On 10/2/06 9:55, in article , "Janet Tweedy"
wrote:

In article , Sacha
writes


Oh dear! Maybe that's why it isn't more widely seen.



Bob thinly of Cotswold Garden plants recommended it to me at an HPS
meeting, he said you have to cut it down every year and grow it as a
small shrub/tree rather than let it go berserk. If it's so fragrant I
might be tempted to have a go myself but isn't it notorious for going
for drains etc?
How would you recommend to grow it ? Would you Pollard it every spring?

Janet

I don't know, Janet but I'm going to try to find out. However, we have a
sort of mini arboretum in the field behind the car park, so I think it would
go in there and be left to do its own thing. There are no mains pipes in
that area and as long as its kept well away from the pipes from the pump
house to the tunnels, I don't think it can do any harm. I've tried a couple
of places to see if they have it but with no luck. I'll email Thornhayes
this afternoon to see if they've got it. It's not in their catalogue but
the Plant Finder lists them as stockists so I'll see what luck I have.
Otherwise, I'll ring the Duchy Nursery.
I found this info on it
"Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, it does well in a heavy cold damp soil[1], though it
prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best in the
south and east of Britain[11, 200]. Growth is much less on wet soils, on
poor acid soils and on thin dry soils[11]. Does not do well in exposed
upland sites[11]. Dislikes shade, it is intolerant of root or branch
competition[200]. A fast-growing and generally short-lived tree, though
specimens 150 - 200 years old have occasionally been recorded[229. This is a
pioneer species, invading cleared land, old fields etc, but unable to
tolerate shade competition and eventually being out-competed by other
trees[229]. It is not fully satisfactory in Britain[11]. In spring and early
summer the buds and young leaves have a strong fragrance of balsam[188,
245]. Poplars have very extensive and aggressive root systems that can
invade and damage drainage systems. Especially when grown on clay soils,
they should not be planted within 12 metres of buildings since the root
system can damage the building's foundations by drying out the soil[11].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200]. Dioecious. Male and
female plants must be grown if seed is required.
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....us+balsamifera

Apparently, it can grow to 30 metres or so, so it's not exactly a front lawn
sort of tree but very good for the sinuses. ;-)
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)