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Clethra Ruby Spice...when to give up
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Posted by ginkgonut 4 (My Page) on Sat, Sep 6, 08 at 10:17
| Perhaps I just need some encouragement to get the shovel out. Given that I have a city lot in Minneapolis, I don't have room to spare for underperformers. I just can't bring myself to rip out two perfectly healthy plants, unless someone wants to come rescue them.
A little background: Planted in Fall 2003, full sun after noon, adequately watered because they are surrounded by Endless Summers (which are gorgeous), grows fine and look perfectly healthy. In 5 years they have maybe made 30 flowers total. This year there was one. I have never pruned them. Add on top of that their liability that they are extremely slow to leaf out in the spring and I think I am done.
Anyone else had or have underperforming clethra or do they just not like their spot for whatever reason? Any varieties seem to perform better than others? |
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RE: Clethra Ruby Spice...when to give up
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| Well, I planted Ruby Spice in spring of 99'. My experience was pretty much the same as yours. I did try adding soil sulfur to acididfy the soil. That helped a little and they looked marginally better. On a good year I might get 4 blooms per shrub. They just never seemed to grow. After 9 years they were pretty much the same size as when I planted them. This spring I finally had enough and out they went. |
RE: Clethra Ruby Spice...when to give up
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| Mine did much better this year than last, in a west facing bed in the shade of a 6 foot fence. We had lots of rain. It finally flowered (last year nothing), I think it was new last year.
This year, it has beautiful yellow fall color, and looks great with 'Autumn Joy' sedum, next to a 'Little Henry' itea and 'Rotsilber' maidengrass. My other clethra, that was supposed to be another 'Ruby Spice', turned out to be a white-flowered cultivar. The white one has much darker green foliage, and is planted in a north facing bed in the shade of the same 6 foot tall fence. The fall color is not as good, it does get more shade, I plan to move it out of the shadows next spring. |
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