Skimmia

My Skimmia seem to have gone a funny colour,i have given them ericacious food ,as i read they prefer it,but they are still not picking up,or is it just too wet for them,although they are making flowers ,

 

Could it be this wet weather? I have the same problem and have lifted it from the border to a container

 

Hi Paladin
My skimmia are on the top of that bank, but unfortunately not in picture although the soil is still quite wet there ,but every where is wet :lollol:

 

Hi Pam,
On my course last year we covered plant nutrients as part of a plant science module and I was wondering whether your Skimmia is deficient in iron? You mentioned you have planted it in ericaceous compost but it might need a top up feed of sequested iron (hope I spelt that right) I have one in my garden and it is in a semi-shaded area (although they are supposed to be ok in full sun).

 

Hi Passiflora
My skimmia are not in ericaceous compost,i have been giving them azalea food to try to help them as i believe they prefer this type,everything else gets miracle grow via the spray gun, so it might get a bit aswell. :wink: but after all this torrential rain ,thinking it had washed all the nutrients from the soil ,i have been light feeding , should i continue you to feed the skimmia as it flowers later :cnfs:

 

Hello Pam
Hmmn, well we spent some time looking at Skimmia's and it was said that they really do not like water logged conditions and are prone to chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves) in alkaline soils (they prefer neutral to slightly acidic). Have you pH tested your soil? Like the case with Rhodo's it might be worth transferring it to a container filled with ericaceous for a while to see if it picks up? Get well soon little Skimmia:cutflwrs:

 

:D There you go then!...My soil is alkaline here below the Cotswold Hills and it's blinkin wet too! So,correct medium and dry feet it is :D...Thanks for that.

 

As Pam says, Passiflora, give it a treatment with Sequestrene ( sequestered iron ).:thumb:

 

Let me know if it works Pam! Oooh this is the first bit of plant advice I have given on-line! I am rather shy at this sort of thing:o

 

Hi Passiflora
Did the soil test, (had that tester for ages and never used it,) :dh: 8.5 on the alkaline which i think is quite high
So i dug up my Skimmias 3of and i have put them in troughs with bedding plants and i will keep up the feeding and see if they improve,
What i did note was i planted these Feb/March and the root system was very poor, i might even say less than when i planted them.:cnfs:.
But where they have been in the ground they seem to have made small roots up the stems to soil level ,does anyone know if this is normal :thmb:

 

Pam, if that reading is right, you have your work cut out lowering it, even non ericaceous plants don`t want a P.H above 7.5. You need to add Flowers of Sulphur gradually to the soil, and also incorporate sedge or dark peat as well.

 

Hi David
As my pic shows they are up on a bank ,the ground gets very waterlogged at the base as we are in a dip ,the other side of the fence is level with the top of the bank.
That is why we opted for stones and i wanted it to be low maintenance plant wise,so i will just have to plant what can take the wet conditions,and at the bottom of the slope keep my plants in pots.
I would like to have a moan though about builders ,we were told there was 3ft of top soil under the grass ,i have been lucky to find 3 inches, which turns out to be extremely alkaline

 

Pam, it`s not the wet that`s the problem, it`s the PH level. Is there a membrane under the stone? If not, I would still try and reduce the PH by watering on the Flowers of Sulphur.

 

Hi David
Yes we put membrane down,but i put the plants through into the soil ,so i am still going to have to use the flowers of sulphur ,
when would be the best time for this ,should i wait until spring.and whats the ratio
i asume its watered over

 

It doesn`t really matter about the ratio Pam.You have to do it gently and keep ckecking the PH, until you get it right. Flowers of Sulphur is not available from yout local GC, you have to get it from the chemists.:thumb: I would do it over the next few months personally.