How much **** bush tolerates frost?

[Finman]

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I bought two **** bushes in summer, and now I wonder that they have survived in -8C frost. Plant is from NZ.

Do you know, how much.

It atracted nicely butterflies, bumbbles and bees.

 

[Galaxy55]

**** bushes survive the UK winters very well but couldn't comment on Finland.

 

[Finman]

**** bushes survive the UK winters very well but couldn't comment on Finland.

OK. It tells that tolerates quite much. I am going to over winter it indoors, but it is good to know that stands cold weathers well.
Thanks

 

[Finman]

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I found from US hardiness zone, that **** stands zone 8 and it means -12C minimum.

 

[madasafish]

Ours survived -16C in 2011-12.

 

[beeno]

Mine don't survive well. Bought two last year lost one and the other one is already looking poorly.

 

[Finman]

Mine don't survive well. Bought two last year lost one and the other one is already looking poorly.

Unsuitable soil? Or shadow Place?

 

[Tim.S]

With ****'s, large leaves equal tender plants, small leave equals hardier plants. This is a good rule for most plants in fact. Full sun and good drainage are important, and do not overfeed.

 

[Hivemaker.]

and do not overfeed.

How can you tell if they have been over fed? and what is the best food to feed them, and how often?

 

[Tim.S]

Soft lush green growth, especially toward the end of the growth season. Avoid high nitrogen fertilisers. Overfeeding stimulates softer growth which is more prone to frost damage and fungal problems which is one of the genus Achilles heels.
Old fashioned bonemeal is as good as anything, low in nitrogen and high in phosphates. That said hebes are not renowned as long lived plants, so if your plant looks sad either cut back hard in the spring just as it starts to regrow or dig it up and start again.

 

[Finman]

How can you tell if they have been over fed? and what is the best food to feed them, and how often?

I read that once in two months. It is a small amount.
But I fed once in a week, because I did not know.

 

[madasafish]

Hebes in our garden are NEVER fed..

 

[Arfermo]

Hebes in our garden are NEVER fed..

ditto and never had a frost problem. Don't think they like exposed positions much though. 3 years ago had one that died back but reduced it almost to ground level and it's growing as good as ever.

 

[Finman]

Hebes in our garden are NEVER fed..

That do nothing again

I always feed all my plants. I try, how much they grow with special nutritions.

For example, I have planted ordinary birch and Larix. I put annually 100 litre sea algae on roots. The tree grows like a hay.

 

[bontbee]

either cut back hard in the spring just as it starts to regrow or dig it up and start again.

or try letting it layer itself?
I've started quite a few new hebes by accident - where "branches" have sagged onto the soil (because I've been too slack to give them enough support), and they've produced roots from those leaf nodes in contact with the soil. The only effort is chopping the new plant off, once established, and potting it up/replanting. That's as close as poss to do nothing propagation!