Is this a schefflera ?

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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

redsquirrel wrote:id say its doing ok,they dont grow at all well here,dont like acidic soil i think??
The opposite is true as they need acidic soil ideally ph 4.5 to 5.5 to thrive.
Kristen

Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by Kristen »

Arlon Tishmarsh wrote:Thanks people icon_thumleft
The previous owner planted it next to a large Lime tree, still there too. So i'd say that's robbing it of any nutrients / water and why its never looked a healthy plant.
Are you on acid soil? other Rhododendrons / Azaleas in gardens near you? If not it won't be happy and I very much doubt if you will be able to make it happy in the ground. Depends how much Faff you want in order to try to keep it happy, but I would favour a pot (with ericaceous compost) if you don't have Acid soil.
GREVILLE

Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by GREVILLE »

An additional reason that Rhodos don't flower is an absence of moisture in late Summer/Autumn when the embryo flower buds form ready for next Spring. If these don't develop fully at this time they simply abort during the following growing season. All you get are the flower buds at the tip of the plant that fail to open.
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Arlon Tishmarsh
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Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by Arlon Tishmarsh »

Reading all the comments, its never going to do well where it is, so the plan now is to transplant it when things warm up a little.
stephenprudence

Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by stephenprudence »

Entire woodland have this around here, it has definitely outcompeted the native plants, but now it seems Holly is outcompeting it... funny how things turn. Nothing wrong with a Rhododedron ponticum.. it's naturalisation will only aid it providing protection for other plants. Actually my town is filled with evergreen plants, so much so, at this time of year, it just looks almost like summer.. deciduous plants (including native ones) are on the decline, big time.

However point is, many gardens have mature Rhododendron, Holly, Portuguese Laurel, Choisya, Eucalyptus and Pines, and you just look at that and think... that would be an awesome place to underplant with palms, and bananas!
Kristen

Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by Kristen »

stephenprudence wrote:Nothing wrong with a Rhododedron ponticum.
However, it seems to get the blame for being a host to whatever causes Sudden Oak Death ??
stephenprudence

Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by stephenprudence »

There are plenty of Oaks around here, both evergreen and Deciduous varieties, I haven't noticed any suddenly die, and there is a huge amount of Rhododendron both in cultivation and in Woodlands living alongside Oaks, so perhaps it's only in localised places.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Kristen wrote:
stephenprudence wrote:Nothing wrong with a Rhododedron ponticum.
However, it seems to get the blame for being a host to whatever causes Sudden Oak Death ??
I didn't know this. Luckily oaks are doing great around my neck of the woods.
stephenprudence

Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by stephenprudence »

Yes it's obviously very localised diedown, I don't beleive all Rhododendrons are transmitting this, because if they were, given how many Rhodos are in my Peninsula,and town, I think there would be telling signs. Besides nature doesn't work on conservation, it works on survival of the fittest.

One of my biggest bugbears in university was ecologists telling me what should be happening, there is of course no right answer.. I strongly believe in survival of the fittest - we may be altering things, but we are part of nature and I believe we do it's bidding, even if we are not altogether conscious of it. This however is another thread for another time.

Anyway, here is the sort of landscape you find here.. this is in Royden Park, not far from here.

Image

Rhododendron is a nice plant, it does cause problems occasionally, but there are many plants that do the same.
kata

Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by kata »

Ericacious compost,

Slow feeders so feed the plant slow release food.

J Arthur Bower's Epsom Salts 1kg for the yellowing leaves.

Epsom Salts is the best way to improve the colour of yellowing leaves, and turn them green. Rhododendrons like a little more magnesium than most shrubs, and Epsom Salts quickly corrects magnesium deficiency within the plant and the soil. Apply as directed as a top dressing to the soil, or as a liquid foliar feed.

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Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by redsquirrel »

Yorkshire Kris wrote:
redsquirrel wrote:id say its doing ok,they dont grow at all well here,dont like acidic soil i think??
The opposite is true as they need acidic soil ideally ph 4.5 to 5.5 to thrive.
cheers kris,i knew it was one or the other icon_thumright
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Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by Dave Brown »

redsquirrel wrote:id say its doing ok,they dont grow at all well here,dont like acidic soil i think??
Rhododendron MUST have an acid soil Darren, they don't do alkaline at all. :wink:
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Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by David York »

kata wrote:


J Arthur Bower's Epsom Salts 1kg for the yellowing leaves.



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Epsom Salts will work for some plants that are magnesium deficient, but ericaceous plants struggle to absorb iron when grown in alkaline conditions. And for plants in this situation, chelated iron is the only remedy.
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kata

Re: Is this a schefflera ?

Post by kata »

Thanks Dave!!

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