forest flame

Hi there, i have a forest flame that is about 4 years old, its got lots of small white flowers all over it, am i suppose to take them off as its the beautiful leaves thatits known for?? Can anyone shed some light as to what i am suppose to do to keep it healthy please???

 

Pieris "Forest Flame". Needs to grow in ericaceous compost (acid soil), is quite tough. Not as often in flower as other cultivars. I don't grow it 'cause I don't like the flowers! But do cultivate in other gardens. I think you should get away with removing them. It will either promote more new leaf or more new flowers!

 

You can remove the flowers if you want but i tend to just leave it to get on with it. If it has survived for four years it should be fine left to its own devices.

 

I grow it as much for the flowers as the leaves,it still produces loads of nice new red leaves when the flowers have died off a bit, They grow just above the flowers so they're not hidden at all. Two stunning displays for the pice of one. There is a product called sulphur chips which I spinkle around the plant every couple of years to keep the soil acid or use something like 'miracid' by miracle grow, don't nmulch with spent mushroom compost as that contains lime.

 

Sulphate of iron is cheap as a sprinkle around plants tonic...also sequestered iron to water in

 

i have a potted pieris which is looking a bit miserable as it's outgrowing its home.
I live in a fairly chalky area but would like to plant it out in the garden.
I was thinking that if i dug out a big hole, and filled it with ericaceous compost, and fed it with miracid, would it survive?
I hate the thought that it's going to die...

 

The chalk would probably leach into the hole eventually. If a bigger pot is out of the question try taking off the top two inces of soil (even if it means getting rid of some of the roots) and top dressing with ericaceous compost. You say it's looking miserable, you're not watering it with tap water are you?