Well it’s now mid May and we are waiting for the may blossom and chestnuts to come into full flower. It’s 3.30pm and only 9 degrees.
I Have planted out last weeks arrivals – 6 black currant bushes just over a meter apart with plenty of compost topped off with some wood chip mulch. A few green tips are sprouting – I’m not sure what to expect – if anything from the plants this year. The cabbages and runner beans have greened up quickly now out of the boxes but still in the greenhouse due to the persistent threat of frost.
My Daphne (Adora Aurea marginatum) which is normally late winter flowering is still covered in highly scented flowers but looking a little anaemic I’m not sure whether the prolonged cold or excessive flowering is exhausting it. They like ericaceous soil which we do not have so a top up may be needed.
The swifts and swallows are back so hopefully will summer be soon!
I also have a daphne adora which is in a pot on the patio but just recently some of the leaves have turned yellow and falling, do you have any idea what is wrong. Have I watered it to much.
Daphne odora is one of the sweetest smelling varieties of Daphne, however they are not the most resilient of shrubs. The yellowing of the leaves is probably down to nutrient deficiency which is common with shrubs planted in containers as they soon use all of the goodness in the soil. With many shrubs planted in containers, it’s a good practice to remove it from the pot, trim the roots and then replant with some fresh compost, however I would not recommend this with Daphnes. Try removing from the pot, replacing it’s soil (with a soil-based compost) and the replanting. If it’s very pot bound, tease the roots out of the compact ball first. Or to give it a better chance, remove it from the pot and plant in a bed or border. Remember to always loosen the roots if they’re compact before re-planting and once re-planted, give it a good feed with a granular fertiliser or general purpose liquid fertiliser and water-in generously. This should perk it up a bit. Daphne’s are relatively short-lived though and can start to give up after about 10-15 years.