On the plus side, it’s very easy to find a new spot which should be more conducive to healthy growth. Acers like woodland conditions with moist, rich, leaf-mould-like soil and dappled shade from trees with a much higher canopy. There is a lot of shelter in these locations, and very little drying wind. Replicate these conditions for your acer as much as possible, placing it in a sheltered spot in a large enough pot so that it won’t dry out during the summer.
6. My potted camellia has yellowing leaves – should I re-pot or feed it?
Excessive loss of leaves, or yellowing leaves across the entirety of the plant, can be a result of the pH of your soil being too high. A simple pH test, which you can buy from a garden centre, will determine whether you have acidic-to-neutral soil in which you can grow these plants successfully.
Camellias that are grown in containers rely on us for their water and their nutrition. A liquid feed every fortnight from March to August would be beneficial, with an ericaceous feed. Liquid feeds often give very quick results and ensure that your camellia is well watered and fed through the summer months, which is when flower buds begin to grow.
Note: a lack of flowers can be a result of the plant drying out too much in the summer. Bud drop is also linked to erratic moisture levels within the root ball during those key months of late spring and summer.
7. Should I prune my wisteria in summer or winter ?
Although pruning will help to allow more light into the canopy and will help a little with the development of flowering spurs, I find that this work is not essential during the summer on established plants. Simply manage those whippy tendrils back to a couple of buds as they appear throughout the summer, unless you want to tie them in for extending the framework.