The attractive and evergreen glossed medlar can be found in almost every garden. No wonder, because the wood is really easy to care for.
The photinia is evergreen deciduous wood. It is also known as laurel medlar and belongs to the rose family. There are sixty species worldwide, with the Photinia davidana being predominantly planted in Central Europe. This has a mixed foliage of green and red. The red leaves are older and stand out clearly in winter. With a growth height of up to eight meters, it is ideally suited to be used as a hedge. Another hedge plant that belongs to the photinia family is Photinia fraserie. The Photinia villosa is suitable as a single plant.
How to plant the photinia correctly
If you want to get the photinia in the garden, you have to consider a few things when choosing the location. In general, the plant needs:
- a damp location
- a permeable soil
- a protected location
- Penumbra
A sheltered location is often found near walls. It is only important that the soil is moist, but that no waterlogging can form. It helps if you mix the soil with humus when planting and work new humus into the soil every spring. It is also important to mulch regularly.
It is best to plant the photinia in spring or autumn. The distance between the individual plants should be about half of the growth. When planting hedges, you should never place more than two plants per meter.
How to properly care for the photinia
Water and fertilize photinia
Although the photiniae prefers moist soil, it loses its leaves as soon as it comes into contact with waterlogging. You should therefore regularly check the soil for its structure. Water the medlar as soon as the top layer of soil has dried. Fertilizing is only necessary in the spring. You can use almost any liquid fertilizer for this.
Pruning photinia
In the spring, cut theGloss medlar then a little back. Wait for the flowers to bloom and thin out the plant. You should only avoid cutting off all panicles with flowers. Otherwise the medlar cannot form any fruit. Since the plant grows up to forty centimeters a year, you can cut back vigorously. Only at the beginning of the hedge formation is it necessary to cut short and only remove branches that are clearly overhanging.
Winter medlar
The photinia is hardy and can easily withstand temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius. You should only protect young plants with some brushwood around the trunk so that they do not die in cold winters.