Spider wrote:
"Lofty" wrote in message
...
Hi All

I have got a pyracantha, which I have had for many years and it is
growing very well, however although it flowers it dosn't seem to get many
berries on it.
Does this plant need any special feeding or care to get lots of berries.
I have seen other peoples with loads on and it makes me wonder if I
am doing some thing wrong.

Thanks in advance

lofty

Hi Lofty,

I wonder if your plant is prone to Pyracantha Scab disease, which is a
fungal complaint. It attacks the leaves, shoots and flowers, turning them
black. It may be that when your shrub makes flowers, these are blackened
and destroyed by the scab fungus (they eventually fall away so you can't
see them). Next spring, take a look at your shrub regularly from April
onwards, or whenever you see local plants in flower. If Pyracantha Scab
is the problem, you should be able to see it on the flowers. If it is
there, you will need to spray it most years to keep it clean. The other
option would be to assume that scab is to blame, and spray now and then
again in spring before bud break. Also in spring, give your shrub a
feed with ericaceous fertiliser (as used for rhododendrons). I do this
every couple of years. Then, after flowering, feed it with a high potash
fertiliser (such as tomato or rose food) which will reward it for
flowering and help to ripen the (fingers crossed) berries. Avoid giving
it a high nitrogen feed, as this will produce lots of young, sappy growth
which will be very prone to fungal attack.

In your position, with just one specimen plant, if it doesn't respond to
remedial treatment or feeding, I would dig it up and try again with a new
plant. You've been patient long enough.

Spider

I would always try to avoid putting in the same species (or even genus) of
plant in the same place where the previous one has suffered from a disease.
If you want something spiky with berries, then perhaps try a berberis. If
you want to go back to a pyracantha, then it's probably best to leave it for
a year.

--
Jeff