Help…large shrub covered with white disease or fungus.

[Straightbat]

Does anyone know what this is and how to deal with it please (I am in the UK)

Are there any precautions I need to take if I just remove the whole shrub? It is a flowering currant. Thanks.

 

[Logan]

It looks like mildew, it will only affect the leaves and don't need to do anything. It's probably got stressed about conditions. It will recover.

 

[Straightbat]

Thank Logan. When I dug the ground over I did find one or two small bits of woody debris with similar white markings in the ground. But the roots of this shrub were disturbed. It flowered OK since but now this.

 

[Logan]

It could have been that you disturbed the roots but it looks fine apart from the white mildew. It will be ok.
Have you covered the roots with the landscape fabric? If so it could be short of water.

 

[Tetters]

I can't really see what's going on here, but am wondering if that is woolly aphids on the trunks of your shrub.

Maybe you could have a closer look @Straightbat.

Ribes sanguineum (flowering currant )is quite a tough shrub, and having recently moved it I reckon it could do with a good prune. You can cut it back fairly hard, and give it plenty of water to get it re established.

 

[Logan]

Yes I agree.

 

[Mike Allen]

Have to admit. I can't quite make it out.

How's you, Tetters?

 

[Straightbat]

Thanks for the advice. Yes the roots are covered by the fabric but it is a permeable one. When laying it water did not pool on top. I haven't recently moved it but yes, it is definitely due for a good prune. I have held back through fear of spreading any disease by disturbing it until I know what the problem is.

Until the last couple of weeks there was a lot of rainfall in June and everything around it was kept well watered if it didn't rain before that, because of having planted new shrubs in April. The shrub itself has only ever been watered naturally for many years. It was cut back hard last year but always regrows vigorously as it has done again. When I say the roots were disturbed, one or two were severed where they became exposed at the surface as I reevelled the borders.

I will try to have a closer look and investigate woolly aphids.

 

[Tetters]

Have to admit. I can't quite make it out.

How's you, Tetters?

I is still breathing thanks Mike. Good to ''see'' you here

 

[Straightbat]

I am adding a photo with a much closer view. When touching the white stuff (with a glove) many very very fine cobweb like fibres stretch away from it affixed to the glove. I posted on two sites at the same time. The other site suggests a "scale infestation" which seems to fit the bill when you look it up. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=926

 

[posiepurrs]

Not sure if you have this in the UK but it may be this: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7410.html
Kind of looks like it to me - but I could be wrong.

 

[NigelJ]

Does look like a scale insect see here for info https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=224

 

[Tetters]

Yep, that's horrible ! I had it last year on 4 or 5 euonymus shrubs. I cut them all down to the ground, leaving the roots in and burnt the whole lot of top on the bonfire. This year every euonymus is regrowing and looks really healthy.
There is no reason - with Ribes - that you cannot do the same.

Here you are, this picture is scale insects !
The longer you leave them, the worse it gets .

 

[Straightbat]

I couldn't clean it up and retain any more of the plant because the infestation was often low down and at branch junctions, so removing it meant removing uninfested growth above that was supported lower down.

 

[Tetters]

If there is any sign of infestation left there it needs to be cut off...... if necessary right down to ground level, otherwise the perishing things will just multiply. The new growth should come up from the roots. In my experience of many years, I have had to cut many a shrub - all varieties, to the ground for different reasons. Without exception they have all revived and flourished afterwards (sometimes even when I've wished they wouldn't.)