repotting Daphnes

[mark smyth]

It's maybe too late to repot small Daphnes but I have to. Today while I was potting bulbs a heavy rain shower came. After it was gone I notice some of my pots with Daphnes were very slow draining the surface water away.

What mix do I give them? Can they get the same as my bulb mix?

[Maggi Young]

Mark, I think some Daphnes might appreciate a little of your lime sand in their mix. We do not have huge success with dapnes in troughs and it has been suggested that it is because they are not getting any lime at all.......opinions, please from other Forumists.......

[ChrisB]

I grow several different daphnes, though only one of the tiny alpines.  All grow well and thrive in the soil here.  Its very sandy, free draining and just slightly acid, and not very deep.  Only 12 inches or so will bring you to solid sandstone.  I never bother feeding or anything, just chuck down on the beds some growmore once in a while, not even every year, and even more occasionally I put a bit of my own compost on top to help the soil.  Last year I did throw a bit of bone meal around, so any daphne's in the vicinity likely to receive a bit of that too I suppose. 

The one tiny daphne I have is a recent acquisition from Ad Hoc at the Hexham Show earlier this year is in a fishbox sink and looks to be ok, used grit, sand and John Innes mix for that.  We'll see how it looks after the winter.

[Martin Baxendale]

Mark, drainage is vital for small daphnes, so a well-drained bulb-type mix woudn't be miles away from what's needed. But, as they also hate their roots drying out, some extra moisture-retaining material (composted bark, leafmould, etc) would be advisable.

Small daphne maestro Robin White (that's maestro of small daphnes of course, not small maestro) reckons daphnes are happy with either limy or non-limy conditions, though the more woodlandy ones don't tend to like chalky soils. My D. petraea Grandifloras are in non-limy compost (JI no 3 with added grit and composted bark) but they do get watered with quite limy tap water.

[Susan]

Having lost Daphne blagayana, and now  having managed to purchase another one, could someone tell me if it could do with  some limestone chips.  My first one was healthy and flowered for some years  then gradually lost vigour.  The general soil in my garen is fairly acidic, so maybe lime would be the answer.  My current one is just starting to flower, as spring is finally arriving.

Susan

[Maggi Young]

Hi, Susan,
I believe that D. blagayana is not too worried about soil acidity or lack of it... I think that it is happy in most conditions, providing that it has a good humus layer to spread through. Farrer suggested throwing limestone rocks at it regularly... but this was more to do with encouraging layering than giving it a lime "hit"... sorry, a pun I couldn't resist! The ones I know are growing well in quite acid soils.

[Susan]

It had quite a bit of humus and I pegged branches down to help it to layer, which it did until its final demise.  Maybe I shall try the limestone chips, in moderation like everything else of course, and see how long it lasts this time.

Susan

[johanneshoeller]

I grow all Daphnes in my substrate for Alpine Primulas (pots, troughs, alpine garden).
Daphne blagayana grows much better in an acid soil without any limestone (in my garden). My friend lost all D. b. which grew in a mixture with limestone.

Hans

[hadacekf]

Did you know that Daphne blagajana has a monument in Slovenia . This monument stands in the area where the Daphne grows. I have the same opinion as Maggi over the soil.

[Maggi Young]

Franz, what amazing knowledge you have! I salute you and thank you for all you can teach us.

[Susan]

Thank you for the advice everyone.  The reason I asked about limestone, was that according to Ingerwersen's book on Alpines, it grows in limestone areas in S E Europe, obviously Slovenia. I may have been growing it in a too warm situation, so I shall think more carefully where I plant it this time.

Hans,  I shall keep up with the humus. and forget the limestone.

Franz, thank you for showing us the  monument  dedicated to Daphne blagayana/blagajana.

Susan (This morning we have awoken to a couple of centimetres of snow on the ground - just when we thought spring had arrived)

[Lesley Cox]

The couple of times I've lost Daphne blagayana it has been directly due to the soil being too dry in summer, even though shaded. The best ones I've seen were grown as woodlanders - overhead shade and a cool, moisture-retentive and humusy soil. I'm trying again too Susan.