New Beds for Daphne

I am building new raised planting beds for 2 Daphne in the front of my house. One on each side of the sidewalk.

I have sandy loam, and the grass I try to grow just sucks.
I aireate 2x's a year and it still does nothing except collect weeds (even had a lawn care service try) I get a lot of fungus that doesn't allow for water penetration.

Am in the process of digging trenchs for drainage, as it is ok after I get past the fungus, and am thinking about more rock & sand in the bottom for faster drainage with straw and partially decomposted leaves, to retain moisture, topped off of course, with compost and cactus type potting soil. Of course, lime and super-phosphate.

Does this sound o.k.? or is there a better way to go as far as drainage and layers? If so, what do you think?

Not that experienced with Daphne. How big should the hole be? The plants are only 10 inches tall.

Also want to plant Lillies in the same bed. Anybody ever do this? Or what can someone suggest?

Any help on this would be greatly apprecitated.

Please let me know

Whaich sp of daphne have you got Dud? They vary in sun/drainage requirements. They also vary hugely in their rate of growth and eventual size - some being low and very spreading, others more upright...

I have Daphne 'Carol Mackieii' (sp). It is a variegated deciduous shrub that was about 10" when I got it 4 years ago; it is now about 14". Obviously I am doing something right with it (it hasn't died) but a lot wrong with it (it hasn't grown).

What you suggest with putting in partially-composted organic material ought to help improve the soil a lot. I have done that frequently in the past, but didn't with my daphne. The only thing about putting in the not-finished compost is that as it finishes decomposing, it loses a fair amount of volume. You may want to end up with the height a little higher than the ultimate should be. At least an inch or so.

I am puzzled by the drainage problem you are having with your already sandy loam. It seems as though it should already drain fairly well, unless your water table is high.

Maybe Lenjo will see this thread and shed some light. I too am interested. Thanks, Brenda

Thanks, Brenda, for your vote of confidence, I might not be able to shed much light on this. I know this plant likes acidic soil and well drained. I have several of these and some are sited in full sun and doesn't seem to bother them and we had a very warm summer.This particular group of daphnes didn't get a lot of extra water either. We mulched them with bark dust probably a fir or hemlock base and they loved it. This particular daphne can be sort of semideciduous, so if it loses lots of leaves don't assume it is dying; they just do that.Dig your hole for your plant twice as big as the root ball and no deeper than it already is in the pot. I wonder Dud, about the lime you are adding. I think the daphnes would be fine without it, what do you think Philomel?

I garden on slightly acidic clay over chalk - a strange mix lol. I don't have 'Carol Mackie' as that's an American hybrid, but I have a variegated Daphne burkwoodii which is very similar and it's doing very well (even had a thick second flush of flowers recently) in a shallow bed which is clay that I have added some drainage to. It would certainly welcome some mulch over its roots I would think

Mine loses its leaves in the coldest weather, but you're right, this is natural for this plant and they soon grow back again in the spring. Mine is also mainly in sun. This plant does enjoy a bright and warm position. I haven't watered mine at all throughout our unusually hot dry summer and it has thrived
They enjoy a Mediterranean climate after all, whether in sun or shade (blagayana is an example of a shade lover)

So good luck with yours Dud :)
Oh, and don't forget that, though there are fungi which are harmful to plants, many are essential to a plant's wellbeing and live symbiotically with them, so don't assume that all fungi are a threat. The plant provides energy gained from the sun to the fungus, but the fungus enables the plant to absorb nutrients from the soil which it wouldn't have access to otherwise.