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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

help -- novice gardener and unhappy Philadelphus

5 replies

BeforeWinter · 06/03/2025 13:31

Hi all,
Total novice here, beginning to garden on a plot which is still half building site. I had to move a mock orange/Phildelphus I planted last summer because unexpectedly, a rejigged extension is going to cover the border it was in. This was about three days ago, and the leaves are limp and unhappy-looking in its new site. I had to move it from full sun to a part-shade situation for now (as there's literally nowhere else in the garden which isn't about the be built on, or screen off for several months). Can anyone suggest anything? Feeding it? More water? Giving up on it and buying it a coffin?

OP posts:
bilbodog · 06/03/2025 13:36

Are you sure its philadelphus as mine hasnt got any leaves yet - only buds starting to show? Did you give it a good water when you moved it?

madaffodil · 06/03/2025 14:27

DO NOT FEED IT.

A sickly plant suffering from being moved or repotted cannot take up nutrients via damaged roots. You have to wait for it to establish and grow new roots, and it gets the strength to do that via photosynthesis. The only things it does need at the moment are shade, which it already has, to be kept moist (but not waterlogged), and to be left alone to recover.

ps - If it has leaves now I don't think it can be a philadelphus either, as they are deciduous and it wouldn't normally have leaves on it yet.

BeforeWinter · 06/03/2025 14:56

madaffodil · 06/03/2025 14:27

DO NOT FEED IT.

A sickly plant suffering from being moved or repotted cannot take up nutrients via damaged roots. You have to wait for it to establish and grow new roots, and it gets the strength to do that via photosynthesis. The only things it does need at the moment are shade, which it already has, to be kept moist (but not waterlogged), and to be left alone to recover.

ps - If it has leaves now I don't think it can be a philadelphus either, as they are deciduous and it wouldn't normally have leaves on it yet.

Ah, OK -- mea culpa. Then I have no clue. It kept its leaves all winter, and the label I left stuck into the ground in its previous spot blew away during Storn Eowyn (along with quite a few slates...) Quite strong, woody stems, greyish-green leaves with slightly frilly edges.

If it survives, I will post a photo or try to ID it...

Thank you, everyone. I did give it a good water, but it's been dry since and its new spot is dryish anyway. I will keep it moist and talk to it, and hope it forgives me for moving it.

OP posts:
Geneticsbunny · 06/03/2025 21:02

Sometimes cutting back the top can help when you move things as it encourages root growth but don't do this till we have worked out what it is.
Is it a eucalyptus?

madaffodil · 07/03/2025 14:19

Could be eleagnus.

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