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'Leggy' plants - cause in general.....Escallonia in particular...

steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
in The potting shed
I planted three escallonias a while back (couple of years or so) and they've grown ok'ish, but they're very leggy with the foliage predominately at the tips rather than all over. Similarly, the 'forsythia'  a bit further along in the same bed is also very straggly.
What cause this sort of leggy growth (is that the right term anyway)? Is it poor soil (the escallonia are where a couple of old established conifers were) as I planted them without really prepping the soil or doing anything much apart from digging a hole or two. The 'forsythia' is different as AFAIK it's a fair few years old.
Can, and/or, should I just cut them all right back and let them grow through again - but if I do, what's to stop them doing the same again?


UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Are they getting enough light?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    Yes - they're all in a border that's in front of the house and the house is south facing - so basically basking in south coast sunshine... we're not that close to the sea either though, so it's not anything to do with and sea air/salt effect.

    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Not that then 🤔 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    ...actually @Dovefromabove .... they are all in amongst what I think is crocosmia, with tall leaves - could that have had some effect on the light hitting the lower growth?
    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I wouldn’t have thought it would’ve made that much difference unless the crocosmia is very tall ...  :/

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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