On Sat, 24 Jun 2017 20:13:29 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Sat, 24 Jun 2017 19:38:56 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

On 24/06/17 19:13, Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp wrote:
Thanks for looking.

I know nothing of gardening, but a place I visit on holiday is right
on the coast and it has a fairly good stock of Olearia.

I have attempted to grow a small hedge from cuttings with no success.
Either the grass swamps them, or they presumably get eaten by rabbits.

What makes you believe that Olearia traversii will be hardy in the
Midlands?

From the Hebe Society page on Olearia traversii:
"Olearia traversii is found in forests of the Chatham Islands, New
Zealand. It is useful as windbreak near the sea, where it can be
clipped. Will tolerate dry conditions, but is not fully hardy in the UK."

+1

A local nursery that stocks it says it's hardy to -10C, but may suffer
foliage damage and stem dieback in harsh winters in cold gardens.
https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/plants.cfm?pl_id=3032

I have a 10' high hedge of it. It's very salt-gale resistant and quick
growing. It needs to be planted when quite small, to enable the roots
to get well established and not balled. Mine were about 2ft when
planted out. Don't waste time potting them on; you'll do them more
harm than good. Get them planted as soon as they're delivered. If
that's mid-summer when it's hot and dry, water them in well and make
sure they don't dry out. I doubt very much that they'll need
fertilising.

If in a very windy location, they need to be cut back by a third to a
half when they get to about 5ft, or else the top outgrows the roots
and they blow over. They may have to be cut back like this two years
in succession.

Very many thanks both,

I was planning on nurturing them here in the assumption that if a
plant thrives in coastal conditions, then it would really go berserk
in the midlands.

The plan was to get the roots and foliage well established here and
replant in the SW of Ireland, but obviously this wasn't the best idea.

I would have repotted them, thanks you have just brought my hol,s
forward.

Sadly my ignorance is total when it comes to gardening, again many
thanks!

AB