Soil | Trees | Lawn | Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Plant Problems PLANT PART SYMPTOM POSSIBLE CAUSES Whole plant   Recently transplanted plant won't grow Drought Excess water Insufficient root system Injured during or prior to planting   Sudden death of whole plant or part of plant Excess ferilizer Girdling Lightning strike Weed killers   Gradual decline of formerly healthy plant; poor growth; yellowing and dropping of leaves. Death of individual shoots. Air pollution Construction injury Disease/pests Drought Excess water or fertilizer Soil pH (acidity or alkalinity) needs adjusting Main stem or branches   Malformed new growth Insect injury Weed killers   Shoot dieback Borers (insects) Lack of light Improper nutrition Winter injury Construction injury Too much water Insect or disease damage Hail damage   Twigs with healthy leaves drop to ground Squirrel damage Twig girdlers (insects)   Bark splits on trunk Winter injury Lightning   Pitch on trunk or main branches Borers (insects) Foliage   Leaves look scorched or dry Frost injury Drought Fertilizer burn Salt damage Spray injury Fire damage Mites (insects)   Leaves yellow or mottled in color; smaller than normal size, malformed or drop early Improper nutrition Too much water Insect or disease injury Improper pH (acidity or alkalinity) of soil   Wilted foliage Drought Excess fertilizer Excess water Disease (anthracnose)   Skeletonized leaves Insects   Curled or distorted leaves Aphids (insects) Weed killer   Tunnels between leaf surfaces Leaf miners (insects)   Chewed leaf margins Leaf-chewing insects   Gray color to foliage; webs may be present Mites (insects)   Black or brown spots on leaves Spray injury Disease   White powdery look to top of leaves Spray injury Mildew   Rolled leaves Cold temperatures Leaf roller (insects) Drought   Needle drop Lack of potassium Natural needle shed (every 3 years)   Black sooty look to leaves and stems Aphids Fire blight Flowers   Plant fails to flower Improper pruning (wrong time of year) Improper day length Nutrient imbalance Too shady Frost damage   Flowers fail to open properly Drought Bacterial blight Spray injury Frost injury Insects   Petals chewed Grasshoppers (insects)   Shortened flowering period Drought High temperature Low humidity   Flower buds split Herbicide injury Improper moisture levels Extreme temperature Fruit   Plant fails to produce fruit Drought Improper pruning Flowers not pollinated Plant too immature   Fruit drops at early stage of development Insects Low fertility Drought

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