Question
Hello, I have a row of Rose of Sharons planted along my fence. They were little twigs when they started 4ish years ago, they are doing very well and are almost 5 feet tall, yielding many blooms. They all got leaves and looked healthy this spring, until recently one of the plant's leaves started to turn yellow. Over the next month the plant has died, it is black and there is a circle of dead brown grass around the base of the plant.  Today i notice that one or two more have started with the yellow leaves and there are brown spots in the grass near them.  It looks very obvious that someone poured something over them.  How can I find out what happened to my beautiful plants??

Answer
Hi Eileen, Without sending off soil and tissue samples to be tested, you can't know if it was intentional or another cause.  They are very susceptible to herbicide damage from weed and feed products.  They also get root rot if the area stays too wet.  Voles often feed on the roots, resulting in death.  Brown spots in the lawn may also be an indication of fungal problems possibly associated with too much water or an indication of drought. Your local garden center, your county agent or a local Master Gardener might make a house call to help determine the problem.  Jim