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Restio

UpNorthUpNorth Posts: 376
I put a restio into a bed last year, bought and planted fairly early spring.  A year later it looks sort of okay, but still really floppy/limp, not the nice upright grass/bamboo like plants we bought and nothing like the examples in larger pots we saw.

It's getting enough sun, i'm sure of that.

the soil is very sandy, but mixed with at least 50% organic matter comprising farmyard+own compost+leaf mold.  The plant is close to a stone wall so should be drier than middle of the bed, plus not as cold in winter, i believe.

Other plants growing very well in same bed, same soil mix include Jap Maple, Rhubarb, Bamboo, Paulonia, heather, Geranium, Blood Grass, Vinca, Jap Anenome.

does anyone have experience of young Restios and i think what i'm asking is, should I pot it up in a new soil, or best left and assume it will pickup this year/next year?  

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Never heard of this so I looked it up on the RHS website.  They are not hardy and don't like frost at all so maybe it's been too cold.

    Have a read of this - https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/239328/Restio-paniculatus/Details

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • UpNorthUpNorth Posts: 376
    Conflict with the sellers website says to -8 or -10 ( i'm not 100% which restio it is). I  suspect that bed won't have gone below -4  

    More important though, I should have said the plant looked pretty sad all last year.  i'm convinced the problem wasn't a cold snap...albeit that might be a problem in the future!  

    ....last time we pickup something of this nature at the Harrogate Spring flower show!!  
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Well, have a look at what the RHS says about soil and aspect and see if that helps you.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • TreadukTreaduk Posts: 42
    Hi there,

    I bought a couple of restios in 2016, rhodocoma capensis. They flopped and sulked for the first year and I considered getting rid but then read that young plants are a bit limp and grow into an upright habit after a couple of years. Last year my two really perked up and are standing upright again. 

    I’m really no expert though!
  • UpNorthUpNorth Posts: 376
    @treaduk Thanks, that's nice to know, i might leave it where it is until mid summer, see if it perks up at all.
  • UpNorthUpNorth Posts: 376
    update for any future interested readers, this Restio has some green shoots coming up outside it's previous crown, so it remains where it is for another season.  i have tied up the previous growth to a cane to keep it from flopping onto the new growth, until new growth is strong enough.  fingers crossed it performs this year, or it's future with me is in jeopardy!
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