Fertilizer Burn on Chinese Dogwood Trees

Dogwood leaf

Two 7-ft Chinese dogwoods show brown leaf edges after Miracle-Gro spike application. New growth looks healthy. Likely fertilizer burn—spikes concentrate salts, damaging roots that contact them.

Remediation

• Flush soil: 1 inch water every 3rd day for a month (pan/sprinkler method).
• Switch to granular 10-10-10 scattered around tree.
• Burlap root constraint (if not removed at planting) may compound stress but typically causes whole-leaf drop, not edge burn.

Survival depends on root damage severity. Normal leaf-out expected next spring if roots recover.