Mr Grinch's Garden

Lovely day today.
Bought a Cistus that im hoping will like the only dry sunny place in my garden. Also bought a single Monarda for a small space in the middle of the east border. Divided the Hosta, hard job, tough little boogers.


G

 

Keep banging on about Box but the ones on the shadier side of the garden, stay greener, grow quicker and look better than the ones in sun. They even grow well underneath shrubs.
So why do they do so well in Italy where the sun bakes ?

G

 

Are the ones in shade just elongated "stretching" for the light? or do they actually have more leaf-nodes?

 

More leaf nodes and look a lot healthy.

My Ilex Crenata are not doing well. They looked more healthy in the pot and now most look a bit yellowish. The labels tell me plant in full sun but not a wet soil. These are in full sun and in a raised bed so not waterlogged. It doesnt dry out either and they look yellow. The plants in the shade look fine. Weird. Is is true they like an acid soil because if so, i will feed with an ericaceous feed then mulch with ericaceous compost.

G

 

Interesting. Dunno about Italy then ...

:(

Feed? Tonic (such as Seaweed / Maxicrop) perhaps? If a touch yellow then perhaps some Epsom Salts?

 

Ericacious feed ?

 

RHS says "any soil"

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=273

but its a good point that if you think they look a bit yellow it might be inability to take up some sort of metal. Sequestred Iron "feed" perhaps? Or just Seaweed/Maxicrop tonic might do the trick.

Only way to know would be to do some-and-some and compare how well they recover. If they all recover equally well give them a placebo next time but tell them that it is a really fancy tonic

 

Ilex Crenata Kristan not Box Ive had a look and it says "slightly acidic" on some sites. They are currently planted in a new top soil mix with multi purpose peat free compost so was thinking it lacked an acidic touch.

 

Mea Culpa - "Read the question boy" (seem to have heard that before somewhere ... )

RHS still says "any soil"

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1022

so I doubt it is significant (unless the new top soil you have is off-the-scale for some reason - seems unlikely)

I'd still go for Maxicrop "pick me up"

 

God old seaweed extract. Ive done this tonight and added some fertilizer to the soil as well. Hopefully will give it a boost.

Im still confused though. States any soil, even dryish stuff but not wet, ie boggy or underwater and full sun. Nice and easy i thought, but the ones in the most shade (only get a bit of sun in the morning) and soil is dampish look healthier and greener than the ones in full sun with a dryer soil. Will give them this year then if no good, will have out a replace with good old Box.

 

Are the ones in sun mulched (to retain moisture?). I have woven weed suppressing membrane around all my hedges (covered with bark where appearance is important) and it makes a big difference IME. I have leaky-hose snaking in-and-out of the plants, under the plastic.

 

I mulched last autumn after planting them in June of last year. When i fed them last night i had a feel of the soil and it wasnt dry even after no rain for a good week, really good stuff actually, so im at a loss. In any way, i always water them in dry times. THis area is wet though hence the raised bit, i think this keeps it moist. The carrot and radish had no issues though last year.

 

Lupins, i love them but i'm at the point where i think this year will be their last in my garden. This year the amount of greenfly beggars belief and although i have sprayed, they are not looking great with all the sooty mould stuff on them. I may dig up what i have this year after flowering and try another area of the garden, an area that is a bit less hot and dry. See what happens.

G

 

Lupins look knackered. Doesnt matter how much i spray, the huge green fly keep coming. Its strange as they are the only plants affected. Last year for these plants.

G