Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrzej
Thank you for your advice, lannerman, you give me hope. I will feed it and remove all flower buds.
Should I get rid of the earth the root-ball is in? I'm not sure if the plant is getting the benefits of the ericaceaous compost I replanted it into... I replanted it into a big pot full of fresh compost but was afraid to touch the roots at the time, so just put it in the pot as I lifted it from the border, roots in a pot-shaped ball of earth it must have been in from the start. A friend suggested I dunk the root ball with the earth it is stuck in a bucket of water for a while then try picking away at it, loosening it up. Or leave it as is?
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Hi Andzej, I wouldnt try to disturb the root ball too much. Until the plant starts to root into the new compost, you wont get any or much new growth and this wont happen until the 'growing' season starts ! Its night time temperature that triggers growth and at the moment, the weather and cold nights, have slowed everything down again. So be patient, and I'm sure that this plant will look much better by June. Also, I'm sure that the yellowing etc, would have happened even if you had left it in the ground. Your cutting looks better mainly because youve had it where the conditions have been more favourable. I'm not convinced that your cutting has rooted and you wont know until the first spell of really hot weather, when the cutting will need to call on its roots for sustinance ?
You have done everything possible at the moment and all you need now is some decent weather with more favourable growing conditions. Its actually been colder and wetter throughout April than it was in March and that early growth seen in March has now all but stopped. Lets hope that May will bring some warmer nights.
Lannerman.