|
| The Weigela pictured is on the east side of my front garden and gets full sun all morning. It has been there for many years but has never really been as spectacular as some I have seen around. A few years ago I pruned it according to the directions "cut back about 1/3 of the branches", but it has never really filled out, and the flowers (deep red) are few and mainly at the ends of the branches. Do I need to feed it (I never have)? Is it perhaps not getting enough sun? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Northerner.  |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Jan 15, 10 at 9:02
| hard to say.. but are you sure its a weigela ???? that said... MOST flowering shrubs do best in complete full sun ... how much direct sun does your get??? |
|
| Although they do fine with limited sun they prefer very well drained locations with full sun....more sun, more flowers. Keep in mind most Weigela are leggy and just aren't a full rounded shrub to begin with. I have one that gets full morning sun (its varigated) and looks exactly like yours...gets a decent set of flowers every other year...I prune it 1/3 of the thickest canes down to the ground every year because of the size. |
|
- Posted by mbuckmaster 7B/NC (My Page) on Fri, Jan 15, 10 at 20:35
| I prune my weigelas mercilessly every spring and they bloom like crazy on new wood, and then a bit of a rebloom in the fall as well. They're tough shrubs here in the south...not sure if this practice is a good one in 5A. |
|
| What Weigela do you have? Never heard of any Weigela blooming on new wood after ingpruned in spring...well maybe sparse blooms, but not crazy blooms. |
|
- Posted by northerner_on Z5A ONCanada (My Page) on Sat, Jan 16, 10 at 5:16
| I am sure it is a Weigela - I bought it from Home Depot in a 1/2 gallon pot. I don't remember the cultivar, but I may have the label around. I kept it in the pot for a few years because I did not have a spot for it. Then I got rid of the purple-leaf sand cherry I had there and put the Weigela in. It has never flowered profusely as others I've seen in this city. It gets full sun until about noon, and it is well-drained average soil. I'll try adding some compost to the roots this summer and see if it helps. |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Jan 16, 10 at 11:08
| bigboxstores are notorious for improperly labeled stock .. either from the producers.. or from peeps switching tags on plants to pay less for a more expensive plant ... the leaves just dont look right to me ... but it is january in the great white north ... and its been a long time since i spent much effort looking at my weigela ... it is my position.. that given a halfway decent soil.. heck i have total yellow mineral sand .... that shrubs.. NEVER.. ever.. need food ... and i back that up with the observation of the rest of the stuff in the picture that is thriving .... lack of vigor in flowering is a sun issue.. NOT a food issue ... that said.. a little compost never hurt anything.. ken PS: do you know which part of that hydrangea is the actual fertile flower .... |
Here is a link that might be useful: if you like blue.. spend some time at the link
|
| I would move it into a spot with more sun. If it's flowering at the branch tips maybe that's where the shrub is seeing the most sun. I agree with Ken that everything else in the bed looks good and it wouldn't need any extra fertilization. How much sun do those that flower get in the other areas of your city? I am of the opinion that we in Z5 can and sometimes need to give some of these shrubs more sun than we would expect they would need in order for them to perform well. This is a full sun shrub so maybe it just lacks enough sunlight. |
|
- Posted by northerner_on Z5A ONCanada (My Page) on Mon, Jan 18, 10 at 3:52
| Thyme2dig, I do believe you are right and I will think about moving it to a more sunny spot I have in the back. As a matter of fact, it probably only gets about 4 hours sun max. now that our maple has grown and blocks sunlight it would have received from the south. Thanks for the advice. Now when's the best time to move it - Spring or Fall? |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 18, 10 at 16:32
| in z5.. move it as soon as the soil thaws around 4/1 [anytime thru 4/15] .. giving it 6 to 8 weeks before the heat of summer hits .... INSURE there are no utilities that close to the house ... dig new hole.. dig it out.. drag it over... stomp it in... might not need too much water that early in spring .... just insure whatever water you add, drains away ... insure PROPER water for the rest of the year ... it is basically one of those that you could run over with a truck .. and it will survive... just time it right.. water it right.. and you should be all set good luck ken |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Shrubs Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.