Small azelea snapped off branches :-(

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by CharlieBot, Aug 27, 2014.

  1. CharlieBot

    CharlieBot Super Gardener

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    Bought this earlier in the year from morrisons and it's probably grown 2-3 inches (no flowers this year). I've given it a couple of doses of sulphate stuff and it looked happy.
    Toddy I noticed OH has caught it moving a ladder and snapped off pretty much all the branches on one side. They all seem to come from one stem like a mini tree if that makes sense.
    What shall I do?
    A) be patient and leave it be, accepting it's going to look rubbish for a few years.
    B) pinch out the other branches and hope it evens out a bit.
    C) replant it deeper to encourage some shoots from the rootball.
    D) chuck it away.

    It's a really pretty orange one so I'm a bit gutted to be honest.
     
  2. lost_in_france

    lost_in_france Total Gardener

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    Watching this with interest as the same thing happened to one of mine (due to a large clumsy dog trampling over it). I did A and it still looks the same one year on.
     
  3. CharlieBot

    CharlieBot Super Gardener

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    I'll put a pic up tomorrow. I'm really sad because it had grown so slowly and I was really looking forward to some flowers next spring. :frown:
     
  4. Liz

    Liz Gardener

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    You could try gently loosening the roots and tilting it. My daughter did this successfully with a little acer that was trodden on by the dog!
     
  5. CharlieBot

    CharlieBot Super Gardener

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    image.jpg
    I'm thinking to replant it slightly deeper at the correct angle and pinch out the top growth.
     
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    • Val..

      Val.. Confessed snail lover

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      Oh it doesn't look too bad, a bit uneven but nice and healthy. If it was mine I would also plant it a bit deeper, mulch round it to keep in the moisture and keep it well watered if we should have anymore warm spells. Good luck with it.

      Val
       
    • merleworld

      merleworld Total Gardener

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      I'd leave it and it will probably recover. I wouldn't bury it deeper as you may kill it - the stem of the plant should be level with or slightly above the soil level.
       
    • Kristen

      Kristen Under gardener

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      Plant it against a wall so you only need a one-sided plant?

      I doubt it will sprout from low down, to fill the "Missing" side, so other branches will have to generate side shoots to fill the gap, which will take a long-ish time.

      If it is planted out (rather than in pot) it should speed up in successive years (but it needs an acid soil, so no good as a solution if yours is alkaline)
       
    • CharlieBot

      CharlieBot Super Gardener

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      I feed it with a sprinkle of sulphate of iron which has kept it healthy. Now replanted, what do you think? The main stem is about 1" deeper (at a slight angle) but all the branches are still coming from a part above soil level. I've snipped off all the tips too.
      image.jpg
       
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      • Kristen

        Kristen Under gardener

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        I'll be surprised if that is enough, going forwards, unless your soil is at least neutral ... but folk do manage to grow acid-loving plants on the "wrong soil" (@shiney particularly!)
         
      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        Yes, Kristen is correct - to a certain extent :heehee:

        We take no notice of what soil is required for plants and hope that they do OK - which they usually do. I have one great advantage over a lot of people and that's called Mrs Shiney :blue thumb:. She has the proverbial green thumb.

        Anything that she plants, propagates etc. just grows :yes:. Her answer when she was asked about acid loving plants in our alkaline soil was "if you don't tell them they're not supposed to like it, then they don't know". It works for her :noidea:. We don't add anything in the way of chemicals to any of our garden. Just compost and the occasional bit of manure.
         
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        • Val..

          Val.. Confessed snail lover

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          Lovely, now just keep your fingers crossed!! :):fingers crossed:

          Val
           
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