Pamela and David, I would concur with the chicken manure advice. I had a Kennedia--a red and black cultivar (sorry I don't recall the specifics)--planted on the chicken coop--it grew like crazy, and if we hadn't moved the coop it would still be there, colonizing the trees around it. Our soil is generally not acidic--a little on the alkaline side--it must have love the chicken poo!Laura On Jan 15, 2011, at 12:58 PM, david feix wrote: Pamela,
Personally I never bother with using added Mychorrhizal fungi when doing new plantings, my thinking is that with soil amendments with a composted or chicken manure base combined with the native soils the key ingredients are already present. It might be useful to take some readings of your soil ph to know what you are working with. I generally use annual applications of soil sulfur to the top soil when I want to make sure the soils stay on the more acid side, more so for the various South African proteas/leucospermums/leucadendrons and Australian protea family shrubs.. The soil sulfur may not help a whole lot if both your soils and water are more basic, in which case, try and save rainwater to flush the soils.
Is it in bloom now, or not? If not, a light tip pruning probably wouldn't hurt, but why do you think it should be pruned before planting out? Is it looking raggedy and pruning is for aesthetics?
From: Pamela Steele <p*@re-taste.com>
To: Medit-Plants <m*@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Sat, January 15, 2011 11:55:56 AM
Subject: Kennedia
Hi David Yes the 'acidic' bit scares me!. I found it at a local garden centre lost among the other climbers, Bouganvillea, et al. I think it had been in the pot a while but it looked good. I was wondering if I should prune it ...now just after planting. By the way do you use Mycorrhizal fungi when you are planting? Pamela
From: david feix [mailto:davidfeix@yahoo.com]
Sent: 15 January 2011 18:16
To: Medit-Plants
Subject: Re: Kennedia
Pamela, This is a rampantly growing Australian vine with quite vivid flowering, that is pretty hardy once it is established. I've had it die on me, however, when I kept it a bit too long in the container before planting out, so it is very sensitive to drought stress in a container, similar to many Melaleucas and Leptosperums. I would suggest going light on the fertilizers, use a time release type or organic slower releasing types such as cottonseed meal or alfalfa meal, and avoid phosphorus in the mix, as they are sensitive. I wouldn't plant this next to anything that you don't want overgrown and entangled, as it is a fast grower once in the ground. If you give it room to grow, pruning would only be to contain it or neaten it up. It is commonly used here in California more as a ground cover than a vine for fences/walls, which would require a bit of training. It prefers more acidic soil conditions, will this be a problem at your garden? It also has a reputation for being somewhat short lived, but in flower it is pretty spectacular! Here's a link to the info from the San Marcos Wholesale Nursery in Goleta, Ca., link: http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3451
From: Pamela Steele <p*@re-taste.com>
To: Medit-Plants <m*@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Sat, January 15, 2011 9:38:36 AM
Subject: Kennedia
Is anyone growing Kennedia coccinea? I can find very little information about pruning, fertilizing etc. Any advice appreciated. Pamela Costa Blanca, ES
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