Need help on ID, and also advice on edging.

15 years ago

Hi all.

Moved in to the house in November and have inherited quite a nice yard. I really want to keep up the garden and improve.

I have a plant outside the backdoor that isn't doing too great now.

Pics at http://blog.boyden.org/?p=124

Can someone tell me what it is and what it likes?

Also, I am putting down some more mulch around the front of the house, won't be using edging strips, but will need them in the back yard to stop them blowing away. I live at the top of a hill near Lewisville lake and it gets quite breezy here!

Thanks!

Andy

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Comments (3)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
15 years ago
That's a Camellia japonica. They do best with some filtered shade or protection from the afternoon sun. Camellia benefit greatly from a 2 to 4 inch layer of mulch (bark or pine straw) in a large radius around (but not piled next to) the trunk.

Any ideas as to why the plant isn't doing so well right now? Perhaps you could take images of the symptoms or describe the trouble.
vetivert8
14 years ago
Unless you know your soil is high in magnesium, you could try applying Epsom salts - a hefty teaspoon to a gallon of water poured onto the root area after it's rained.

If your soil has been hit by weed spray or ruthlessly groomed of anything looking like humus by the previous owner - mix up a catcher full of lawn clippings with some compost (NOT mushroom compost - too alkaline) and spread that on the soil to about three inches deep. Starting about four inches out from the trunk spread it out to the edges of the branches - the drip line. Then cover with mulch.

Camellias can cope with sun scorch if they have moist but not soggy soil. They just look a bit ratty, yellow and miserable.

Possibility: if your soil is naturally alkaline then the Camellia may be having trouble picking up trace elements it needs. You may need to get a particular sort of fertiliser to help the plant cope.

If you can see Rhododendrons, Camellias and azaleas all thriving in your area then alkaline soil will not be the problem, unless someone planted it over a pile of mortar rubble. Try feeding first using the compost and clippings, followed with reliable summer water.

PS - if you need to prune it back do so directly after flowering as it develops next year's flower buds over the summer. It will come back from older wood, too.

About the mulch and strips - unless you have fearsome winds I 'm thinking you'll have more trouble with foraging birds shifting your mulch and strips won't help at all! You might consider using a heavier grade of mulch. If your slope pitch is abrupt then a green groundcover may be a better option for soil protection.
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Let's divide and conquer, Ianbeatty. In order to save these plants you will first need to ensure that you can improve the current growing conditions, and sometimes even the most experienced of growers have problems providing the best of all the combination for healthy plants: 1) Light - How much light can you give your plants? I'm assuming they were kept indoors by a window without much sunlight, as you can see most of the plants are extremely etiolated. The last guy seem to be a Echeveria Black Prince, which will change its coloration into a deep maroon when exposed to prolonged long. Right now, yours is green, which means it very under nourished from proper light. Word of caution, I'm also not telling you throw your plants and bake them in the hot sun immediately, you would need to slowly introduce them to full sun in a couple of hours increment each day. Else they will get sunburnt, and it is permanent! 2) Soil/Water - I don't think I can explain much here. Refer to this diagram on why pots without drainage will eventually rot your plant's roots. Succulents are similar to cacti, they prefer dry soil for most of the time, but they also need the soil to be porous and arid. Mixing in lava stones will help, but I'll suggest you to start a new batch of sterile soil and perlite, and toss the existing soil. Judging from your last pic, you do not ever want is algae or moss mixed into your soil. 3) Once you figured out your new pot and soil, and ensure you can provide sufficient light, you remove all of the plant from the pot and clean the roots. Lay them out on a piece of paper towel and snap more pictures of the roots once its cleaned. We can give you better advise from there. Something more advance is that you should behead your Echeveria and re-root it like how Andy does his here, you will have a much healthier plant in the long term. Bernard
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Jhpark - Welcome to the addictive world of succulents planting, trust me, you won't stop at 2 trays.. ID - clockwise direction 1) Sedum of some sort - need more close up to better ID 2) Crassula Perforata "Strings of Buttons" 3) Looks like a Graptoveria Aplen Glow to me, once again need more close up - not sure if it's a Echeveria Affinis "Black Prince", Black prince have very deep maroon colors and turn green when undernourished from sunlight. Sempervivium "Hen and chicks" - these guys grow reproduce offsets like flies once you cultivate them in environments they can thrive in. However, these plants will die shortly after they flower, leaving seeds and all their baby offsets. May I ask what direction does your balcony face? Usually south facing gets the most light, where as north, you might want to consider supplement lighting as your selection of plants will do fine, but they will thrive even better with more sunlight exposure. Happy Growing. Bernard
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Comments (1)
I think it needs a good soaking. It is trying to conserve moisture and is dropping old leaves. If you are unsure, stick a long toothpick or wooden kebab skewer deep into the soil and leave it overnight. Pull it out tomorrow, and if it doesn't feel dampish, you should water. It is possible your soil is compacted into a hard mass which water cannot soak into. When you water, watch if the water comes out the drainage holes immediately or if it actually soaks into the soil. If it pours out immediately, immerse the whole pot in a deep tray of water and let it soak for a few hours. Then use the wooden skewer to determine when it needs to be watered again. The purple colour is likely from the high light levels. happy growing! Breton
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It could be Echeveria affinis 'Black Prince'. Leaves look too narrow, so it could be E. affinis 'Black Knight'. In either case, plant is very etiolated - stretched, looking for more light. Another sign of etiolation is the green color, and the leaves are too far apart. Long stalks are inflorescence - plant is going to bloom. Pls. introduce it to better light; it needs to be growing more compact and dark. It is very nice plant when grown correctly. It should be potted in a container with drainage hole, and in fast draining mix.
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lindac
14 years ago
Plastic edging strips are a pain...they get caught in the mower and you have to use the weed eater to keep them neat.
Spade edging is easier and brick sunk to mower level is the best!
damp down the mulch when you first apply it, it will soon hang together and not blow away.
I live in Iowa.....and believe me I know wind!
Linda C

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Need help on ID, and also advice on edging.

Comments (3)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

vetivert8

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lindac

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