On 02/10/2014 21:07, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Pam Moore wrote:
On Thu, 2 Oct 2014 20:50:52 +0100, "Simon T"
wrote:

OK, got another couple of questions for you.

About 5 years ago I planted a couple of little bushes/shrubs in one of my
borders.

I forget what sort they were, but the first one, although it was a slow
grower, seems to have not grown at all. Looks rather unhealthy and has dead
bits on.

I did pull back the gravel and put a bit of compost round the roots earlier
this year, but hasn't done much good. Heres a pic of the first...

http://tinyurl.com/l2syret

The second bush/shrub does seem to have grown. But looks rather sparse and
also has dead bits on it.

http://tinyurl.com/mmtok8t

I know its getting into autumn, but they don't look much better in the
summer.

Clearly they're not very happy, anything I can do to try and improve their
look?

You don't say where you live but we have had a very dry summer and I
think they could just be in need of a drink. Rain is forecast but if
they were mine I'd give then a jolly good soak.
I'll leave it to those with better eyesight than mine to give you
names.
Nice Autumn colours and they don't look too bad.

The first looks like a dwarf maple, and they are notoriously
sensitive to conditions (especially drought). Bluntly, it won't
ever thrive where it is. But the conditions look pretty bad
for anything except the toughest plants.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I'd dig up the first one, give it a good prune to get rid of all the
dead wood, mix in a couple of buckets of multipurpose compost into the
soil and a handful or 2 of slow release fertilizer, possibly also add
water retaining polymer crystals as well, then replant the bush, giving
it a good soak,
Next year water it well. That doesn't mean a little and often, but a
really good soak when needed with liquid feed added.
The second one, prune out all the dead wood and next spring give it a
good feed and then water well with added liquid feed.
David @ the side of Swansea Bay that is in need of rain