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Can you identify this plant and is it ill/deficient?

LunarJimLunarJim Posts: 56
in Problem solving

The leaves are lime green, I thought this was normal but as my sunflowers nearby are not doing well I'm now wondering if the soil is the problem.  No flowers so far this year.  We are in chalky soil - Chilterns.

Thanks

 

image

 

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Posts

  • SalinoSalino Posts: 1,609

    I don't know what it is but if anyone wants to see the enlarged image, I hope this works.... thanks to Little Ann for pointing it out on another thread...

     

    http://s4.gardenersworld.com/uploads/images/original/26701.jpg

  • LunarJimLunarJim Posts: 56

    Thanks Salino, I should have said it has got sticky out bits in the centre - sorry about the non-specialist language!

  • franco6832franco6832 Posts: 105

    i think its a small magnolia. i think its the one with the white star like flowers. got one in the garden.

     

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,580

    I think it looks hungry. Chalky soils are often iron deficient and general low in nutrients. A rose fertiliser with iron and magnesium should help. Could well be a magnolia, they prefer a slightly acid soil and chalky tends to be more alkali, so feeding should help.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • LunarJimLunarJim Posts: 56

    Thanks franco6832 and Busy-Lizzie, it does look like Magnolia stellata from images on the web.

    Is it worth persisting with this or is it always a battle with plants that like acid soil?  I think I might have three other magnolias, one standard only started getting leaves a few weeks ago!

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,580

    Magnolia Leonard Messel is OK with alkali soil. It's not as bad as it is with azaleas. You could try seqestrene.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • bigolobbigolob Posts: 127

    I think it could be a Choicia (Mexican Orange) which requires ACID soil or compost and that is the reason it is not happy. Water the plant with Sequestrin from a garden centre.

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 22,580

    This is a Choisya and it doesn't need acid soil. I have one on limestone. Sorry to disagree.

    http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=427

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,918

    BL's right- choisyas don't need acid soil. We have neutral to slightly acidic clay up here, but it's heavy, waterlogged soil that will make them unhappy. It's a bit of a myth with rhodies, pieris etc. as well  that they need acid - they just don't like alkaline and will grow happily on neutral.

    PS -It doesn't look like any choisya I've ever seen anyway!

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 85,997

    Lots of choisyas here - rampant they are - Norwich is famous for being on chalk.


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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