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

Lofty wrote:
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.


Maybe the variety? I've got several with berries ranging from yellow,
orange to red. One of the older red varieties doesn't have as many
berries as some of the younger ones. Maybe it's also age related?
The (red) one of mine that doesn't have many berries is relatively old.
I get lots of cuttings off it though; they root fairly easily - ideal
for a cheap hedgerow.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"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

"Spider" wrote in message
...

"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

Thanks for that spider, it is an oldish plant 6ft high and about15ft across,
that spreads along my outer wall, good intruder deterrant, and I noticed
last year the black
but didn't recognise it for what is was.
The plant faces east if that makes any difference.
I will try your recommendations.

Thanks again all

lofty

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

"Lofty" wrote in message
news

"Spider" wrote in message
...

"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

Thanks for that spider, it is an oldish plant 6ft high and about15ft
across, that spreads along my outer wall, good intruder deterrant, and I
noticed last year the black
but didn't recognise it for what is was.
The plant faces east if that makes any difference.
I will try your recommendations.

Thanks again all

lofty



That's a big plant, so lots of spraying to do, but I hope it helps. If the
scab persists and you want to keep the shrub, it may be worth your while to
interchange different fungal sprays so that the scab doesn't gain resistance
to one fungicide. Another tip is to clear any plant detritus from beneath
the shrub and spray the ground as well as the shrub itself. This helps
prevent the fungal spores getting back on to the shrub. Similarly, mix up
enough spray to cover the wall as well, because that will also hold onto
spores.

The only real difference the eastern aspect makes is that it might reduce
flowering. You have flowers, however; they simply don't have chance to set
and swell into berries.

Spider

In article , Spider
writes
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.


There's also fire something or other, blight i think which attacks and
can kill a plant really quickly. We had a large shrub in front of the
bay window and one year it just went completely red/orange and then died
back to just a tiny little twig/ happily I left that bit alone and it
has now grown back but it doesn't get many berries on it as i have to
cut it back after flowering.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Spider
writes
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.


There's also fire something or other, blight i think which attacks and
can kill a plant really quickly. We had a large shrub in front of the
bay window and one year it just went completely red/orange and then died
back to just a tiny little twig/ happily I left that bit alone and it
has now grown back but it doesn't get many berries on it as i have to
cut it back after flowering.


Fireblight I think. It can attack them giving black crinkled leaves and
not many berries. Some varieties of Pyracantha are more susceptible than
others.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Spider
writes
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.


There's also fire something or other, blight i think which attacks and
can kill a plant really quickly. We had a large shrub in front of the bay
window and one year it just went completely red/orange and then died back
to just a tiny little twig/ happily I left that bit alone and it has now
grown back but it doesn't get many berries on it as i have to cut it back
after flowering.


Fireblight I think. It can attack them giving black crinkled leaves and
not many berries. Some varieties of Pyracantha are more susceptible than
others.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

Hi Janet and David,

It is fireblight, but the leaves on mine are never blackened. Fireblight
tends to make the stems look as if they've been burnt - hence the name - and
the leaves are brown and remain on the dead stems.

The OP's pyrancantha didn't have this disease, at least not in any obvious
way. His plant was reasonably healthy and produced flowers.

My many plants (150' hedge, 1 multi-stemmed tree, 1 4' pyracantha arch) have
displayed both pyracantha scab and fireblight. The fireblight damage I have
to cut out (as you did, Janet) - it is lethal; the scab is treatable,
although so far not curable. Most years I have a terrific show of berries
:~), so the scab problem can be overcome to a large extent. Even so, a few
sections of the hedge still lose their berries to the scab fungus, despite
spraying.

Spider