I planted some PJM shrubs in early Spring. Out of four, two don’t look good. Have curling leaves and some are turning brown and dropping. I checked the shrub and it is still bendable like it is not dead. Should I remove the two shrubs or just wait and see?
I’d wait and see. While your waiting, check around the base of the plant to make sure you haven’t buried the trunk too deep when planting or that you’ve piled mulch up against the trunk. Doing either of these things slowly strangles the plant, causing the symptom you’ve described and will eventually kill it. Brush any mulch and dirt away from the stem until you find the original soil that the plant came in. Let the bark breathe!!!