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HEBE

Galadriel2Galadriel2 Posts: 15
in Plants
My Hebe is very woody what should I do with it. 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @Galadriel2 - do you have a photo, and/or do you know what variety it is?  :)

    When they get very woody - often because they've not been trimmed after flowering, they tend not to respond well to cutting back hard. If you're in a consistently colder, wetter area, they usually just die if cut back hard. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    What type of Hebe is it ?  How old ?  Pot or ground ?  Aspect ?  Your location ( roughly ) ?  Do you prune it at all ?
    All the above will help with any advice  :)  
  • Galadriel2Galadriel2 Posts: 15
    Am not sure which one but has red centres in winter. It's around 14 years old in a pot. I have cut small amount back last year. Should I repot in fresh compost? 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Has it never been repotted or had the soil mix replaced or refreshed?
    If plants [especially shrubs] are staying potted long term, they need soil not just compost. Hebes also need good drainage, and all plants need oxygen around the roots as well as the right growing medium, so drainage is very important. 
    If it's very woody as opposed to the foliage being nice and dense, and healthy, it may not respond well to pruning, and would be better being replaced, or you could take cuttings of any healthy material to grow on.
    It's hard to advise when we can't see it though.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Galadriel2Galadriel2 Posts: 15
    Only repotted once from original pot. Not able to upload photo. Lots of green leaves but stems quite woody. Wasn't sure if I should put into a new pot with fresh compost or leave it as it as it is, as centres turn red every winter and there is plenty of foliage. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Many varieties do change colour though. It may be a very common one called H. Red Edge, which has quite noticeable red colouring at various times - usually on the new shoots. It's a very easy plant. The stems do get woody, which is normal, but it's also why they benefit from being trimmed after flowering each year to keep them compact and dense, rather than getting leggy, with all the foliage at the ends.  :)
    If it's never been repotted or had the growing medium refreshed, it'll be starving though. It may also need a bigger pot depending on what the root system looks like.  Compost is no use though - it needs to be a soil based mix. You can buy bags of it in GCs etc - John Innes types. That's just a formula and will state on the bags what plants each type is suitable for. They all have a soil base with compost as well, to provide an all round medium.  You may need to add some grit to make sure the drainage is sharp. 
    You can also add a little bit of slow release food each spring to help it along, and to enable it to flower better.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Galadriel2Galadriel2 Posts: 15
    Thank you for your help, will get some John Innes and repot it. 
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