Skimmia

Hi Pam and David,
Ouch! It's the pH alright! 8.5 is very alkaline, Skimmia's prefer neutral to slightly acidic, so anything from 6.0 down (pH 6.0 to 6.5 being the optimum). It takes time to adjust the pH and you will have to keep checking it. Flowers of Sulphur is one of the fastest remedies to alter soil pH. Supposed to be good for minor skin irritations too:thmb:

 

PS A solution of Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salts) is meant to be another method - have you tried it David?

 

Hi David and Passiflora
I have been reading up on this and the gardeners world site suggests an epsom salts spray as a quick temporary fix, So i am away to spray. :ntty:

 

Only as a plant tonic, Passiflora.:thmb:

 

Plants looking very sick ,its a wait and see now

 

Hi Pam,
How is the Skimmia doing? I fussed too much over an ornamental pomegranate plant recently and it looked dead so I moved it into my "tough love" corner for a while. Basically I left it alone in a container, watered it as and when and didn't touch it (having tried various feeds, etc,). I checked up on it the other weekend and there is lots of new growth on it now I guess in some cases we have to let nature takes it course! :D

 

Hi Passiflora
Do you know i think it does look a little brighter, they are in troughs filled with compost and bedding plants

 

Hi Pam,
Good to hear that!! Hopefully it pulls through. I am having a few problems with my Plumeria at the moment (brought a cutting back from Cyprus last October) and it is growing well indoors but the leaves look unhealthy to me - they are heavy feeders so I gave it a good feed with blood, fish and bone but I am worried about it - i'll be most upset if it gives up on me now having come so far:dh:

 

been reading about your plumeria and the site i look up on "shoot" says only water when bone dry and not at all in the winter and feed high phosphorus ,but you probably knew all that.
We are going to Cyprus Dec-March i was going to prowl the garden centres to see what they have

 

Yep, that's right, I went for a high Phosphorus feed and Blood, Fish and Bone has a high amount (and Potassium which is also good!). Well if it does kick the bucket I will bring another one back when I go back to Cyprus (plenty of relatives to grow them in used cans of olive oil for me):thumb: The scent of the flowers is amazing, I pick them up when I am out there and leave them in the car, in my pockets, all over the place :D Sorry have turned your Skimmia thread into a Plumeria one :o

 

Two things, Passiflora. 1, if you need a high Phosphate feed use Superphosphate. 2, as you know, your Punica ( Pomegranate ) is evergreen. But in this country they tend to be deciduous.:thumb:

 

Hi Dai
Have tried to get "flowers of sulphur " but apparently it can be used in bomb making :flag: so its impossible to get ,thank god :wink:, but i need a substitute any suggestions,

 

Didn`t know that, Pam. I`ve not heard of it being banned.

 

Just googled it, and it`s readily available. It`s the best acidifying chemical there is, Pam. Don`t be afraid of it.:thumb:

 

How hard can you prune a skimmia Dai? I have a large one that is in good health and thriving with plenty of flowers coming up on it. But it isn`t as thick as I would like it be. I was considering taking it down to about 12 inches, but as this is the first time I have attempted to very hard prune a skimmia are there any no-no`s? Or are they as receptive to this treatment as an azalea?

Passiflora-where in Cyprus do you go? I know Latsi and Polis very well but aside from one nursery I haven`t seen any there? I know there is one in Nicosia but it`s quite a distance from Polis.