This is what the heat wave did to the grass and the bushes in front of my house. I’m very worried about the farmers in the area. Last summer, they lost most of their crops to the scorching sun. This year, the heat is even more intense.
Is this bush you see in the photo likely to recover next year, or is it dead for good?
start watering
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I agree with Karl about the water. At least some of the plant should survive, even if you’ll have to trim the dead branches. Unless the root gets killed off, it won’t ever be completely gone.
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It looks like a conifer (maybe a juniper with juvenile type leaves). Since there is still green there, it In general, these plants grow upwards and outwards. “Interior” branches that end up in the shade lose their needles and will never grow green again. Hence, if those brown branches on top on dead the plant will basically be bald at that spot until it dies. Since there is still green, the plant is obviously still alive, but removing the brown branches might make it look like it had a monk’s hairdo, and it will stay that way pretty much indefinitely.
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The bush looks like it’s still partially alive (specifically, the parts that aren’t getting a lot of direct sunlight). I just hope that no careless idiot casually tosses a lit cigaret butt anywhere near your lawn.
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Give it water. It should come back. Can you ditch the lawn and put in drought-resistant plants?
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I’m renting, so my powers here are very limited. 🙂
But I want to try and save this bush. I’ve grown somewhat attached to it.
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you are quite interesting 😉 An incredibly smart, knowledge hungry person who loves (or at least has grown attached too!) a bush…. I think I know why people like your blog so much 🙂
(this is meant sincerely.. not as mocking.. just wanted to be clear!)
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“(this is meant sincerely.. not as mocking.. just wanted to be clear!)”
– Oh, I always take compliments completely seriously. 🙂 I just suffer because plants always wither and die in my vicinity. If my lone cactus dies, too, I will be heartbroken.
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Can you ditch the lawn and put in drought-resistant plants?
You mean drought-resistant plants like, say, grass? Most varieties will survive a month or so without rain and Bermuda grass can go an entire summer without rain.
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Sorry, but this is a yew and it’s toast. When they’re this far gone, there is very little chance it will recover. You have to water like you mean it or just let the chips fall where they may. And even worse, many plants that survive the summer, will die over the winter (another drought period) and their death will probably be blamed on the cold.
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Oh, the Phytophactor is here! I LOVE your blog.
” And even worse, many plants that survive the summer, will die over the winter”
– This is sad. 😦
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
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