Q: My pyracantha leaves recently started looking like the attached picture. A drip system waters it every three days for 30 minutes. Hasnβt had a fertilizer application since Memorial Day.
A:Β What you are seeing is salt damage. Salts build up in the root zone from our salty water and from fertilizers. The solution is first to overwater to flush the salt through the root zone and then change your irrigation schedule to water less often but deeper. For non-desert shrubs like pyracantha it is best to water every seven to 10 days to a depth of 24 to 36 inches in the summer, every 10 to 14 days in the spring and fall, and every 14 to 21 days in the winter.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed to plwarren@cals.arizona.edu.
