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Ask a Gardening QuestionGardening Questions & Answers: Plant ProblemsSad yellow skimmia japonica

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Sad yellow skimmia japonica

#1 · 21st February 2023, 6:28 pm

I've had my garden a year now and as I slowly work my way round trying to understand the care for the many shrubs, I learned that my Skimmia Japonica is supposed to be green and not blotchy yellow. There's another one on the far side of the garden that is a little less yellow but by no means green.

It's growing on stone filled clay soil.

Any suggestions and can it be saved or will the decline continue? My Camillas seem to be suffering the same jaundiced look.

yellow Skimmia

#2 · 23rd February 2023, 1:43 pm

Hi @kat

Sorry to hear your shrubs and plants are showing yellowing leaves. This can be a real turn off for new gardeners and send people into a spin about what’s causing the yellowing leaves.

The good news is it’s fixable and also not likely to kill your plant just make them look a bit unsightly.

It sounds as if you’ve got a soil deficiency which is causing chlorosis.

What is chlorosis?

A lack of chlorophyll in the leaves which enables photosynthesis Ie the plant to make energy from sun, sugars, water and nutrients most of which comes from the soil. There’s a really detailed article here for more info if you need it. There’s a really detailed article here for more info if you need it.

What causes chlorosis?

For most cases the yellowing of plant leaves or chlorosis is caused by a lack of a specific nutrient in your soil. I know you’ve already checked and have clay soil but soil PH test would be advisable too. Why? Because extremely alkaline soil extremely alkaline soil will sometimes prevent micro nutrients being absorbed. Ie some magnesium or zinc which when absent cause chlorosis.

Sometimes chlorosis can be caused or aggravated by water logged roots as well. But my suggestion will address both.

Given we know that it’s either magnesium or zinc the best way to get these nutrients into your plant is not with a shop bought feed but with a good peat free compost mulch. Which will both add nutrients and help break up your clay soil.

https://youtu.be/ptBotSa2wpw

Add a thick layer around each of the plants and then be patient. You should start to see changes after a month or two. As I said don’t worry it won’t kill the plant so I wouldn’t move them or try and replace them as it’s likely the same will happen again.

Let us know how you get on!

Lee