soil for escallonia rubra maracantha

member11809 · Guest

I got one and it says use acid soil improver. i did not know escallonia were acid lovers

http://www.thegardencentregroup.co.uk/item/Evergreen-Shrubs/Macrantha/P1W and other searches say escallonia grow in Acid, Alkaline, Neutral soil. Anyone know?

Greengage · Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 8:42 pm Post subject:

Escallonia will grow in most soils so I would not be too concerned.

Sive · Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 8:44 pm Post subject:

I have no idea about soil requirements, but I do know that my entire escallonia hedge now has a fungal disease which causes it to lose its leaves in the autumn.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=108
I hope your shrub stays healthy.

member11809 · Guest

Sive · Posted: Wed May 14, 2014 8:15 am Post subject:

Only if I'm prepared to spray the whole thing every year, and as I avoid using chemicals it's not an option. The strange thing is the shrubs are still growing fine, put on fresh leaves each year and flower as they should. But instead of retaining their leaves over the winter, the leaves start to get little black spots on them in late summer/autumn and start to drop off. I have started to interplant with other shrubs and may eventually just develop a mixed hedge instead.