Photonia red robin

sparrowk

Hi all, appreciate any advice on the best way to fertilize red robin photonia. Currently they are young and healthy, and I was using a fertiliser purchased from the web which is no longer available, so any advice appreciated to keep them healthy and give them a boost. Kind regards Kevin.

Inglezinho

Photinias are usually grown for their foliage, which suggests a high nitrogen fertilizer, however, I find they colour best with high potassium and phosphorus. Wood ash from the bonfire is ideal.

Obelixx

Keep the soil around their feet weeded and, in autumn, when the soil is good and damp, give them a good mulch of well-rotted garden compost and then, in spring, a mulch of some well-rotted horse manure.   If you can't do this, weed anyway, mulch  in autumn with chipped bark or something else that will keep down weeds and retain moisture and give an annual spring dressing of pelleted chicken/cow manure and a handful of blood, fish and bone.

PeggyTX

Inglezinho said:

Photinias are usually grown for their foliage, which suggests a high nitrogen fertilizer, however, I find they colour best with high potassium and phosphorus. Wood ash from the bonfire is ideal.

I'm going to have to remember about the wood ash and photinias!  I have 5 of them along my side garden.  My husband was just asking me the other days for some ideas on how to use all the ashes we are creating down at our getaway cabin property when we burn tree branches that fall out of our trees.  Recent wind storms have downed quite a few.  I'll add this one to the list of uses I read about on the internet.  Thanks for the tip!

sparrowk

Thanks all fab advice, thanks for taking time to reply and share your expert advice!