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restoringahomestead

photinia

Hi,
I'm looking to creat a 12-month privacy screen up my driveway and was wondering if photinia would do well in the Boise, ID area. It will be in FULL sun. And wasn't sure what it's water needs would be.
Thanks,
Rick

Comments (6)

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    10 years ago

    First thing about Photinia is check with the local county agent and see if it suffers from disease problems there. It has been devastated in other parts of the country. When I was in the Atlanta area, I noticed many trimmed Photinia hedges that were perpetually at death's door, or they were 1/2 dead already. Yet, there were Photinia grown in the natural tree form (not trimmed on top) that were superb looking and stunning when in bloom. So it might depend on how your grow and treat it.

  • emmarene9
    10 years ago

    It can take full sun where I am and it gets hot here; (California) They are pretty with the red foliage. Of three planted in the 70's only one is left. I did not replace them when they died as more was learned about them by that time.

  • Embothrium
    10 years ago

    Not going to be hardy in Boise anyway. Seek local guidance, as suggested on the Leyland thread.

  • bahia
    10 years ago

    I'd suggest you go to the library or buy a copy of the Sunset Western Garden Book Encyclopedia, which has a climate section for Idaho and lists suitable plants for your zone. As mentioned previously, your state University Extension Service also has plenty of good info on what does well in your area. A good retail garden center/nursery would also likely have good feedback on what grows best there. Nursery departments at Big Box stores like HD and Lowes are not so good; they tend to sell lots of popular plants that aren't really local zone appropriate as hardy perennials for your zone, as they also do here in California.

  • restoringahomestead
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Bahia,

    Yes I agree with you on HD and Lowes. In fact, I did little asking around and the workers told me the buyers don't even select anymore. The growers grow and what's there is what HD buys in huge lots and then evenly distributes them out to ALL the HDs!!!! So we get Navel oranges and Meyers Lemons for sale in our store. And the list goes on and on.

    This going to be a HUGE dumb newb question. I have people tell me to contact my local State Ag school and have someone come out and look at some trees we have dying around the place and help us out there. And as well as what you've suggested asking about plant selection. SO... HOW do I contact them? Just google it? Phone book? Under what?

    On the Leyland thread they gave some links and those were good, you may have given time the one on Sunset and I liked that one as well. I'm nervous about going to a local nursery, the ones in our area are WAY over priced and I always get the feeling they are trying to sell me on what they have in stock. There's one over a little ways that I have driven by and never gone into. It looks a little bigger and more established so I think I'll take your advice and go to them and talk. ( AND take my iPad for notes and pictures because I will NEVER remember everything they tell me :-) ). I think the other thing would just WALK the nursery, by myself, and take pictures and notes on plants I like, and why I like them and then talk to someone about them there when I've narrowed some things down.

    The Sunest book is fine. I have quite a few copies of different years. It's over whelming though. There's SOOOOOOO much in there and so much that doesn't pertain and they don't have pictures of everything. ( I am not only a visual person, but God help me, I'm spoiled with the Internet!!!)

    That's why I came on here to begin with was to find someone to help give feedback ON specific plants. I was happy to see an Idaho section and VERY bummed out to find no one's on it. :-(

    I even searched HOUZZ for landscape designers. ( I wanted to find a real designer not a guy who mows lawns and calls himself a landscape designer) and there were oly a cople on there and they were REALLY FRU-FRU. NOT my style.

    I would like to create a permaculture type place. But the ADD in me wants to solve problems NOW!!! :-) it's tough being bi-polar :-).

    So if you can help guide me to these people I will HAPPILY burden them with my issues :-).

    Rick

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    10 years ago

    Re: the extension service - here ya go!!

    btw, if you Google "landscape designers boise", you get the better part of a dozen listings complete with websites. I've attached one that does consultation work as well as regular full-blown drafted design plans - a consultation that offers suggestions as to placement and plant selection may be all that you need. These are relatively inexpensive processes that remove a lot of the trial and error from what you are doing but can easily be expanded into something much more detailed if that's what you wish. (This is exactly the type of services I provide myself).

    http://farwestgardencenter.net/?page_id=1304

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ada County Extension Office

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