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Red Robin All flower no Foliage.

herestomoherestomo Posts: 18
in Problem solving
Hi Folks.
I have an 8 foot tall Red Robin. It's been flowering all winter and still producing flowers but no bright red new leaves. have i done something wrong?? 
Thanks in advance ;)

Posts

  • herestomoherestomo Posts: 18

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I can see some newer read leaves but, if you want more, you need to trim it.  dead head all the spent flowers and it will put energy into fresh foliage, especially if you cut back just below where the flower stems emerge, or even further back if you want to tidy up the shape.
    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
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    No, you haven’t done anything wrong, that's a normal healthy tree. Its only the new growth that is that startling pinky red colour, which fades to a brownish red then green over time.

    As Obelixx says, deadheading and pruning will encourage new red growth. a village near me has tonnes of red robin in the form of clipped hedges and trimmed balls, which are red more often than not because of the constant cycle of trimming and regrowth, but it looks very artificial (a serious assault on the retina!). I prefer RR in its more natural form, like yours.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • herestomoherestomo Posts: 18
    Thanks Obelixx & Nollie.
    Think I'll keep the pruning down to a minimum but it could do with a touch more of a splash of red in that corner of the garden.
    I thought I had over fed with the wrong type of feed or something.
    Thanks again.  B)


  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    It's through pruning back, especially after flowering, you encourage young leaves that start off red and mature into green. During the warmer months, the red does not hold as long though.
  • herestomoherestomo Posts: 18
    Thanks Borderline. Just took some dead flower heads off. I planted it there for a bit of foliage privacy so great advice. Thank you :)

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Yes just prune out the flowering tops, no need to prune too far back if you don’t want to lose the height, the new growth with the red leaves form quickly after that. 
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