Composts..

jonn_07 · September 2020

Evening..

2 shrubs in a big container.. one of them being Skimmia (Ericaceous..) and the other a standard Evergreen. I have only used neutral normal compost for now as I didn’t realise Skimmia wanted acidic (you read so much false information online)
Any small bits of advice? is it possible to even use different composts for the 2 plants if they’re in the same pot but a distance from each other? Or is it fine as it is and maybe add a touch of acid feed?

thank you!

gardenman91 · September 2020

Hi Jonn, have you got a picture showing the plants and pot? If they both require different soil then they should ideally be in their own pot. Also, make sure that your skimmia is either in full shade or shade for most of the day as too much sun gives it Chlorosis.

Fairygirl · September 2020

They [skimmias] don't need acidic soil @john_07. They need moisture, decent soil and shade, and are more than happy in neutral soil. If it's slightly acidic, that's also fine. We have just been assuring someone elsewhere on the forum about this

If they're staying on containers they need a loam based medium, not just compost. That isn't sufficient to sustain them.
I'm unsure what the standard shrub is, but unless the container is huge, having two shrubs together isn't advisable, even if they like the same conditions.
'Big' is relative. Some people think a big pot is about 12 inches diameter. It isn't.

jonn_07 · September 2020

Sorry about the late reply! What great and helpful advice. I’m very much a beginner gardener so I apologise for the slightly odd question but I’m learning all the time. A lot of people have recommended John Innes 3 so I will look into digging in some of that with the standard compost I already have in there. I’m planning on keeping in containers if possible as I have terrible garden soil. The container is huge, a lot bigger than 12 inch diameter so hopefully the 2 shrubs will be ok and I can always keep them trim in the distant future can’t I. Thanks a lot I really appreciate the posts.. this forum is brilliant.

Fairygirl · September 2020

The problem will be that the shrubs may not reach their full potential if they're tight for room, and you'll be constantly compromising them with trimming and pruning.
I wasn't sure if the other shrub was a standard Skimmia, ie a lollipop shape, or you meant something else. Skimmias easily reach around a metre in each direction if they have the right conditions

Terrible soil can be helped too, so don't be worried about asking how to do that. Containers are a lot more work than having plants in the ground - especially shrubs.

Composts..

Posts