Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

What has happened to my viburnum? 😫

rachelsophiaoakesrachelsophiaoakes Posts: 62
in Problem solving
My beautiful viburnum mariesii i carefully watered since planting it earlier this year now looks like this and has weird supersized new growth. Is it doomed or is there something I can do to help it? Really hoping so!

thanks for your expertise folks 👍🏆😇

Posts

  • rachelsophiaoakesrachelsophiaoakes Posts: 62
    It gets a lot of light and I have been watering it like crazy! 
  • rachelsophiaoakesrachelsophiaoakes Posts: 62
    It is a very dry bed as it competes for water with large apple tree on other side of the fence
  • the tidy gardenerthe tidy gardener Posts: 591
    I had a similar problem and moved mine into the shade and they dont like competition from other plants.they do get quite big
  • rachelsophiaoakesrachelsophiaoakes Posts: 62
    thanks tidy gardener. I chose it because it said ‘full sun or partial shade’. Maybe I will try removing some of the things around the base I don’t really want to move it....it was doing fine until the really hot weather in the summer 🤦‍♀️
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It'll be far too dry for it. They prefer some shade anyway, but shade from other competing shrubs/planting isn't great. 
    How much water is it actually getting and how retentive is the soil? They need decent soil and water by the bucket load after planting until properly established.  It'll shed foliage to preserve what it can.
    A hefty mulch after watering would help too. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rachelsophiaoakesrachelsophiaoakes Posts: 62
    thanks fairygirl. Don’t know why it said ‘full sun’ if it prefers shade 🤷‍♀️. Annoying. I was watering it every day for about ten mins for ages and it gets a normal watering nearly every night but the soil is not great. I will mulch and move some plants but do you think moving it is the only real way it will thrive?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They will take sun, but their feet need to be right. I sometimes think info on labels is a bit hopeless anyway. 
    I think if you can beef up the soil, it should help quite a bit. Regular applications of good compost will improve the general health and structure.  
    Many areas have been so dry this year, so lots of plants have struggled to thrive. Shrubs need even more help if conditions aren't brilliant. It looks quite a decent sized specimen too, which makes it even harder to establish if planted during dry conditions. 
    Once you get some decent autumnal weather and dampness, it'll help.  It will hopefully be better for you next year.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rachelsophiaoakesrachelsophiaoakes Posts: 62
    😘 thank you! 🙏🏻 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They do get very big though, so you'll find it difficult to have much other planting there as time goes on.
    Bulbs and some ground covering perennials is about the size of it.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.