Enkianthus campanulatus |
Native Region: Japan
Zone Range: 5-9
Preferred Climate: Full to semi sun; well draining humus rich acidic soil.
Harvest Date: Saturday 01 December, 2007
Description:
From delicate stems hundreds of creamy white striped red bells are suspened under lovely green foliage. Brilliant scarlet autumn colour before leaf drop. Grows to 2.5 meters tall with a 2 meter spread at maturity. Profuse bloom attracts many pollinators and nectar seekers.
Notes:
Blooms on previous year's wood, so pruning right after flowering or you'd be removing next year's display. Enkianthus is known to have a natural lovely trouble free form, so keep your pruning limited to taking out dead or damaged material or branches leaning into pathways.
Cultivation:
Traditionally propagated like Rhododendron: surface sowing under glass and keeping moist. Generally seed doesn't need any pretreatment. Full a 15 cm deep nursery pot with a sterile medium of equal parts of finely milled peat moss, sand, and loam. Sow thinly! Mix seed with a small amount of sand, evenly disperse seed over the surface of the medium (not too much sand as seed need light to germinate) and tamp firm. Direct sunlight will fry seedlings, an artifical light source is best. Keep moist using fine mist as heavy droplets will dislodge delicate seedling roots; use a plastic cover for greater success. Germinate at 20 C and you should see sprouts emerging within 3 months. When at their 3-4 true leaf stage prick out and transplant seedling. Seedlings cannot tolerate winter temps in their first year so its best to place them in a unheated greenhouse or cold frame. Protect seedlings from nibbling varmits. Seed germinates in 2-3 weeks.
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