please advise?

I have flowering plum, camellia, and acer which seem to have withered away once new leaves came on it. Is this die back. what should I do. Will they get a new flush of leaves during summer, or as the term die back suggests are they dying?

I have bought two cissus striata but i am worried about the exposure and shelter thay have. They are planted on a west facing wall with little shelter. Have I planted them in the right place or shoul I be looking at getting a virginia creeper plant instead.

My brother recently bought a house with 4 beautiful palms in the front garden about 8 feet high. They have become very scorched and brown at the edges and generally unhealthy looking. He tried giving them a magnesium feed but it didn't make much difference. The garden is quite sheltered and west facing.

I have noticed a lot of dieback on the branches of my Acers.

My dicksonia is in a pot the leaves have droped with the frost. Is it too late to cover the base with straw or hay now?

I am living outside Ennis in Co. Clare for a number of years and over that time I have lost several trees to the prevailing winds. I am wondering in the Lombardy Poplar would help create some shelter or what other Tree might suit. My soil is CLAY (very wet in winter and very dry during summer, when we get it) I have lost Laburnums, Purple Maple and the latest have been some ornamental rowan. My neighbour next door couldn't keep a tree until I built my house, now it provides the shelter his garden needs.

Why are the leaves on my plant curling up and appear to be dying also on a second plant there appears to brown spotting on the leaves..what plant food should I be feeding them

We have Willow (Golden and Red flanders) planted on an exposed site in a heavy clay on a slope which are about 3 years old and have thrived to date. Recently, the leaves have started to wither and die from the top down. I saw your response re. canker in a contorted willow, but in this case, the tree is affected from the top and the lower part of the tree is still healthy. The bark is also turning brown in the affected areas (top down). We have other will planted in another part of the garden that are not affected. Is there any treatment you would recommend?

Hello Gerry.I have two large hebes in the garden and both of them are looking awful. The branches are drooping heavilyy and the leaves are brown and shriveled. Could this be frost damage or is it something else? Thank you Alison

i have a witch hazel,Arnolds promise and it started off with about 5 fine branches which were full of leaves about 3 years ago. i'm now down to 2 main branches which have flowers but it doesnt strike me as being the healthiest. it is on good soil but the site is fairly exposed, though other shrubs and trees are doing very well.i was going to replace it last year.would i be as well off digging it up or giving it another year to improve