Loquat trees with what look like burned leaves?

[GeauxTiger]

I have two small Loquat trees potted and on my patio with the intention of getting them in the landscape in the next year or so. They are the "grand kids" so to speak of a beautiful loquat tree that stood in my front yard growing up as a kid, so I have a vested interest in trying to keep them alive.

But over the past few weeks, both little trees have developed what is likely some sort of fungus that has manifested itself as what looks like burned leaves. I've Googled the issue but haven't run across anything that really looks like what I'm seeing. Further, I don't recall this happening with that old tree from my childhood, or it's "child" that was in my yard for a while before I had to remove it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide...
GT

[Hortman]

Hello GeauxTiger. Sorry to hear about your loquats. Let’s see if we can figure
this problem out. How is the drainage in the pots? Excess water could cause
fungal problems in the soil. Also excess nitrogen could cause fertilizer burn.
Is there a natural gas line running underground in the area? If there is a leak, the
leaves would get brown and crispy. I see from the picture that the pot is close to
a brick wall. It has been very hot lately. If the wall is on the south or west side of the
house, you could have a reflected heat or sunburn problem. The symptoms would be
yellow, brown, and then whitish areas developing on the upper sides of the leaves. If this
is the case, move them away from the wall. I hope this helps. Good luck.

[GeauxTiger]

Hortman...thanks for the response.

Let's see...

Water: Shouldn't be the issue. Both pots are rather small and tend to be on the dry side rather than wet.

Excess Nitrogen: Well, for the first time this spring I started using a a spray on fertilizer made by Spray & Grow. Not sold on its effectiveness yet, some plants seemed to do really well with it (melons for instance) while some things seemed to hate it (Cramoisi superior roses). These Japanese Plums seemed to tolerate it, but maybe not.

Gas: Nah...not in the back of the house.

Brick Wall: That wall is actually north facing, BUT these guys are sitting directly on a paver patio. It's greyish, but it can get VERY hot out there as it's in full sun until the sun slides over the roof leaving that area on the back porch in shade finally around 3PM.

With eyes for this, I just went to take the photo below to see if it matches what you describe...you be the judge. The whitish spots towards the edges are fairly new. In addition, I also have two Mexican pottery type pots with amaryllis bulbs in them which have been rather haggard looking on the same patio, while a third exact pot nestled under a young red maple looks perfect.

Ok...assuming you agree it's the heat being cast off of this patio, I'll be moving the plants today...but what about the damaged leaves? Should I allow them to stay and fall off naturally, or should I pull them?

Thanks for your help!
GT

[Hortman]

Hey GT. Ken here again. If the leaf is more than 50% damaged I would get rid of it.
Otherwise, keep them on to produce energy for the tree. Keep me posted on how
the move affects the trees. Take care.

[GeauxTiger]

Thanks, Ken...will do!

Nice forum...hope to stick around.
GT

[soil]

how big of pots are they in. how long have they been in them. what do you feed the trees.

honestly i think they are just telling you they want in the ground.

[GeauxTiger]

soil...

One pot is quite small, cheap plastic deal...the other is a 10 or so gallon ceramic pot. Both of these were about half this size in February or so when I re-potted them into these pots, and they are currently about 2.5 or 3 feet tall. I had plans on tossing the one in the small plastic pot into the landscape in the spring but didn't get to it. The other I contemplated keeping in the pot for a while. Their parent plant stayed with in an a fairly large plastic pot from one apartment move to another for nearly 6 years before we built and I finally had a place to put her in the ground. That whole time it never looked like this, though and had grown a truck too thick for me to wrap my whole hand around when lugging it around in the pot.

I have a space for one of them in the landscape, but was waiting until it cooled off a bit to put it in, as it will be on the south side of my house, full sun all day...but be protected from the north wind in the winter. The other I really don't at this point, which is why I was keeping the little guy potted. If it turns out I can't find space for it in the yard and it can;t stay potted like I have it, I may just find a neighbor who can use it.

GT