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leaf node toleave a 8cm / 3in cutting. The cutting should be semi-ripe whichmeans not new soft growth and neither hard old growth. Somewhere inbetween is best. It is fully hardy in almost all areas of the UK withstandingtemperatures down to -12°C. In protected position, it is hardy to afew degrees lower. See the comments question / answer section (comment datedApril 2018) at the end of this article if your Red Robin has lost many of itsleaves during a particularly cold winter. Young plants may need daily watering, whilst mature plants in containers will need less frequent, though regular, watering.
We have noticed that it is the shaded side of plants which are most affected.The above photo shows the sun side of a Red Robin which is totally unaffected byleaf spot. The shade side was affected, but only to a minor degree. This shrub is often under-rated principally because it is so widelygrown. The RHS are quite clear that this is a shrub of great horticulturalvalue, giving it an Award of Garden Merit.
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If you have any cut flowers in the house when you prune your Red Robin, use the red leaves as foliage in the plant arrangement. It looks lovely. GROWING RED ROBINS IN CONTAINERS However, in the colder parts of the country, especially in winter, it would be wise to avoid northern exposure and keep them in a sheltered spot. Most photinia varieties are fairly vigorous growers so it makes sense to choose a container that is a size bigger than the next size up. accept the fact that the position of the plant is the cause, dig itup and plant something there which can cope better. You may want to takecuttings before you do this, read our section below on propagation. Remove the pot from the water and cover it with cling film or asmall plastic bag and support it so that it does not touch the leaves.Plant markers are good for this purpose.
Where the plant is only partially affected the solution is to remove spottedleaves and burn them as soon as they are noticed. Where the damage is moresevere you have two choices: For those of you who prefer a small shrub then pruning can be done any timebetween March and mid July. We wouldn’t advise pruning after late July becausethe young shoots which appear after pruning may well be soft and easily damagedby early frosts. We would not prune these shrubs until they reach 3 or moreyears old. When established a Photinia Red Robin will look after itself. It rarelyneeds watering except in severe drought and will grow quite happily onaverage ground without the need of additional feeds. It will need pruningonce or twice a year to keep it in shape and to size. Choose a full sun to partial shade position. The plant needs some aircirculation so although it will thrive against a wall or fence, avoidplanting it in the corner of two walls fences.
Most cultivars put out young leaves that are in shades of pink and red while a minority have coppery, bronze, marbled or cream-edged foliage.
In fact, the aptly-named Photinia ’Little Red Robin’ and the dwarf cultivar Photinia × fraseri were specifically developed for container growing. Suitable Container Sizes The frequency of pruning depends on the shape and size you want the plant to grow to. Without pruning, Red Robin will grow quite happily and form a bush sized about 4m / 13ft high and wide after seven years or so. If the soil is heavy or is not free draining addlots of well rotted compost to the area and dig it in well. The plant should be fed monthly between mid March to mid August with a handful of blood, fish and bone.It will of course require regular watering. Wait each time until the top 3cm of thecompost is dry and then water well.During that time keep the rooted cuttings in a cold greenhouse or outsidein a shaded position out of the way of harsh weather. They may well needwatering, keep the compost slightly moist but not waterlogged. Disease resistance is good with the exception of leaf spot. See oursection below on pests and diseases of this shrub for top tips aboutavoiding this problem.
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