Photinia fraseri

[Lee L]

[align=left]Hi,[/align]
[align=left]Are curled, stunted looking leaves normal on new Photinia plantings?[/align]
[align=left]I had a hedge of 48 Photinia fraseri planted 2 weeks ago.* My master landscaper did a great job preparing the raised beds doing everything right with nutrients, mulch, fertilizer and anti-fungal.* The plants are about 2-3 feet tall.* He said they were the finest he'd ever bought, not root bound and grown in sand.[/align]
[align=left]I've watered them twice a week for 10 minutes each since.* This morning, after 2 weeks in the ground, I noticed that almost all of them have the new red leaves curled, and stunted-looking.**And one plant has a sticky clear resin-like substance on parts of it.[/align]
[align=left]Is this just a bit of transplant shock?* I'm in Northern Virginia.[/align]
[align=left]Thank you,* Lee[/align]

[Newt]

Hi Lee,

These shrubs are a magnet for fungal problems and pests, especially where we live.* Of course they looked lovely in the nursery.* They probably kept them happy with lots of chemicals. Since you mention the sticky clear resin called honeydew (waste material of some pests), I suspect yours have aphids, scales or comstock mealybug.
http://pep.wsu.edu/hortsense/scripts...ableName=plant

Comstock mealybug:
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsh...b/cmb_fig1.asp
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsh.../cmb_fig10.asp
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsh...b/cmb_fig4.asp
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsh...b/cmb_fig3.asp
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsh...b/cmb_fig5.asp
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsh...b/cmb_fig6.asp
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsh...b/cmb_fig7.asp

You can click here to see different kinds of scale insects as I can't seem to find a picture of photonia scale.
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ent...ees/scales.htm

Neem oil applied every 5 days until they are gone should do it.* You can also use insecticidal soap applied the same way.
Newt