If you want to make more of your balcony and also want to look at plants that look great in autumn and winter, you are well advised to get a Skimmia (Skimmie).
Especially in the cold season, a little color is good for us - with the Skimmias you will definitely have them in front of the window. This plant looks very similar to laurel, but differs in the red berries. It is evergreen and thus ensures fresh greenery on the balcony or terrace even in winter.
If you don't want to do without white, wonderfully fragrant flowers in spring and deep red berries in autumn and winter, bring two Skimmia onto the balcony and make sure that it's a male and a female plant. Because that's the only way they can bear the pretty berries. Furthermore, these are not poisonous. The Skimmie is therefore also ideal for the terrace and balcony if you have small children.
How to plant Skimmia correctly
❖ Location & Ground:
The Skimmia feels most comfortable in a partially shaded spot. Direct sunlight, on the other hand, is poison for them. Therefore, always plant the Skimmia in the light shade. You can also use them for planting trees underneath, for example.
If you want to cultivate the Skimmia in a tub, then it is best to choose rhododendron or moorbed soil as the substrate. In the bed, the skimmia prefers humus-rich potting soil that is well drained and airy.
❖ Plant Skimmia:
If you would like to plant the Skimmia in a bed or in a bucket, it is best to do so in May after the ice saints. You can also plant the skimmia in the fall, but the plant won't have as much time to establish itself in its new location before winter sets in. You really plant the Skimmia in the bed:
- Mix the soil in the bed with some compost.
- Now dig a sufficiently large hole.
- Put in the Skimmia, cover with soil and water well.
If you want to keep the Skimmia in a bucket on the terrace or balcony, you need a clay bucket with a hole in the bottom. This is how the skimmie really gets inplanted the tub:
- Use gravel or potsherds to drain the bottom of the bucket.
- Then add some rhododendron or ericaceous soil to it.
- Insert the plant and gently press the soil.
- Water well afterwards.
How to properly care for the Skimmia
❖ Casting:
The root ball of the Skimmia should never dry out completely. That would be the end for the plant. It is therefore best to water them regularly with rainwater. The soil should be well dried before the next watering.
From August or September you should then reduce the watering amounts more and more so that no more young shoots develop before winter. Otherwise, they would freeze to death in the cold season. In winter you should only water on frost-free days.
❖ Fertilize:
When it comes to fertilizing, the Skimmia doesn't require much effort. It is enough if you regularly work some compost into the soil from April to September.
Skimmies in the bucket, on the other hand, need a little liquid fertilizer every 14 days. Mix with water according to manufacturer's directions, then apply water directly to roots.
❖ Cut:
You hardly need to pull out the pruning shears for the Skimmia, as the plant grows very slowly here. Just remove dead wood and unwanted side shoots regularly. Otherwise you only have to remove the faded parts.