Vine not healthy

Question: Vine is slowly dying. I have fertilized it with Holltone.Treated it with BioAdvanced Insect, disease and Mite product.

responder: Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 29, 2023, 11:52 AM EDT
response: We need a bit more information to be most helpful to you. Do you know what type of vine that is? (Wisteria?)  Is it in a pot or planted in the ground?  If potted, how much root space does it have?  Does it have good air circulation? Full sun?  (If Wisteria, fertilization is not necessary. Wisteria is susceptible to few diseases).  Be careful with pesticides, and don't use them until you know what the problem is, as many plant problems are related to abiotic/environmental/cultural issues unrelated to insect pests or diseases. The product you mentioned sometimes contains imidacloprid as its insecticide component, (which is a neonicotinoid pesticide that kills pollinators and has been banned in Maryland). We suggest checking the label for it, and if present, not using it again in the future. Here is more about the Maryland Pollinator Protection Act: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pollinators-and-pesticides  Please give us a little more information, and perhaps photos showing the whole area/plant and we'll be happy to take a look and advise.   Christine

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 29, 2023, 1:29 PM EDT
response: Christine I believe it is Amethyst Falls Wisteria. ?? It is in the ground . It is possibly ten years old. Only product applied to the plant was the BioAdvaced disease, insects and mites. Sold locally at Lowes in PG county. There is no new growth. Previous years it grew fast with many, many flowers?  Appreciate your help Thanks Don

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 30, 2023, 3:17 PM EDT
response: Hello Don,  Thank you for the photos. Several overlapping factors might be contributing to the vine's stress. Part of the leaf discoloration issue might be a powdery mildew and/or leaf spot infection. Wisteria can also contract some plant viruses that cause yellowing or paling of the leaves, though we can't tell from the symptoms pictured if this is the case here. We also think we see some Japanese Maple Scale on the bark, scattered around and not particularly abundant, but this is hard to see in photos since they're so small. High scale populations can cause a loss of plant vigor and even dieback, but the bark we can see doesn't look covered in scale...they seem fairly low in number overall. You can use the information on the linked page to look for more, though.  Systemic insecticides like the ingredient in the product you applied earlier can help manage scale when intervention is warranted, though while it is not illegal for Maryland retailers to keep stocking such products, the general public must hire a certified pesticide applicator to apply products in that particular pesticide group, as mentioned in Christine's linked pollinators and pesticides page.  Has any weed killer or weed preventer been used on the lawn since just before the Wisteria's decline began? Some chemicals in herbicides for turf weeds can affect tree, shrub, and vine roots, and the Wisteria's root system definitely would be extensive enough at this age/size to reach well out into the lawn next to it.  Is it being monitored for watering needs during dry spells of weather, like this year's drought? If not, as tough as Wisteria tends to be in general, it might be suffering from under-watering since they prefer more evenly-moist soil and would benefit from occasional irrigation.  For now, you can prune off any stems or side branches that are completely leafless as those branches are either too weakened or already dead. Keep an eye on its watering needs in case the soil surrounding the plant is getting too dry several inches deep, but no further pesticide needs to be used for now since the fungicide component of that combination product can't cure any existing disease. If an infection winds-up being due to virus, there is no cure, but time will tell as viral plant diseases tend to only worsen over time, not improve. To reduce the chances any fungal spores are re-infecting the plant each spring, you can rake-up and dispose of the plant's fallen leaves this autumn so they don't remain around the base of the plant. Fertilizer shouldn't be necessary in most cases, especially since Wisteria is capable of obtaining its own nitrogen, but if the soil in this area happens to be deficient (only able to be determined by a laboratory soil test) a modest dose of an organic or slow-release fertilizer might be beneficial to spur new growth. (Probably not for this season, but for next year.)  If symptoms worsen or change, feel free to send us more photos, though unfortunately some conditions are hard to diagnose from symptoms alone or are not treatable, and if they are causing progressively more prominent dieback, the plant might need to be replaced as the more practical approach.  Miri