Please help diagnose this sick alpine current.

[Eckhoffw]

Hi!
I purchased this one about 1.5 yrs ago.
It’s had some setbacks like rabbits eating all but the very thick branches, and not so healthy growth this season.

As of now she’s looking very bare, and pretty sick.
I’ve tried, watering, more, watering, less, more sun, less sun, and feeding with osmacote -lightly.

It seems to drain pretty well, and in a container with lots of big drainage holes.
I’ve killed two others, and, like this one, they showed new growth and buds come in, that never came to fruition.

Any thoughts or insight would be greatly appreciated! The brown leaves, and some new growth.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Currants can be magnets for diseases, In the Cascades this time of the year they often look similarly. Beat up, spindly, bent leaves and crispy. Mountain currants are no exception. Anthracnose, powdery mildew, cane blight, fruit rot, and most notable White Pine blister rust (keep all White pines away).

So cleaning up the media is very important and proactively spraying an anti fungal like diluted 2 TBSP 3% H2O2/QT H2O is important. Your media looks very clean so that’s a plus. Once infected the diseases can be pretty pernicious… yet

Looking at the leaves the first thing that came to mind was drought, due to the withdrawal of chlorophyll at the leaf tip. The second was possible powdery mildew due to the whitish sheen on the leaves.

Drought: One might consider covering the media with mountain moss or Sphagnum to help the roots from drying. Our red flowering currants look the same way each summer. (They are on the dry side of the house.) Here’s an image of ours slightly affected.



The second thing was Powdery mildew. Powderly mildew is common this time of the year, especially if the leaves are watered and don’t completely dry before nightfall. Our Vine Maples reliably get this disease each fall… see image, powdery mildew spots just getting started.



btw Currants are usually pretty good feeders, so upping the nutrition a bit next year might help the plants leaf out more.

Hope this helps

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Eckhoffw]

Currants can be magnets for diseases, In the Cascades this time of the year they often look similarly. Beat up, spindly, bent leaves and crispy. Mountain currants are no exception. Anthracnose, powdery mildew, cane blight, fruit rot, and most notable White Pine blister rust (keep all White pines away).

So cleaning up the media is very important and proactively spraying an anti fungal like diluted 2 TBSP 3% H2O2/QT H2O is important. Your media looks very clean so that’s a plus. Once infected the diseases can be pretty pernicious… yet

Looking at the leaves the first thing that came to mind was drought, due to the withdrawal of chlorophyll at the leaf tip. The second was possible powdery mildew due to the whitish sheen on the leaves.

Drought: One might consider covering the media with mountain moss or Sphagnum to help the roots from drying. Our red flowering currants look the same way each summer. (They are on the dry side of the house.) Here’s an image of ours slightly affected.

View attachment 507841

The second thing was Powdery mildew. Powderly mildew is common this time of the year, especially if the leaves are watered and don’t completely dry before nightfall. Our Vine Maples reliably get this disease each fall… see image, powdery mildew spots just getting started.

View attachment 507842View attachment 507843

btw Currants are usually pretty good feeders, so upping the nutrition a bit next year might help the plants leaf out more.

Hope this helps

Cheers
DSD sends

Thanks sooo much for this! Super helpful.