Question
Three months ago I planted three 3' tall Princess Flower shrubs in my Mission Viejo, CA back yard.  Over the past week and a half I have observed that about 50% of the foliage on one of the shrubs is now orange in color.  All three plants are located side by side and receive an equal amount of water, sunlight and share the same soil conditions.  What is going on and what should I do?  I have not applied any fertilizers or acid mix since planting them.

Answer
Dear Philip, I am assuming that you have all the Princess flowers growing in the sun, are keeping the soil moist, and that the area has good drainage.  Princess flowers are very often hard to grow for the first season or two, and then they will thrive.  However, since only one of three is showing any signs of problems, I would probably spray that one with a fungicidal spray a few times about a week apart, and if that doesn't seem to help at all, then I would probably just replace that one plant.  I applaud your creative and beautiful landscaping efforts, California is just a paradise of plant choices.  I would also go ahead and fertilize and perhaps add the acid mix as well to help give them all a good start.  Good luck and let me know if you need more assistance.  Melissa