Abutilon shedding leaves

I have an Abutilon vitifolium that is shedding its leaves in the summer. It's supposed to be virtually evergreen, so I'm wondering what the problem might be.

Thank you.

 

Hi Cucumber,
welcome to Gardeners Corner. One of the doctors will be along soon,just have a stroll round the forum while you're waiting,
Jenny namaste

 

Thanks. It's a very colourful forum.

 

Bump

 

Hmm

 

Welcome to GC cucumber,

I know absolutely nothing about Abutilons cucumber. I'm wondering though if it's anything to do with our very wet weather this year. Plants countrywide have had a difficult time and the continuous rain has washed a lot of the nutrients out of the soil. Could it need feeding?

 

You could be right as I've just read that Abutilons quickly deplete nutrients in the soil.

 

I have this one growing near my front door.


It's in very free draining soil and about 12 inches away from the Smoke Bush Standard which is doing fine. I give 2 gallons of water twice a week, or three times in very hot weather. Once a fortnight i'll treat it and mix in one cap full of liquid seaweed (about 1/4 shrub dosage). It's been evergreen for the two years it's been there but this is the first year of decent growth. I get a few leaves browning occasionally but that's all.

Don't know if any of the above helps or not.

 

Belated thanks. Mine seems to have died :-(

 

Don't give up on it just yet, it may re-shoot next year.

 

Yup, I have had one or two that have seemingly come back from the dead. I have never grown one very satisfactorily, though. Late, sparse flowering, failure to thrive etc. The only one I've still got is A megapotanicum, that same one as Scorpio1968 but his looks better!

 

You say evergreen, but I've only ever known them to be evergreen under glass (and even then the leaves become a lot smaller over the winter).

How old is it? I've grown quite a few from seed and expect 50% losses in the first year now. No idea why as there's no apparent infestation, root rot etc - they just seem to decide that life is not for them.

This is the other halfs A. x suntense earlier in the year.................


It's looking pretty bare now owing to the cold nights.

Strangely my young (and more tender) A.x hybridum remains in the green, although the number of blooms is reduced.

 

Mine is approx 3 years old. All the leaves are dead now and have been since the autumn.