Varigated Wegelia advice please....

I was wondering if anyone would have tips on keeping a Wegelia healthy? And, I have 2 spots I could put it one full sun, the other being a bit more shaded most of the year. Do they grow large roots? Thanks for your wisdom!!!!

Hi Kristy, these are lovely shrubs and are so wonderful when in flower attracting pollinating insects, the variagated type need a bit more sun than the green leaf ones, part shade would be the least I would try, but more sun preferred. add humus to the soil by way of horse manure (well rotted) or home/ shop bought compost with a handful of Blood-fish- bonemeal to the planting hole and mix this into the bottom with a little sprinkle to the soil you are replacing around the root, dont plant any deeper than the mark on the stems where it was in the pot and firm into the hole.

IF later years you note ALL green leaf on stems, prune these out as that is the plant trying to revert back to it's parent type. I give mine a prune of the older stems each year after flowering and this allows light and air into the centre of the shrub eliminating any chance of grey mould ect getting into the inside of the bush, then add a multi purpose feed or top dress with more horce manure well rotted.
Good luck and hope you can enjoy.
WeeNel.

I never gave our wiegelia any attention and it grew great in part shad of a edge of the woods area. I have found that it is a difficult shrub to place in landscape -- it is beautiful but doesn't blend well with its neighbors and that is why I planted it woods edge.

My wiegelia is planted in full sun and is thriving. I have totally ignored it but will take WeeNels advice on the pruning. After three years mine hasn't reverted back to green.

OPPS didn't read carefully. Our wiegelia - green not variegated. So part shade fine. I don't know anything about variegated needs and so we are lucky WeeNel is here.

Thank you it is so nice to share your knowledge! I will post a pic when I am done.

Missingrosie, mostly all Variegated type leaf plants require more bright light, NOT ALWAYS Bright sun, but light, this is to keep the variegation going, IF there are plain green shoots forming it normally starts where these branches / stems get less light however, IF left, they grow faster and stronger than the more delicate variegated stems, and can cause the plant to revert back to it's ALL green form like one of the parent plants it was crossed with.
I never understood all that either Missingrosie for a while also until it was explained to me about the light from the sun and the breading from the parent plants that achieved the variegation in the first place.

Hope this helps you out a little bit, Have a great gardening season "well, what's left of it now" and prep start's here for getting the garden ready for winter's sleep. OH heck, where does time go eh!!!!.
Best Regards.
WeeNel.

You are a font of information!!! ;0)

Missingrosie, don't make me blush, there are many great people on this sight, who also have loads of info too.
I have travelled wide and vastly covered lot's of USA, been to many continents too and while there, always try search out gardens, Botanical gardens are a great mind-field too as you can read all the info attached to the plants.
Had a great teacher in my late Dad who grew all our food greens and fruit's here as I was born during the WW2 and all food was then rationed per person, as was lot's of clothes and furnitures, so you either made do and mended or you starved, MY dad was a great teacher as I never knew I was learning as we did the tasks and even though he has been passed away for many years, while I'm in my garden and get stuck with plant, tools, know-how, I find myself asking myself "what would my dad have done, or he would not have paid that for a garden fork, LOL yeh forgetting his forks are still in use by me and today, they dont make tools like that any more, jeeeeees we gardeners dont half give ourselves a hard time eh !!!!!.

Thanks for the compliment MissingRosie, but being on this site you have people that care and are always ready to help.
Best Regards. WeeNel.