You mention two shrubs that are also struggling. What type of soil do you have? Could your soil be too compacted and you may have not prepared your soil surrounding your shrubs when originally planted? Sarcoccoca Confusa is probably the most reliable compared with other ones, it might be your plants' roots are trapped in clay-like soil.
@Big Blue Sky. Good Luck hope they take and grow. Yes you can grow them in pots, but you do have to look after them. We have a couple I use in our open north facing porch for brightening up winter with scent. They spend time in a partially shaded area with other pots the rest of the year, so get regular watering and feed.
I have on in a pot but only because I haven't yet got a bed to plant it out. It's been in its pot a year now and is fine so it's a case of big enough pot, right compost, suitable watering and feeding and potting on when it needs more space.
@Big Blue Sky. Good Luck hope they take and grow. Yes you can grow them in pots, but you do have to look after them. We have a couple I use in our open north facing porch for brightening up winter with scent. They spend time in a partially shaded area with other pots the rest of the year, so get regular watering and feed.
Thank you Obelixx and Rubytoo for your responses. I shall keep it in a pot for at least a year, and see how it is coping, and if they are ok I shall keep them there for longer. Can't wait for it to start flowering, as the scent is supposed to be really nice. Won't be for a while though as they are only cuttings, and it is a slow growing plant. Patience...
You mention two shrubs that are also struggling. What type of soil do you have? Could your soil be too compacted and you may have not prepared your soil surrounding your shrubs when originally planted? Sarcoccoca Confusa is probably the most reliable compared with other ones, it might be your plants' roots are trapped in clay-like soil.
Thanks Borderline.
I think you have hit the nail on the head. I failed to prepare the beds properly. The topsoil is on top of clay - some of the sarcococca are sitting directly on top of the clay. I was hoping they would root well and find soil!
I bought the top soil from a quality supplier and I have also mulched it with 'black gold' from compost direct (I think).
Aw JMagic, you have come full circle, but at least you now now more than you ever wanted to about Pachysandras and Sarcoccoca . I never thought about Borderlines point. Just that the trees can make it more difficult. What are you doing to do? Water and wait or do some digging....
Big Blue Sky you may find your cuttings get some flower buds quite soon. Even our quite small cuttings set a few buds. I am sure we should take them off to let the plants grow but hey I am bad. The scent is very nice.
Yeah....I can't really dig them up and remove the clay because it is thick with tree roots - I was having to use a pickaxe to chip away at it before I put the topsoil down.
My options are to dig it up, top up the bed and replant. Or to leave it longer, increase irrigation and gradually increase the soil depth via mulch each year.
I think I may as well let the plants decide and see if things cheer up come Spring.
I have 2 sarcococca confusa - one in open ground (heavy clay soil much improved over the years) and the other potted. One is in the shade of an apple tree and hardly gets more than 1 hour of sun per day. The potted one is east facing and gets up to 4/5 hours of sun midsummer.
Both are reliable flowerers and currently all in bud. I feed mine with Vitax Q4 pelleted feed (slow release) after flowering in late winter/ early spring. I never prune them. Occasionally I get the odd yellow leaf from regeneration. They never dry out and like free draining soil too. Pretty tough shrubs. Could your problem be too much competition from existing plants?
I think the only competition could be from the large lime trees, they are within 2m (6') of the sarcococca. The only other plants are liriope which are approximately 45cm (18") away and were planted from 9cm pots (so small).
It is probably a number of factors. The bed is sloped, on the east side of a tall building (sloping towards the building), is under big thirsty trees, on clay, etc. I shall certainly add a feed, a good 3" of mulch and keep an eye on watering to ensure it is kept moist.
The bed also has Pachysandra which are slowly dying off as well. They are expiring with black stems/roots so their may be a blight issue which contradicts the drought concern a little.
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They spend time in a partially shaded area with other pots the rest of the year, so get regular watering and feed.
Thank you Obelixx and Rubytoo for your responses. I shall keep it in a pot for at least a year, and see how it is coping, and if they are ok I shall keep them there for longer. Can't wait for it to start flowering, as the scent is supposed to be really nice. Won't be for a while though as they are only cuttings, and it is a slow growing plant. Patience...
I think you have hit the nail on the head. I failed to prepare the beds properly. The topsoil is on top of clay - some of the sarcococca are sitting directly on top of the clay. I was hoping they would root well and find soil!
I bought the top soil from a quality supplier and I have also mulched it with 'black gold' from compost direct (I think).
What are you doing to do?
Water and wait or do some digging....
Big Blue Sky you may find your cuttings get some flower buds quite soon. Even our quite small cuttings set a few buds. I am sure we should take them off to let the plants grow but hey I am bad. The scent is very nice.
Yeah....I can't really dig them up and remove the clay because it is thick with tree roots - I was having to use a pickaxe to chip away at it before I put the topsoil down.
My options are to dig it up, top up the bed and replant. Or to leave it longer, increase irrigation and gradually increase the soil depth via mulch each year.
I think I may as well let the plants decide and see if things cheer up come Spring.
jm
One is in the shade of an apple tree and hardly gets more than 1 hour of sun per day.
The potted one is east facing and gets up to 4/5 hours of sun midsummer.
Both are reliable flowerers and currently all in bud.
I feed mine with Vitax Q4 pelleted feed (slow release) after flowering in late winter/ early spring. I never prune them. Occasionally I get the odd yellow leaf from regeneration.
They never dry out and like free draining soil too.
Pretty tough shrubs.
Could your problem be too much competition from existing plants?
I think the only competition could be from the large lime trees, they are within 2m (6') of the sarcococca. The only other plants are liriope which are approximately 45cm (18") away and were planted from 9cm pots (so small).
It is probably a number of factors. The bed is sloped, on the east side of a tall building (sloping towards the building), is under big thirsty trees, on clay, etc. I shall certainly add a feed, a good 3" of mulch and keep an eye on watering to ensure it is kept moist.
The bed also has Pachysandra which are slowly dying off as well. They are expiring with black stems/roots so their may be a blight issue which contradicts the drought concern a little.