Dying plants

Can someone help? I have lived here for 10 years. There is one spot in my back garden where whatever I plant dies for no apparent reasons. The latest victim is a skimmia which until recently looked very healthy. Growing one side of it is a beautiful camellia, and the other side an azara, which I keep well pruned - no problem with them. The same thing happens in just one spot in my front garden - I have a whole row of camellias, all very healthy except any I plant in just one spot, which die quite quickly. I'm no garden expert, I need advice in very simple words please!

 

Is there anything obvious growing by it, behind it, etc? Do you have a pic to show the set-up? Id sounds odd, but maybe it's some form of very localised soil-sickness, and you need to remove all the soil from that area and replace it?

 

or maybe you have a dog who always widdles just there!

 

What about cats? they can destroy plants, shrubs with their spray mabe they like that certain area when one cat sprays another will come along and do the same to mark their territory. Just an idea!

 

Odd problem :confused:

I have had the reverse happen, ie. a particularly fertile patch in a lawn that would grow twice as fast as the rest and it turned out to be a cracked drain that run underneath.

I do notice that you are from Cornwall though so possibly there is some mine spoil, effluent or gas working up to the surface or there are shafts draining all the surface water. Radon is unlikeley to be the culprit as it is readily dispersed in the open and is really only a problem inside houses, especially basements.

I'm only aware of this because we had to get a mine survey done before Mum's house in Cornwall could be sold.

 

Thanks to the 5 of you who have already replied so promptly.

Nixon - I'll take a picture and post it (if I can work out how - this is my first day on this site!). Nothing behind but a wall. We were actually wondering if it could be localised soil sickness, perhaps digging up and replacing is the answer. It's not a dog widdling there, we don't have one.

Lisa - don't know a thing about Honey Fungus but will look into it.

Dalbuie - not cats, at least don't think so, the neighbours' cats don't tend to frequent that part of the garden, but I will certainly keep my eyes open now.

Frogesque - Don't think it's a shaft as we are not in a mining area - we are Falmouth. As you say, Radon is unlikely to be the problem in the garden.

Thank you all for making a new member so welcome and being so helpful. :D

 

Hi Blodwen,
try planting your new plant in a largish pot, with plenty of drainage in bottom.
when potted put a circle of black polythene over the compost in the pot
then put the whole thing into the ground, covering the pot by a couple of inches with bark
if the plant still dies then more than likely it is a 4 legged pest of some sort that is getting in your garden

 

Thanks a bunch Rossco, will try that experiment.
:rolleyes: