Q. My red tip Photinia took a beating this first summer
after planting. Should I wait until its cooler and cut the down to force new
growth or replace them?
A. I would wait until the beginning of October, gently lift
them out of the ground, wash the soil away from the root ball, add compost to
the soil used for backfilling around the roots and replant them. After
replanting them, I would then cut them back to about 6 inches above the soil.
Photinia
can handle our hot desert climate with no problems provided the soil is amended
with good quality compost at the time of planting. It also does not like rock
mulch. Planted in rock mulch I will give it five years before it starts to look
ratty.
The
problem is I don’t know how your plants were planted. Judging from the pictures
you sent, the soil surrounding them does not look like it has enough amendment
added or the amendment was not very good. Also, I’m not sure if you planted
them at the correct depth.
You can
use the existing native soil when planting them. But you must amend this soil
with about 50% good quality compost when planting them.
The rootball
taken out of the container should not be placed too deep. It should be the same
level as the soil surrounding it. It is very important to thoroughly soak the soil
surrounding the plant after planting several times to settle the soil.
When
digging the hole for the plant, it does not have to be deep. Dig it deep enough
only to accommodate the rootball. It is far more important to dig that hole wide
and amend the soil in that planting hole surrounding the roots.
Fertilize
them once a year in January and use a good quality iron chelate along with your
fertilizer.
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