Embothrium +P

[johnw]

I just received two Embothrium coccineum v. lanceolatum from Philip MacDougall. I dutifully potted them up straight away only to have it dawn on me later that they are Proteaceae.  If there is some phosphorus in my mix is it apt to be deadly?  I have already lost two in the past.

In the UK is this considered to be the hardiest form?

johnw

[Gerdk]

John,
I potted 2 Embothriums in a peatbased compost + with a little bit of sand added and had no problems with them.
In Chile there are Embothriums which grow in volcanic ash. I am no geologist but I guess there is some phosphorus occuring naturally (?).
I hope another forumist is able to tell more about this,

Gerd

[ian mcenery]

I just received two Embothrium coccineum v. lanceolatum from Philip MacDougall. I dutifully potted them up straight away only to have it dawn on me later that they are Proteaceae.  If there is some phosphorus in my mix is it apt to be deadly?  I have already lost two in the past.

In the UK is this considered to be the hardiest form?

johnw

John

Never heard of this problem myself and I have had this variety in the garden for a long time now and grew them from cuttings . I was never too precious about what the cuttings were potted up in  and the plants grow well in the open garden. I usually pot up such cuttings in a peaty mixture though I not too fussy what else is in the mix. It would be interesting  to know what you have  potted these in?

 If you are worried why not re pot if it was done recently and Gerd's suggestion should be safe enough

[Giles]

I guess it is a case of ignorance is bliss.....
...as I have got a lot of seed raised plants of both the 'ordinary' and 'lanceolatum' forms - they are all growing fine, having reached about 18 inches high,
and are just potted in straightforward 'ericaceous' compost and have been receiving an ordinary liquid feed every 2 weeks over the Summer - so they can't be that fussy.
Mine are in a cold greenhouse.

[Paul T]

John,

I have no idea regarding Embothrium, but not all Proteaceae are Phosphorus intolerant.  While Grevilleas for example in general you have to be careful of, some varieties seem to do fine with Phosphorus in the soil.  There is some conjecture that the presence of Phosphorus from early on in the seedling/cutting stage leads to no development of the Proteoid rootsystem which is so sensitive to Phosphorus.  Earlier this year with my Horticultural studies we did some cuttings with various types of fertiliser added to them.  Some of the Grevillea varieties actually struck better in the presence of phosphorus than they did without it.  Whether this would have translated to less phosphorus sensitivity in the grown plant I don't know, and we didn't have time to see whether the Proteoid root system would develop or not (it takes a year or so to develop in seedlings or cuttings apparently).

If you've got 2 new plants, try one with and one without phosphorus and see whether there is any noticeable difference.  You may find it benefits from the presence, I really do not know at all for Embothrium as I haven't grown them (although from the pictures I would very much like to!!  )..

Good luck.

[Michael J Campbell]

as I have got a lot of seed raised plants of both the 'ordinary' and 'lanceolatum' forms - they are all growing fine,

Giles,can you tell me when and under what conditions you sowed the seed, as I have just got some fresh seed .

[Giles]

I bought the seed from Chiltern Seeds in the late spring, and sowed it directly in to ericaceous compost in an unheated greenhouse in June.
I didn't do anything special at all. No stratification or anything like that. No surface sowing. Just treated it as normal.