berry colour
sue B
Posts: 3
Can anybody help. I planted a semi weeping cotoneaster ( ? cornubia) 3-4 yrs. ago. At the time of planting the berries were bright red but in consequent years they have been yellow ! I have added ericaceous compost (not a large amount) to some nearby plants, could this account for the change of berry colour?
Concerning plants from Morrisons, I haven't bought bulbs but have had bedding geraniums, 6 for £2, that put on a great show.
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Posts
Interesting one Sue. My Cornubia has never done that, it's a cultivar of C. frigidus which is red.
Things going yellow is more associated with alkalinity. The leaves on mine have been rather yellow and unhealthy the last couple of years. Wouldn't be surprised if it turned its toes up.
Haven't any suggestions, sorry, just interested
In the sticks near Peterborough
Could it be that they aren't fully ripening? That might happen if they are growing without enough sun. They would have been given perfect conditions in the nursery of course. One thing worth trying is to feed them with a high potash feed which will help any kind of fruit to ripen. Acid conditions make it harder for plants to take in nutrients like potash, so the ericaceous compost nearby might have had some effect by raising the acidity of adjacent soil enough to make potash uptake difficult (just a guess really.)
Thanks for the replies. The leaves have always been very healthy & although it is on the shady side of the garden it does get some sun, especially at the top. I will try feeding it with potash & see if that helps, I did try the reputable nursery I bought it from but they hadn't heard of it happening before & couldn't help.
sueB...Berry colour does not change from one year to another.
Could it possibly be a grafted shrub.
There is a yellow berried Cotoneaster called C. Rothchildianus which is semi evergreen and has a lax habit.
Could this have been grafted on to a red berried Cotoneaster hence the change of berry colour?
Thank you silver surfer, I will check with the nursery. The plant definitely had red berries when I planted it !