Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
Missed the other question.

Yes Pieris likes acid soil. Either pot it up in ericaceous compost or grow
it in a raised bed with ericaceous stuff. Run off from the surrounding
alkaline soil will eventually buga up the acid material unless you happen to
be able to plant the thing on top of a hill:-)

Ok, thanks for that and for your other answer. I shall take action and
get a couple of large pots for my pierises who will in future reside on
the patio.


What's wrong with your Gunnera? Which particular one do you have?

Gunnera Manicata. What's wrong is that I bought it because I loved it
in a proper environment (moist, boggy soil, semi-shady location), which
I do not have to give it in my garden. At least that's what I believe.
It is growing away, and though I bought it in a 3 l pot or so with a
single bud, it now has at least 4 if not 5 of them. However, its
leaves do not get any bigger than about 40 cm across, do not soar up
much higher than 70 or 80 cm, and seem to dry out from the outside in
in the middle of summer. It just screams "I need a lot more water" -
Seen as I only got an outside tap installed in recent months, I can now
give it the odd treat of a bit of a soak - It might just do a little
better this year?
I just think I planted the wrong plant in my garden. But I am rather
stupidly sentimentally attached to it :-)

Cat(h)