Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Hobden
"lannerman" wrote
Bob Hobden wrote
Anyone growing it or any of it's varieties successfully in the UK? Where
about in the UK are you? Does it take frost? Does it flower well and
when?
Hi Bob, this charming shrub is a very good seller for me here in west
cornwall and this is what I advise my customers to do. For the first
couple of years, prune it back by half in the spring and then the
subsequent seasons growth again by half in the first week of August. By
doing this, you form a dense bush which will be better able to stand
cold weather. The problem is that they flower just about all year and so
people are loathed to prune them as they always have flowers somewhere !
I have quite a few customers from your area (mostly holiday makers) and
I would advise growing it in a container for this initial 'bushing up'
stage and planting it out when it was a little larger and bushier, of
course, ensuring you have the required acid soil, in which they do much
better.
Thanks for that information, that process would be do-able for me however
the soil at home is about neutral, would that be unsuitable? I can always
"improve" the acidity but the natural situation is neutral. Unfortunately I
already have too many large pots of plants (citrus etc) that need frost free
care so could not provide another large plant with protection.
I do sometimes get to N. Cornwall, the Camelford area, so whereabouts is
your nursery?
--
Regards Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup from the W. of London UK
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I would think a neutral soil would be fine. As I said, just get it established in a pot and then plant it out, its got a good chance of surviving when larger. Mine
survived -8c last winter, but they were cut back by the frost but came easily from the base in the spring. I must admit that I kept them really dry during the cold weather and like all these 'borderline' plants, that seems to be the secret- dry compost doesnt freeze as much !! I salmon fish the upper reaches of the river Camel at Advent Church nr. Camelford !! I do have a nursery near Falmouth but I'm not open to the public. I sell my plants at the Hayle and Rosudgeon car boot sales (next year is my 20th year) from March to October so, if your about, I'd be pleased to see you.
regards, Lannerman.