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| I have several of these and they all seem to need something.
Some are in mostly sun and several are in mostly shade. Doesn't seem to matter much. I buy them from a nursery and they are beautiful. After I plant them, they seem to go SLOWLY downhill for the rest of their life. Anyone have an suggestions on how to maintain and grow these. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 7, 11 at 12:51
| whats your soil.. ever have a soil test??? do you do anything for acid soil whats your watering protocol ... ken |
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- Posted by dmoore66_gardener 6 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 7, 11 at 14:42
| I give them each a small amount of sulfur in the spring and holly tone. I spray a couple of times in summer for lace bug. Don't water as they are all established. Are they big drinkers? |
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- Posted by mainegrower Z5b ME (My Page) on Fri, Apr 8, 11 at 5:30
| Are you asking about the genus andomeda (small low growing evergreens with rosemary-like leaves and blossoms like a blueberry) or pieris (much larger and more rhododendron-like) which is often erroneously called andromeda? If it's the first, this genus is notorious for looking great at the nursery - heavily fertilized and bloooming away. Once planted out, they generally decline and never look as good as they did when purchased. The most common species available is andomeda polifolia which grows naturally in cold, sunny, highly acid bogs. Unless cold bog conditions can be reproduced, they're just not good garden plants. If you're asking about pieris, more specific information is needed. |
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- Posted by dmoore66_gardener 6 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 8, 11 at 14:43
| Pieris. All my andromeda are 2-5' tall, but several have pale leaves and are rather thin with very tiny flower buds or already dried up buds which means no flowers this spring |
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- Posted by zookeeperinwa 5 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 8, 11 at 17:42
| I too have a couple of pieris japonica that I need some advice on. I am new to them, and actually new to gardening. I bought 2 of the new Fire N' Ice variety a couple of weeks ago. I still have them in pots in the house because it is still pretty cold here in WA. Now they look very wilted and some of the leaves are turning brown. I am very confused because I am also caring for two flowering quince, a flowering almond, and a Rose of Sharon in pots which look quite nice and I have treated all of these shrubs the same. And I am raising some hibiscus seedlings that are doing great. So I don't think I have a black thumb. I am at a loss. I gave them some extra water because I thought that might be the problem. I really don't want to lose these two plants. Could they need some fertilizer even if I just got them from the nursery? |
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- Posted by mainegrower Z5b ME (My Page) on Sat, Apr 9, 11 at 5:39
| Pale leaves in pieris can be from lacebug damage the previous summer despite your spraying. Check the leaf undersides. If you see stippling and brown shiny deposits, lacbugs are the cause. Other causes are fertility problems, root rots, watering. Dried up flower buds are a sign of winter dessication from cold, sun and wind. A for the pieris indoors in pots - too warm and excessive water would be my guess. This may not be the case for either poster, but over the last several years I've seen an increasing number of pieris varieties for sale - especially at the big box stores - which are not really suitable for the climate in which they're being sold. This is especially true of varieties with red leaves in spring. Most (all?) of these |
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| I had a pieris japonica that declined and died over 2 years in the ground. I was told that they like woodsy soil, maybe our soil is not acidic enough? |
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- Posted by southhawke none (My Page) on Wed, Jun 22, 11 at 17:43
| I am looking for information on japanise andromedia. I saw it in a garden book but can't find it. Does anyone out ther have one? |
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| Japanese andromeda is probably Pieris japonica, the most commonly available species. P. floribunda, the native species, is rarely if ever available commercially. |
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| So, mainegrower, what pieris cultivars would you recommend for New England and similar climates? Acid soil. Zone 5 here. Thanks. |
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- Posted by mainegrower Z5b ME (My Page) on Fri, Jun 24, 11 at 5:15
| ginny12: Check with nurseries in your area to see what selections they are selling (and warranting!). You can also check online at Weston's Nursery (MA), Estabrooks or O'Donals (ME) and undoubtably many more. A sizable number of new selections from the Netherlands has appeared in recent years. In general, those with pieris yakushimanum in their genetic makeup will be fully hardy in Z5. |
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