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Conifers growing diagonally
Jacquim
Posts: 49
Hi hope someone can give me some suggestions how to get my two conifers to grow straight. They are beautiful healthy lemon scented conifers growing in large pots, but both have a decided "lean".
ive repotted last year to right the problem but they are doing it again..... looks weird so I really want to get this fixed.
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Posts
How is it leaning? Is it curving slightly? Are they getting enough sun? Sometimes, plants will try to grow towards sun/light.
full sun until about 3pm afterwards still in a light position. I don't have much in the way of deep shade as I'm terrace gardening on the 1st floor rooftop.
Could they be struggling with the direction of the prevailing wind?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Don't think so as I hava a retaining wall and we are generally sheltered by the building above. I was trying to upload a photo but seem to be having problems.....
If they're growing on a terrace with some height, and they're quite tall and thin, I agree with Dovefromabove, it's very likely the wind is causing the plant to struggle staying upright.
Hmm had another look at them this evening. One of them is worse than the other. The stalk is nice and thick and the overall shape is conical. Could I have planted the squint? Wondering if a': heavt steak and tie it in to straighten? B: try re potting on a slant?
The picture does look like a plant that is searching for light previously. It's that or it was slipping inside the pot and was allowed to carry on growing like that over time. With that kind of height, I think you need a more stable and heavier pot to keep in centred, in case of wind.
I would re-pot to a slightly bigger pot and backill the top of the soil almost diagonal so that the plant sits correctly. I think the staking idea is slow and long winded.
Thanks borderline looks like I'm off to buy a couple of bigger pots. Would it be ok to do this now or should I wait till the temperatures are a little cooler. Don't want to kill them as otherwise they are healthy, just squint!
I think it's fine to do that now. They look nice and healthy. As long as the plant gets a good watering after re-potting. Also, try to get pots for shrubs that are heavier. They will be more stable and less likely to be affected by rocking if there are winds.