Ah well I'm glad to know the problem might have a simple solution. I will repot that holly and another one in the same acidic compost in No3 tomorrow and cross my fingers they are fairing better by next Spring. Watch this space. I have two acers I potted in ericaceous compost which I'm eyeing up now and wondering if I should repot them tomorrow as well, although they are looking great at the moment so I might leave them.
A good idea to repot in fresh JI No3 as suggested, and make sure the pot is big enough. I would wait untik the spring to prune it, but I have found that hollies respond prewtty well to hard pruning if you keep them fed and watered. This one is probably a bit dry and hungry if you have not fed it since last repotted.
I've repotted both hollies today. Going to leave the acers for now as they are looking lovely with their autumn colour. What should I feed them all in Spring?
A slow release food like Blood, Fish and Bone is ideal, or liquid seaweed which is excellent for a foliage plant.
In the ground - they really need nothing, unless there's something terribly lacking in the soil, but that's better addressed with organic matter instead.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have to say, it looks rather sickly - some kind of fungus? As others have said, worth leaving it until spring, then cutting out the obviously dead wood.
BTW, `ericaceous compost` is a misnomer - it isn't MPC, but acidic JI no3 (or at least the stuff I have is) so it is perfectly OK for long-term pot planting for those plants that need acidic conditions.
Yes, sure - having read all your helpful posts about this, I was very careful to get one that is loam-based so is suitable for longer-term planting ie equivalent of JI no 3 but formulated for acid lovers. It is labelled `compost` but isn't MPC!
I will look out for Blood, Fish and Bone and liquid seaweed in the Spring. I hope it's not some sort of fungus. Would it recover if it was a fungus? I think I might isolate this holly away from the other plants just in case it is something more serious than wrong soil. I will prune the dead bits out in Spring. I hope it will regrow. It was such a lovely plant.
Posts
I have two acers I potted in ericaceous compost which I'm eyeing up now and wondering if I should repot them tomorrow as well, although they are looking great at the moment so I might leave them.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
In the ground - they really need nothing, unless there's something terribly lacking in the soil, but that's better addressed with organic matter instead.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
BTW, `ericaceous compost` is a misnomer - it isn't MPC, but acidic JI no3 (or at least the stuff I have is) so it is perfectly OK for long-term pot planting for those plants that need acidic conditions.
It's not the same as JI products, which is a 'formula'.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...