Mr Grinch's Garden

Its cold, gone back to hard frost at night. The garden with its small twinges of life have gone back into hibernation. Only few weeks to go until March.
G

 

Dunno. Dunno if you can, even. Dig one up, pot it in something rich, stick it in a greenhouse for a season, if it grows only a few MM then I reckon you have suffruticosa, but there must be a more scientific way to identify them than taht?

Nutrient deficiency I would think. Quite possibly Magnesium (chlorosis). There was a thread on it (specifically yellowing of the edges of Box leaves) in late Autumn, which you might be turned up with a SEARCH ?

 

Substitute "Witch Doctor" for "aboriginal fella" in this old joke
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508729

 

Nooo. I hope you're kidding. Common box (sempervirens) is supposed to grow 6'' a year. Mind you, I've read some of the dwarf types have an average growth rate of between 1 1/2 to just over two inches, so maybe that's yours. How long are the leaves on it?

 

There the size of a Box leaf, no difference to others i have seen growing. I think it is Sempervirens, the conditions may not be the best. I might do as kristan says, hook em out then dig deeper and and a mix of top soil and compost. They do go a bit brown in summer, this apprarantly is due to stress and thats with me watering regulary and feeding.

G

 

WOW.

Sound the alarms, the sun actually felt warm today !!!!

 

Mr Grinch:

Re: Box

Well, if you've got clay, they can't be lacking in nutrients. How big a hole did you put them in? Could it be the roots can't grow out into the surrounds and it needs to be wider? Or does your grass compete with the roots?

My box was grown from softwood cuttings in March and then just put in a compost and soil trench with manure two and half spits deep. I noticed, young as they are, they're a little temperamental as regards watering. After seeing them go brownish or the leaves wilting a few times I reckon they're happiest when I don't water them directly at all - when I keep the deeper soil a touch moist (I stick my finger down into it to see) and as far as possible keep the surface earth around the stems and mulch dry. I made little soil pyramids to surround the stems and then dug a little 1 1/2 inch trench alongside, so I can water into the soil and not on it. I realise cuttings are different kettle of fish; still, do you stick your finger in, that's the question.

 

I think as you say its the soil but not a nutrient problem. I dug down a spits depth before using a mixture of compost and the top soil as in fill. I fear i may have to have then up and re plant in a loam top soil with added compost but also dig a lot deeper.
You are right, i think they do better with a natural moist soil rather that over watering. Sun per say is not a problem. Im Italy and france it gets baking hot and they are fine.

G

 

Yes, mine seem fine in full sun since I put down a heavy mulch to keep the soil damp. The roots definately go off sideways more than down which is why the books suggest the hole only has to be as high as the hight of the plant. But my clay soil gets flooded so knowing that I dug a lot deeper and at the very bottom forked drainage holes which I filled with sand. At least it meant I could put some proper manure in deep.

How wide was your hole? Did you spread out the roots when you planted? Mine are young and in a trench so I don't have to worry. But if you thought the sideways roots were restricted by compact clay or by not spreading, could you maybe dig a couple of deeper holes either side of the original hole, see if you could tease some roots out sideways into the new holes with your hands and then fill up with looser soil for the roots to spread into? Save moving it.

 

I wonder if they were pot-bound when you planted them, and the roots have been circling ever since as a consequence? That can happen when pot-bound plants are planted out, so might be worth examining when you dig one up to have a loot

 

I teased all the roots out and from memory they were pot poubnd per say. When i dug them up when i did the patio the roots had defo grown outwards but not downwards.

The plants going "up" the garden i would think should be ok, its the ones going accross that concern me as they were put in a trench abbout a foot wide as the patio and path surrounds them. These are the ones i think i will need to have up and improve i think.

G

 

What do you mulch with ? I used a peat based multi purpose mulch but when it dry's out it just forms a hard crust and is a bit annoying.

G

 

I know I am a novice mr g but cant u do something similar to me
In a couple of weeks when I prune feed and mulch my roses I am going to for the box lightly hand fork in a general purpose feed and mulch around the box. Just an idea they might just take off this year and grow?