Shrubs in containers not growing.

Hi everyone, I bought a few shrubs recently (Blackcurrant, Redcurrant, Gooseberry, Rasberry, Tayberry, Apple and Pear) but while the apple, pear and gooseberry have done well and are now flourishing, the others remain nothing but bare sticks. I used the same compost and potted them all at the same time. I did get them all at the local pound shop so I'm wondering if they're just bad quality. They all seemed to have healthy root systems and none have any apparent damage or disease. Has anyone else had this problem with shrubs in containers?

 

Hello and welcome.

How far north/south are you?

I wouldn't write them off just yet. They may well just be a bit slow to get started. I've got loads of shrubs in containers at the moment, including many of the same ones you've said. Some of mine had new leaves as far back as February, but some were much slower to show any sign of life, but they are all going now.

 

I'm in Hampshire, near Portsmouth, i planted them all on the 30th of March so Im beginning to fear the worst. As you say though, I won't write them off just yet as I have a few other plants in containers that have taken longer than they should have to get going and are doing okay now.

 

was the 30th march not a bit late to plant bare root shrubs?

but saying that, if they were stored properly, they may do ok ..... it's like tuplips .... plant them after Christmas, and they bloom a month later than everyone elses the 1st time ....

some shrubs such as jasmine is only starting to wake up now

 

This was my first time planting shrubs, to be honest im a bit of a newbie to gardening in general, ive always had an interest and kind of gardened sporadically with varying success rates. I'll keep an eye on the shrubs though, hopefully theyre just late developers like you say

 

30th March is a bit beyond the bare root season, but not too far beyond. I've bought shrubs after then and had them survive.

Did you soak them overnight before planting them Deano? I think that makes a big difference.

I have to say though, although its far too soon to write them off, it is not unknown for the pound shops and others to sell completely dead shrubs. If in doubt, there's a trick an old guru taught me. With clean secateurs, or a very sharp knife, and cut a bit off the top of the lead shoot. If there's any hint of green, then its alive, if not, then its probably dead.

 

Drat Just dug mine up last week , thought it was not going to show ! I did put it in a pot though and shoved it behind the shed - we'll see what happens .

 

A little late yes, but looking through T&M's website yesterday I noticed they're still offering bare root Magnolias!!!! http://search.thompson-morgan.com/search?w=magnolia for despatch by the end of May!!??, is a little different for Magnolias??

Our local bargain shops are still selling bare root fruit bushes and trees, most look dead , but some are flurishing!!, I've seen cherry trees and silver birch with nothing more than a handful of compost and some hessian round the roots in full leaf and showing no signs of wilting etc...

Wilkos are selling off the remainder of their bare root tree for just over a £1, again most look past it but there are the odd ones that look salvagable..

 

I did soak the root systems but only for an hour each. I heard about the snipping the tips thing some time ago but i havent been confident enough to try it. I decided to give it a go about ten minutes ago and I'm fairly certain they are dead as they have a papery texture, crumbled when cut and had no sign of greenery. Whether it was the pound shop selling dead shrubs or improper care on my part, they appear to be doomed. One seems to have done well though, its a gooseberry bush (which was also a pound shop purchase) and so far its flourishing. Thanks for all the advice, it has been much appreciated