Summer Wine Ninebark floppy

Hi all,

I planted a few of this much-hyped shrub last year and a couple of more this Spring. So far, every one of them is floppy - laying horizontally and looking like a mess. Anyone have two plus years experience with these? Does it get better? Should I stake them? Very disappointed. Thanks.

Victor

Hi Victor, I don't have 'Summer Wine' but I have others and none of them have done what you described. Please don't read anything into what I am going to ask but did you compact the soil in and around the plants well enough for them to stand upright until they established themselves? The very first year I planted little K-Mart trees and some shrubs from Builder's Square... I made good and sure that the soil was really nice and loose around the bases of my plants. They all started flopping and additionally they mostly died because I believe there was too much air in contact with the roots. I'm not saying I was stupid, just that I did what made sense to me at the time. If you didn't do a "Lauren" when planting your shrubs, please post photos of your plants if at all possible so people who have far more experience than me can get a good look-see at what you are referring to.

Oh, boy, who wants to be the first to jump on that one?!?!?!?
Hee-hee-hee!

The flops could be root related as Equil is describing, if they are falling over at the ground. This also might relate back to planting a containerized shrub without washing out some of the potting mix and spreading out the roots during planting.

Or it could be that the roots are fine, but the new growth is too lush or soft and etiolated from too little light or too much fertilizer. Or perhaps they were grown in tight quarters in the nursery, thus supporting one another and not needing to develop caliper. Or maybe they were staked in the nursery and began flopping when the stakes were removed. Post a pic?

Guy S.

Nope, I bet not on the planting issues. I have two, they are floppy messes. I am going to try hacking on them to make them look presentable

Thanks to the IL gang! Actually I made a boo-boo. Only one of about five or six Summer Wines flopped. The rest are fine. It is Weigela Wine and Roses that is the problem. Just about every one is laying on its side. Sorry for the mess-up. Thanks again.

Victor

Come to think of it potting mixes heavy on the perlite make them flop too. Weigela is sort of supposed to flop. That's the growth form I've got over here. They are billowy. Hope all is well for you because the 'Wine and Roses" is particularly nice.

Hey Guy... nobody bit! nanner nanner nanner!

My Wine and Roses are nice and upright. I have a Carnival that grew floppy for a while and as new shoots came up I would remove some of the floppy ones and it looks better now.

I have not cut them back at all yet. Maybe I will after flowering. I refer to them as my flowering runners. Thanks.

Victor

Whew! Hi you guys. We had a bad storm here and the computer crashed. My heart fairly stopped when I read the first part of this thread, as I just replaced my dead miscanthus with a Summer Wine ninebark. Sorry to hear that the Wine and Roses weigela is not living up to your expectations Victor. On the other hand, much relieved that it wasn't the ninebark that was flopping! LOL It is my understanding that Wine and Roses is fairly compact, so I think maybe your soil is too rich. Russian Sage and some of my natives are like that, they like it lean and they flop when they have it too good. Maybe if you let it dry out a little so it puts down stronger water-seeking roots that would help?

Hi PrairieGirl,

Sorry for the scare. Actually, the Summer Wine is looking quite nice. I'll post pics soon. As for the Wine & Roses, I doubt the fertility. I'm not big on amending the soil or fertilizing or otherwise babying the plants. Either they make it in my native soil on their own, or they get ditched. I'm not one to make 'junkies' out of my plants. Thanks!

Victor

Me neither. I do add mushroom compost when I start the bed, and cedar mulch chips every year, basically to keep the weeds down. I never have fertilized. I like how you phrased that, no junkies allowed! LOL We have been getting so much rain here, I was wondering if that was part of the problem. Seems like some of my low growers really sprawl if they get too much water. Maybe it's just what this plant wants to do. Have a great weekend Victor!

I just wanted to say about those floppy weigelias... Just bury that floppy root & a new one will sprout pronto.

Everyone of mine has set new trees this way... Good Luck