Is this Photinia? (flower, grow, fertilizing, ficus)
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And if so, what kind? I'm also looking for any tips on how to get it to grow as large and as fast as possible.
(I live in Central Texas where it does not rain. The shrub gets plenty of sun, but because of the total and complete lack of any rain whatsoever, the only water it gets is from a hose.)
Frasiers photinia, a completely despicable shrub also known as red-tip photinia.
They are widely sold and planted in areas where they do not thrive. Like Texas.
Red tip photinias are terribly disease prone and they are at their worst in areas of high humidity. In high humidity and subject to regular pruning they rot, are in a constant state of perennial blackspot and verticillium wilt, and look like diseased garbage.
But they do grow quickly and they will get very very big in spite of their diseases and ugly burned up appearance.
There is hardly another shrub in the entire catalogue of shrubs that I hate more than this mutant plagued hybrid.
To answer your question....water them regularly and they will survive in all of their miserable glory.
Looks like a ficus to me. You can't kill 'em either. You cut to the ground, they just pop back up and branch out even more. Here, they're a nuisance. They strangle other plants and roots break thru everything: concrete, wires, pipes.
Could be wrong...more replys?
Frasiers photinia, a completely despicable shrub also known as red-tip photinia.
They are widely sold and planted in areas where they do not thrive. Like Texas.
Red tip photinias are terribly disease prone and they are at their worst in areas of high humidity. In high humidity and subject to regular pruning they rot, are in a constant state of perennial blackspot and verticillium wilt, and look like diseased garbage.
But they do grow quickly and they will get very very big in spite of their diseases and ugly burned up appearance.
There is hardly another shrub in the entire catalogue of shrubs that I hate more than this mutant plagued hybrid.
To answer your question....water them regularly and they will survive in all of their miserable glory.
Though I personally reserve my wrath and fury for abominations of a meteorological nature, I still have great respect for those who apply theirs elsewhere. Thank you for sharing yours.
Given that this is one of very few plants, trees or shrubs available on my property with which I may attempt my goal of smiting the sun, I must do everything in my power to get it to grow taller, faster, bushier. You mentioned that it is disease prone, especially in areas of high humidity. Through extensive inquiries I've learned that humidity is a relative of rain, or some form of moisture in the atmosphere. As preposterous as this concept seems to me, I'll take your word that it does exist in other, less sun scorched, corners of the planet. With no humidity, with no moist atmospheric events whatsoever, can I assume my devil shrub will be less disease prone?
Well John it seems you have gotten some very uh well strong advice on your Photinia. It is a Red Tipped Pho. It also appears to be in very good condition. Most plant issues are due to a lack of proper nutrients and over/under watering.
Feed the plant, water it when it needs it and apply a systemic insect and disease control product like Bayer.
I have a Photinia along my property line that I use for a privacy screen that is currently 20 ft tall x 10 feet long and 3ft wide.
We have a red tip photinia planted by the previous owner of our house about 10 years ago. She knew nothing about plants and put it in a shady spot surrounded by a grove of oaks. I guess nobody told this plant that it isn't supposed to live there, because it grows like crazy with no feeding from us, and not even that much watering. It's now about 12 feet wide and maybe 15 feet tall and has produced two new thriving plants to the left of it.
We had red tips like these that a previous owner had planted at our last house, in Houston. They all thrived even though we were living the constant humidity of the Gulf coast. We had them in several locations, west side along a fence in the blazing sun, across the southern side under some pine trees, and along the east side of the house in the afternoon shade. The ones on the east side got so big, about midway up the second story. They were all fine and healthy, although I found them to be generally ugly. We finally took them out along the east side, and enlarged and replanted the flower beds there. The rest of them we left, and never had any problem with them.
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