Question
We just moved into a home in Southwest Oklahoma. There is a
large (5-6 ft. tall) snowball bush on the northeast corner of our
house. The leaves were turning brown and curling when we
moved in August. It was very very hot and I thought maybe it
needed water. One month later the leaves all seem dead. I think
some disease has gotten to it. Is it too late to spray something?
Will it come back out next spring? What time of the year is best
to trim it back? If I trimmed it about 18-24 inches from the
ground would that be a bad thing? I don't even know if it
bloomed last year. Should I trim it like a crepe myrtle were it is
more small trunks at the bottom and the foliage is at the top?
Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Answer
Kathy,
It sounds like the plant went into drought stress over the summer. There is a 50-50 chance that it will recover.
I would recommend that you fertilize the plant this fall and again in the spring to try to spark new growth.
I would not recommend trimming it at this time.
Good luck.
Ed Gulliksen