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Photinia red robin dropped leaves newly planted

seangradyseangrady Posts: 3
in Plants
Hi everyone I'm new. Please someone help me.
I have planted 14x 5m tall photinia to give us privacy. They are planted in massive bottomless planters with John inns no.3 soil. 
We just got them in 6 weeks ago, and we had two lots of snow, freezing temps and lots of rain...too much...thanks to the beast from the East.
The trees have dropped leaves significantly. I am assuming this is due to the semi mature specimen being exposed to adverse weather. They did get a bit of purple spot..a sure sign of a photinia under stress. Our neighbours trees are fine, so cant just be the weather must be because they are newly.planted and not settled yet. so.... my question is ....
Where the branches have lost so many leaves they are a bare...will the leaves grow back on bare branches? Will new nodes grow on the bare branches? 
I am.scared they will go hollow in the middle...so I have trimmed off all scraggly branches to encourage new growth. The new red shoots are coming through..a good sign. 
Thanks in advance!!!!
Sean 

Posts

  • Dave HumbyDave Humby Posts: 1,145
    Photinia do drop a lot of leaves in winter but there should be new growth now. They also generally tend to be quite sparse in the middles, you don't often see birds nesting in them as a result. Keep them trimmed after the new red growth has turned green and they'll maintain a bushier shape. 
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    They can go hollow in the middle if your shrubs are already quite mature and have not been pruned yearly. If they are maintained and pruned at least one a year after the flowers, you will find their bushy shape goes a little further into the branches which gives your shrub a more fuller look.

    Planting in evergreen shrubs can sometimes cause stress. Plus the weather has been quite tough recently. Leaves dropping will happen.

    Do as Dave Humby suggests, trim back once the leaves have matured, and I recommend mid summer. 
  • seangradyseangrady Posts: 3
    Thanks to you both. I may have panicked and trimmed too early...will this hurt them or stunt them? Thanks again!
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    That should not cause major issues. When the weather warms up, the branches will put on new leaves eventually.
  • seangradyseangrady Posts: 3
    Thanks, such a relief. Just the waiting game now then. 👍👍👍👍
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I have seen lots of photinia hedges both here and around our former home in Belgium.  They do make good hedges and the regular clipping gives them a good shape and density and, a bonus, the new growth is always red.
    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
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