If the raised bed drains well and the bamboo’s happy, there must be another cause @borysbrock. I’m on the Wirral too and don’t think this year’s winter could have traumatised your Fatsia like that! It is an impressive size, one of the largest I’ve seen in a container. I’m thinking it might have outgrown the raised bed and needs either a new space or a replacement of compost for the roots to support the foliage adequately. It may be best to wait until next month when the threat of frost is lower and think about repotting or repositioning then. I also grow Fargesia, it is unlikely to cause a problem if contained in a raised bed which is open to the soil below.
You can certainly cut back all the blackened foliage, but just be aware if any serious weather is forecast- it might be best to wait until around April ,to prevent any new growth being damaged as well. That's when I usually deal with mine. Wait and see how it recovers, and take a view on it then. It could be that it gets more exposed to wind etc, than the others you have. That can affect foliage quite seriously. They cope with plenty of moisture so, unless there's a problem with the drainage, that won't be a problem. The bamboo would soak up most of it anyway. My current one is in a north facing site ,but it's in a corner by the shed, and protected from the wind by that and a substantial fence covered with Ivy and Pyracantha, so it doesn't get the full force of the wind. They do have quite sizeable root systems, but I think it's an overhead problem rather than a below ground one
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Do you think it might be a combination of wind and exhausted growing space/medium @Fairygirl? I’ve never had any Fatsias with blackened leaves like that. My garden can get quite windy, but I only grow them in the ground and in well draining, sandy soil. I’m puzzled 🤔!
I have mine currently in a raised bed - around 12 to 15 inches in height, and about 2 feet by 18 inches length and depth. It's fine as it can root into the ground below, so the growing space alone wouldn't be a problem, but having a bamboo in with it could be an issue. I personally wouldn't grow those two plants together in a confined space. In the ground - yes, but not a raised bed. As I said earlier, I've certainly experienced blackened foliage regularly in the past with them, but our winters are changing in terms of proper cold, so there's less damage. It's all relative too - what I would call a mild winter, others in the south would think was really cold.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yes, the competition with the bamboo could be the problem, as they are both now likely to be fairly mature plants. I would try to find a space in the ground for it or see if a friend or neighbour can accommodate it @borysbrock, but wait until March before moving it.
I will definitely follow the advice to leave well alone for another few weeks and see what happens before taking any direct action. With a bit of luck the damaged leaves will drop off and be replaced by new ones, otherwise its probably going to have to be move or trim
I have two of these in the ground in a north facing front garden. Both have black leaves at the moment, usually I only see that on the less sheltered one. I’ve always presumed it was down to how exposed they are to cold winds & that they prefer a sunny spot.
Yes - they get very bleached in the sun, but wind, or a combination of wind and much colder weather can affect them a fair bit, especially that swing from very mild to very cold. We've always tended to get a gradual lowering of temps through autumn into winter, which is much easier for them. They can get a bit knackered with rough weather, which is why I locate mine where they can get a bit of relief from that too. Other than that, they're pretty tough, considering how they look. There's a couple of other types, and one of those is much less hardy. I've never grown them, but they always look sickly to me, so not something I'd want to have
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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It could be that it gets more exposed to wind etc, than the others you have. That can affect foliage quite seriously. They cope with plenty of moisture so, unless there's a problem with the drainage, that won't be a problem. The bamboo would soak up most of it anyway. My current one is in a north facing site ,but it's in a corner by the shed, and protected from the wind by that and a substantial fence covered with Ivy and Pyracantha, so it doesn't get the full force of the wind.
They do have quite sizeable root systems, but I think it's an overhead problem rather than a below ground one
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
As I said earlier, I've certainly experienced blackened foliage regularly in the past with them, but our winters are changing in terms of proper cold, so there's less damage. It's all relative too - what I would call a mild winter, others in the south would think was really cold.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We've always tended to get a gradual lowering of temps through autumn into winter, which is much easier for them. They can get a bit knackered with rough weather, which is why I locate mine where they can get a bit of relief from that too. Other than that, they're pretty tough, considering how they look.
There's a couple of other types, and one of those is much less hardy. I've never grown them, but they always look sickly to me, so not something I'd want to have
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...