Re: Was Sarcococca/scent Now is Pieris

Morning Nancy,

I'm on my third attempt at Pieris Japonica, the variegated form.  My first try, several years ago bloomed profusely when I first planted it in magnificently amended soil, protected location, and dense shade.  It was so gorgeous that I won't give up.  Over a nine month period though, the 2' plant just slowly lost leaves, remaining leaves turned dull, and it literally withered away.  I figured perhaps it was a fluke as everything else in that area thrived and grew.

Second attempt was again in beautifully amended (compost, old pathway pineneedles, leaf shreddings etc) soil, but this time in a sunnier location.  Again, upon planting I had profuse blooms, fabulous reddish color on newly emerging leaves and it was just gorgeous.  This plant quickly started losing leaves, remaining leaves turned dull, and within two months looked horrible so I dug it up to find that this area was far wetter than I'd realized, it was soggy.  I cut the poor thing back to a stalk, trimmed the ucky wet roots and with disgust, threw it in a large pot of unamended cruddy clay, over in a corner I don't walk by very often with hot afternoon sun.  No amendments, no fertilizer, never watered...hot dry and sunny.
Three months later the little barren shoot was sprouting out everywhere, nice glossy big beautiful leaves smiling at me.  I found this so confusing I gave the plant to a gardener friend who was visiting from out of state.

Last May,  I stumbled across a very large, healthy, beautiful plant while shopping for garden gloves, and I couldn't help myself.  I'm trying it in a spot that gets full morning sun til about noon, the
base is natural NorthCarolina red clay but I built a 24" high raised area of sand, compost, finely shredded pinebark, mulched leaves etc, so if it wants to, it can send it's roots into the moist clay beneath it or it can let them spread out into the very light, quickly draining amended soil.  So far, it's new leaves are a little smaller than the old ones (not a good sign) and some of it's old leaves are starting to get that dull rather than glossy look.  It's directly next to my front entry door so I can't ignore it.  Just wanted to let you know my Pieris experience.  I suspect that the non-variegated forms may be a bit less fussy.




     kitt@kaboodle.com
Scenic Troutman NC  USA
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nancy Stedman 
  To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 8:05 AM
  Subject: Re: [SG] Sarcococca/scent
  I'm also leaning toward pieris in my new "winter bed."  This spot is, alas, too shady for all but (in my experience) two kinds of viburnum and azalea--the maple-leafed viburnum and the swamp azalea, both of which grow wild in the woods near here.
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