Q: We have a fifteen-foot tall Indian hawthorn tree in our courtyard that is losing leaves. But most Indian hawthorns are shrubs, right? How can we save it?

A: Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! I did not know Indian hawthorn could grow so big. Much to my surprise, my bet is that you do have an Indian hawthorn tree! It’s probably a ‘Majestic Beauty’, a large shrub that can be pruned into a tree form. Indian hawthorns are famous for getting leaf spot disease…but some (including ‘Majestic Beauty’) are more resistant than others.

Here’s what I’d do:

1. Prune away all of the stubs left by the last pruner. Make the cut about a quarter inch away from the larger trunk/branch the stub comes from.

2. Clean up all fallen leaves and put clean mulch under the tree.

3. Spray now with one of the products mentioned here: http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0392/ANR-0392.pdf

Also see https://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/D88EDF42-0416-4908-8D23-49F1A95A721D/74736/pub3171EntomosporiumleafspotHIGHRES.pdf

Note how often to spray.

4. Fertilize with Holly-Tone at the rate noted on the bag for landscape shrubs.

5. Keep fingers tightly crossed!