no success at growing red tipped photinia

I live in the Rio Grande Valley just a little south of Albuquerque. I've tried and failed the past five years to grow red tipped photinia. The soil is heavy clay 18 inches deep. I've punched drainage holes through the clay into the sand below. The plants stay yellowish and always looked as if the leaves are burned. Any advice other than to quit trying to grow them? thanks much

They may be diseased. We don't plant them anymore because of that. It may not be the clay.

A virus is killing red tip photonias all over the country. Don't waste your time trying to grow them. The burned appearance may or not be the virus, but sooner or later it will infect and kill them.
Chinese photinia is a good alternative, but they must be watered the first year to get them started.

Cleyera is another good alternative. I had red tips at our old house and they were being seriously stressed by disease when we sold the house. I put cleyeras in here and they look real good.

Here in Texas, cleyera suffer if they're in direct sun all day. I do think they are very pretty. They dislike wet feet, but in New Mexico I doubt that would be a problem!!! S/he did say heavy clay, though. That makes me wonder.

Carolina Cherry Laurel
Loropetalum
Tea Olive - Holly or Fortunes (taller)

all suggestions for substitutions at the Clemsen Extention site.

Yes, the area of New Mexico in which I live receives only about 8 inches of rain/yr but it happens mostly during the monsoon season which is July thru August. Most of the summer is hot (mid-nineties), dry and very sunny. Heavy clay adds to the problem. Thank you for all the suggestions. tom

Unless you can irrigate your shrubs, you've got your work cut out for you. Even at that you're going to need something tough. Isn't your clay soil (and water) highly alkaline? That eliminates a lot of choices, some suggested earlier.

I do irrigate and the soil has a high alkaline content. I'd like to plant bushes/shrubs as a privacy fence. Are there any suggestions given the climate and soil? Thanks much.

Tom

Tom,
Here's a couple of sites that might help.

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/ShrubSelector/sort.cfm?fn=Tolerance&subfn=4

http://www.plantpress.com/plant-encyclopedia/plantdb.php?plant=10349

Here's a link for your native plant society: http://npsnm.unm.edu/

High Country Gardens sells plants that do well in the desert southwest--it's a nice site to look at for ideas http://www.highcountrygardens.com/ Many of their plants are perennials but they do have some trees & shrubs.

A book from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Plants-Mexico-Gardens-Landscapes/dp/082631595X

Tom- Does NM have county extension agents? You would be best served by getting advice from a professional who knows your area. If you don't have any luck there, I can contact an agent in SW Texas, where the climate is similar to yours, and see what they recommend. You are limited for sure in your choices, particularly since you want dense evergreens for privacy. Decidious plants would not work.

http://aces.nmsu.edu/pes/lowwaterplants/evergreen-shrubs.html

A link for you, Tom.

I had three thuja in a bucket for an entire year - didn't take care at all. In the sun and in part sun. They did well and are now in the ground thriving. Grow fast - thick. Maybe you could check to see if will do well in your area.

Which thuga are you talking about? The "eastern arborvitae" gets to be a fairly large tree. I think he wants a shrub. Another thuga, native to the west coast, also is a tree. Then there are the ones imported from other countries......

He can google to find out if any/all thuga suit.

Yes, a line of trees ...one heck of a privacy fence!! I figure if he likes what he sees, he can judge the suitability for his space and needs.

It's really fast, relatively inexpensive, attractive, aromatic, resists decay, used as a hedge and if it grows well in his area----he can consider.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I'm going to try a euonymus and see how it does. Seems to thrive well here.

You may be tired of naysaying, but this link from a New Mexico site may change your mind about euonymous. They are magnets for scale insects. I hate to say unfavorable things about your choices, but better to be forewarned than be sorry later on.

http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/1997/062397.html