RADIO TRANSCRIPT
July 19, 2024
Matt Rodriguez

This is Matt Rodriguez, horticulture agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center.

We’ve been getting a lot of calls and emails about some plants showing dieback. Dieback is when you see parts of a plant brown and wither. Factors can include soil pH, soil volume, too much or too little water and light availability. In the Spring, it could frost damage. In the Summer, there can be several factors such as fungal and bacterial infections. This summer has also been increasingly hot and dry and that can cause plants to stress. Your plant might just be thirsty and needs a break from the sun. When rain is scarce it is important to utilize smart watering techniques.

Watering smartly is not a hard thing to do. It is important to water infrequently to “train” your plant to better handle drought. Watering first thing in the morning or in the evening is best.

When choosing plants, make sure and read the tags and note the light, water, and soil requirements. Feel free to call us here at extension for quality research based information on plant production.
This has been Matt Rodriguez, horticulture agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center. For more information, call us at 828-764-9480.