Care for a bottlebrush plant please? callistemon??
Question:thankyou xx
Answers:
rhs website.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/publications/pubs/...
http://www.rhs.org.uk/publications/pubs/...
Hope this helps.
I grow a couple of bottlebrush plants in my garden, one being somewhat hardier than the other.
The most commonly sold type is Callistemon citrinus, the latter part of its name referring to the citrus smell that the crushed leaves release. Picture here: http://www.worldofstock.com/closeups/npf... Its leaves are flatter than the other type that I grow: Callistemon rigidus.
Callistemon rigidus has much narrower leaves than the above, somewhat like some willows. I find it much hardier in my central midlands garden, and I never protect it. It's now just coming into flower. Picture here:http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/1471...
Care for these 2 plants:
Callistemon citrinus: Can be grown outside in very sheltered situations, potentially towards -10C, though I finally lost 1 last year in April, after it had lived through 4 or 5 winters, with occasional protection from garden fleece. Loves lots of sun and isn't too fussy about soil type, except it does not like alkaline soils and chalk. Otherwise, this plant is good as a pot grown plant, perhaps moved into a cold greenhouse or conservatory during harsh winter periods, or the whole of the winter. You can prune this plant harshly, in order to shape it and keep it busy- they can sometimes become a bit leggy.
Callistemon rigidus: these natually grow in boggy areas in Australia and love lots of water in prolonged droughts. They are typically low-medium height sprawling shrubs, again loving lots of sunlight, though I have 1 in a semi-shaded spot that's doing well too. A friend has a 15' specimen, in her USA garden. Can be pruned, but part of their interest to me is their natural sprawling habit.
Obviously, not sure which type you have or are thinking of getting. My guess is that it will be one of these two, probably the former. I feed both of mine with organic liquid seaweed, and occasional Potassium Sulphate (Sulphate of Potash) to help bring them into good flowering form. Otherwise, occasional aphids attack the Callistemon citrinus, so watch for these, and treat as you would with other garden plants. I often just use washing up liquid or soft soaps to kill them.
I would use a garden fleece covering with this too, if winter temps were likely to fall -10C or lower (though I think mine has had this a couple of times, and been fully OK).
You're bound to love these beautiful and unusual plants. Just watch out for winter time, and have some protection available.
Good luck! Rob
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