It's the calcium content in tap water that is bad for ericaceous plants, not the other chemcals so leaving it to stand will not help. However you can buy sequestered iron in good garden centres and add that to water to help plants take up the iron they need.
Camellias, rhodos and azaleas need plentiful water in late summer and autumn to ripen their flower buds for spring. Soak the root ball in water to make it easier to pull out all those weeds then pot up in a bigger pot, if possible, and use good ericaceous compost. Put out a container to collect rain water for it if you can.
Yellow leaves (chlorosis) on green plants can be caused by lack of nutrients, lack of iron and also lack of magnesium. If they persist after all the TLC, use a solution of 1 tbs of Epsom salts dissolved in a gallon of water and spray it over the foliage next spring. Repeat as necessary with this and any other plant with similar problems.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Thanks for that grandma and obelix. Very useful information.
Obelix, if I repot with ericaceous compost, do I still need the sequestered iron? I'm off to the garden centre later this morning to get some suitable supplies.
You do if you're using hard tap water. Calcim locks up the iron and makes it inaccessible to ericaceous plants so they get anaemic. Sequestered iron is accesible and will resolve the problem.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I would think that it wouldn't do any harm to still add sequested iron since it sounds it's being neglected.if anything it would help to give it new growth.if you are leaving it in the pot keep check that it still gets enough rain water even through winter. Just because it rains doesn't mean it will rain adequately into a pot.so as obelixx has said , keep a pot outside to collect rainwater to top up.
As regards trying to work the grass out of the roots in a similar rootbound shrub I had I used a blunt but rounded dibber to work into the root system.
Well, I did the repot today and watered with some half strength sequestered iron brew. Tucked in the side of the pot I found half of the original plant label. Luckily it was the half with the name on it so now I know what it's called. It's Laura Walker. Most of the information on the back is missing or too faded to read.
I took some before and after photos to keep a record of how it looks and see it's progress. Hopefully it will improve.
I can't find a way to put the pictures on here. I have seen comments on other threads about a tree icon for photos but there doesn't seem to be one on my screen. Am I looking in the wrong place?
Tree icon at the top of where you put your message 2nd from right as you look at it.
Mulch my camellias in spring and autumn with ericaceous compost, feed from july onwards with ericaceous feed in rain water once a week, keep moist if dry (as this year) Only ever use rain water.
I have neutral soil and it seems to work with mine.
We live in quite a mild area near the sea on the south coast so hopefully we won't have too much severe weather. I assume the bubble wrap is to wrap the pot. Would some fleece over the plant help too if it gets cold here?
Posts
It's the calcium content in tap water that is bad for ericaceous plants, not the other chemcals so leaving it to stand will not help. However you can buy sequestered iron in good garden centres and add that to water to help plants take up the iron they need.
Camellias, rhodos and azaleas need plentiful water in late summer and autumn to ripen their flower buds for spring. Soak the root ball in water to make it easier to pull out all those weeds then pot up in a bigger pot, if possible, and use good ericaceous compost. Put out a container to collect rain water for it if you can.
Yellow leaves (chlorosis) on green plants can be caused by lack of nutrients, lack of iron and also lack of magnesium. If they persist after all the TLC, use a solution of 1 tbs of Epsom salts dissolved in a gallon of water and spray it over the foliage next spring. Repeat as necessary with this and any other plant with similar problems.
Obelix, if I repot with ericaceous compost, do I still need the sequestered iron? I'm off to the garden centre later this morning to get some suitable supplies.
You do if you're using hard tap water. Calcim locks up the iron and makes it inaccessible to ericaceous plants so they get anaemic. Sequestered iron is accesible and will resolve the problem.
I would think that it wouldn't do any harm to still add sequested iron since it sounds it's being neglected.if anything it would help to give it new growth.if you are leaving it in the pot keep check that it still gets enough rain water even through winter. Just because it rains doesn't mean it will rain adequately into a pot.so as obelixx has said , keep a pot outside to collect rainwater to top up.
As regards trying to work the grass out of the roots in a similar rootbound shrub I had I used a blunt but rounded dibber to work into the root system.
I took some before and after photos to keep a record of how it looks and see it's progress. Hopefully it will improve.
I can't find a way to put the pictures on here. I have seen comments on other threads about a tree icon for photos but there doesn't seem to be one on my screen. Am I looking in the wrong place?
Tree icon at the top of where you put your message 2nd from right as you look at it.
Mulch my camellias in spring and autumn with ericaceous compost, feed from july onwards with ericaceous feed in rain water once a week, keep moist if dry (as this year) Only ever use rain water.
I have neutral soil and it seems to work with mine.
Maybe a link from Photobucket will work
Oh well done. Hoping it does well for you. post any developments!
i looked it up and greenhills nursery says it's between fully hardy and frost tender - min7 to 10C. So get the bubble wrap ready if we have a cold one