Mites

• Mites can cause a great deal of damage to the burgundy Chinese fringe plant. Signs of their presence and their adverse influence on Chinese fringe health include curling or malformed leaves, but in most cases the leaves will turn in color from a healthy green to yellow. Several chemical treatments have proven effective with mites on Chinese fringe plants. These include dimethoate, abamectin and carbaryl. The chances of these treatments working effectively decline as the problem with the mites progresses; one of them should be used as soon as Chinese fringe problems relating to mites are noticed.
  
  

Nematodes

• Nematodes prove dangerous to Chinese fringe health because they are virtually impossible to see with the naked eye. They gather in the soil surrounding the plant and attack the root system. The longer their presence goes unchecked, the more they will drain the plant of nutrients and cause it to eventually die out. Yellowing of the flowers or leaves occurs early on during their feeding. Only nurseries have access to pesticides specifically geared toward nematode infestations. Since the average gardener can't utilize this resource, the next best option is using peat moss as an additive to the soil where the burgundy Chinese fringe is planted.
  
  

Root Rot

• Burgundy Chinese fringe flowers will turn yellow as a result of root rot. A number of other problems can occur as well, from a general unhealthy appearance to the plant actually dying off. Root rot occurs when an excess of water collects in the soil around the roots and stays there for a long period of time. Ultimately, this flooding will cause the root system to decay, and then the rest of the plant follows suit. Root rot springs from a soil that does not adequately drain off water. The Chinese fringe plant should be carefully uprooted and repotted with soil that drains well.
  
  

Soil Composition

• Chinese fringe problems can occur if the plant is grown in soil high in alkaline. Under such soil conditions, plants exhibit a deficit of those nutrients that usually facilitate normal, healthy growth. This deficiency results in the yellowing and drooping of the flowers, as well as the weakening of the plant's structural integrity. Essentially, the higher pH levels in the alkaline-rich soil prohibit the nutrients from reaching the root system as they should. The application of fertilizers and element additives from a gardening supply shop should help even out pH levels.