This broadleaf evergreen plant is used as a border bush , as a hedge , or as a focal dot in landscape design . It is a slow grower , but at maturity can reach a height of up to 7 feet with a spread of 5 feet . Japanese pieris prefers partial ghost and moist , rich , well - drained acid land . It is susceptible to leaf blot , chlorosis , and Phytophthora fore infestations . Japanese genus Pieris can also be infested by pest such as lacebug , scale , mite and nematode .
Phytophthora root rot
Phytophthora root rot begins below ground degree with a fungous attack on the fine roots of the shrub . The fungus kingdom induce the fine roots to break down . The fungus then proceeds to spread to the larger root , moving up to the root pennant . Eventually , the disease spreads up through the stem destroying the radical and fore tissue .
Phytophthora root rot Symptoms
This destruction do the leaves to become chlorotic ( turning a lighter color and wilt ) . The appearance of above ground level symptoms may not come in some shrubs , other works can have symptoms for approximately a year before they die . The best style to prevent the disease is to asseverate a healthy plant , most importantly it should be plant in well - drained soil and not overwatered .
Lacebug
Japanese pieris is very susceptible to plague by the lacebug , peculiarly when the shrub is farm in full Sunday . Lacebugs have piercing , suck mouthparts . The lacebugs overwinter on the leaves of the bush , its eggs are embedded in the leafage tissue paper . They brood in mid - March get down to feed on the underside of the leaves – sucking the juice from the leaves . They leave behind brown fecal cliff . Soon the upper surface of the leaves show sign of devastation and will appear sensationalistic and mottled .
Lacebug Management
If the bush is healthy , the infestation is cosmetic in nature and there is no dangerous wrong to the plant life . dangerous infestations on unhealthy plants will get the leaf to fall off and the plant will be weakened . The way to avoid lacebug infestation begins with site selection – the Japanese pieris should not be planted in full sun . Early spotting is also important . Lacebugs can be pass by chemical insecticide when necessary .
Chlorosis
Chlorosis is a lack of green chlorophyl in the leaves , thus the leaves appear chicken in gloss . There are several causes of chlorosis : bad soil drain , damaged or compacted antecedent , stain that is highly alkaline , as well as nutrient deficiency of atomic number 26 , manganese or atomic number 30 . Chlorosis treatment will depend upon the reason for the disease . You may have to add nutrient to the soil , or if soil densification is the ground , you may need to do core aerification or till the soil .
Other Pests
There are several other pest that can invade the Nipponese pieris , and they are : scale of measurement , hint , and roundworm . Scales and mites tip on plant juice . These sucking plague are quite minuscule , the scathe that they do to plants and bush is wilted leaves , growth reduction , and pass branches . They can be bring off by the use of insecticides . Nematodes are small , roundworms , or soil cuss that go within the spaces between soil particles on wet surfaces . They feed on the all right roots of the Nipponese genus Pieris – there is no chemical control solution for nematodes .
