Pyracantha is also known as firethorn for its brilliant flame-coloured berries. It’s a hardy shrub that’s easy to grow and look after, and it’s actually one of my favourite shrubs. You can use it as a stand-alone shrub, as a hedge or train it to grow up a wall or trellis. I cover all of this here and tell you how about caring for pyracantha in most gardens. About pyracantha Pyracantha is a shrub with prickly leaves that grows to…
Your pyracantha may be losing its leaves due to something you’re doing or to something in the natural world. Perhaps you’re under-watering it, or maybe some bugs have moved in. You need to do a bit of detective work to figure out the problem and to put things right. The most common cause is usually a water issue, not enough or too much, then you have diseases such as pyracantha scab that attack the flower’s leaves and stem, causing the…
Pyracantha takes kindly to pruning. But that doesn’t mean that you should grab your (sterilised) pruning shears and start hacking away at the plant. I start this guide with the reasons to prune your pyracantha, add in some tips, and then tell you when and how to go about pruning. If you’re looking for a quick summary, Pyracantha should be pruned in late winter or early spring to promote healthy growth and flowering. It’s important to avoid pruning during the…
Don’t write off your pyracantha plant just yet. What seems to be a dying pyracantha can often be saved. Here are the most common problems with pyracantha and how to deal with them. Pyracantha leaves falling off This is such a common problem that I wrote a whole article about it and how to deal with it. Please read Why is my pyracantha losing its leaves for great information. Problems with pyracantha flowers and berries The problems here could range…
Your pyracantha not flowering may be due to natural causes, something in the garden environment or something that you did. A similar problem is that a pyracantha is flowering but is not producing berries. I deal with both issues in this guide, identifying common causes and detailing what to do about them to promote flowers and then berries. Your pyracantha not flowering could be as simple as the ground being too dry when flowers are developing. Or a late frost…
Although pyracantha is a hardy plant, several pests and diseases can be a real problem for pyracantha. The two more serious diseases that attack pyracantha (also known as firethorn) are Pyracantha fireblight and pyracantha scab. More on these further down. When it comes to pests, you have the usual aphids that are easy to control and mainly attack new lush foliage in spring. However, woolly aphids and pyracantha leaf-mining moth are two insects that prey on pyracantha and can do…
Buxus (box) plants are hardy specimens. Reviving them depends on what the problem is and what causes in the problem in the first place. Here are some of the most common problems and what to do about them. In addition, I discuss pruning that helps revive your buxus, no matter what’s wrong with it. Waterlogging and root rot Waterlogging of a plant usually occurs when you over-water it. Alternatively, you may be watering the plant just the right amount but…
Your buxus leaves turning yellow don’t necessarily mean that your plant is in serious danger. It could be due to the plant’s natural life cycle, or how you’re watering or fertilising it. It could be an early sign of under and over-watering, which eventually turns into brown leaves, as discussed in this guide. Carry on reading to learn other reasons and more into watering below: Natural occurrence Sometimes during the colder months, the tips of your buxus leaves may turn…
Your buxus may be going brown due to environmental conditions or to disease. Taking a close look at the plant helps you figure out what the problem is and how to fix it. One reason that is becoming more common is box blight but more on that further down. I’ll start with the less serious problems. If you have them in pots, the first thing to check is that there getting enough water and if they are, they are not…
It’s very easy to plant, grow and care for buxus plants (also known as box plants). Once you’ve spent some time planting them, either in pots or in the ground, they require very little maintenance. Remembering to water them is as tough as their care gets, with just a little pruning but even thats minimal as their fairly slow growing, which is why there also perfect for topiary and small hedges. In this guide, I cover how to plant the…