I have a Photinia Red Robin in a container, it is a new plant and is around 3 feet tall. Is it ok to remove it and plant in the garden in February? Bill replies... Red Robins are easy to propagate and the chances of success, even for very amateur gardeners, are very high. The following guidelines will ensure the best outcome:

In cases of only partial damage, the spotted leaves can be removed and burned as soon as they’re noticed, but in cases of more severe damage there are two options: Curly Fantasy’ has wavy-edged, curled and toothed dark green leaves that are characteristically red when young. It grows up to 3m tall. Photinia × fraseri ‘Pink Marble’ I have two photinia red robin trees in pots and they have become infested with brown leaf spots. The spots are ubiquitous across both trees. Can you advise what I can do to restore them please? Bill replies... New shrubs should be watered whenever there are dry weather conditions during the first two growing seasons. A spring and autumn feed with blood, fish and bone over the same period will help produce a good root system, and keeping the area around the plant weed-free by mulching will also help with establishment. After two years they will rarely require much further attention other than normal pruning or cutting to maintain the desired stature and shape. As with a hedge, so with a container planted Photinia Red Robin. Here are a few pointers to growing this fabulous plant successfully in containers… Photinia ‘Red Robin’ at Hedge Xpress

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One final thing to mention is that you should give careful thought to what is planted around your ‘Red Robin’. Growing with White Mignonette Drain the water from the pot and wrap it with a thin plastic film or dip it in cling wrap to secure. Plant markers will work as good holders for this. Most soils can be suitable for this type of plant, but it does best in a deep loam and is not dependent on the specific type. Photinia ‘Red Robin’ is available as a container-grown shrub or as a three-quarter standard, pleached or full standard tree. With its colourful foliage, fast growth rate and evergreen character, it is a good hedging choice. As it is easy to shape, Photinia also makes an excellent topiary shrub.

In general, Photinia Red Robin don’t require additional fertiliser, except in poor soils or to stimulate growth. In this case then scatter a general-purpose fertiliser at the recommended dose in spring. Weeds and grass should not be allowed to grow around the base of the plant. Smaller, slow-growing shrubs are preferable. Evergreen, variegated varieties will provide relief during the summer when the Photinia ‘Red Robin’ is green and a startling contrast in the spring and autumn when the colours of the Photinia come into their own. I have just planted a 10 foot red robin tree in a very big pot/container and want to make sure I feed it the right 'tree food' or nutrients. What would you suggest? Many thanks. Bill replies...

Characteristics Of The Plant

The Photinia Red Robin is an ornamental evergreen hedge plant that grows in the eastern part of the US. Its name is derived from its young, glossy, red leaves which change to dark green as they mature. These leaves grow up to 10cm in length. We’ll be looking at this in more detail in the next post. However, it isn’t recommended to grow anything else in the container until the Photinia Red Robin is established. When you do, remember more water and a little more feed will be required. And if you are going to under-plant, choose a larger container so the plants don’t have to fight each other for root-room and nutrients. Repotting & Transplanting a Container Planted Photinia Red Robin When is the best time to prune our Photinia Red Robin Trees? We have planted 6 trees, which seem to have taken well, and are now shooting. We are trying to make a hedge with them, but do not want to traumatise them, as they were only planted last autumn. Any advice would be appreciated. Bill replies... Just avoid planting Photinia during arid and very hot periods in the summer, or when the ground is frozen in winter. If the shoots on your plant are still green when pruning you will usually find that your Red Robin will start to shoot again.

The technical term for this shrub is Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin'. Photinias are a group of plants that are native to North America and Asia. The Photinia x fraseri was first discovered as a seedling in Fraser Nurseries in Birmingham Alabama in 1943. The most popular of all the Photinias is a hybrid variety, bred in New Zealand and known as "Red Robin." It is the most compact of them all while retaining its red leaves. I do feel that it is important Jane not to incorporate very vigorous growing shrubs which will be in direct competition with your Photinia Hedge for nutrients and water and therefore I would recommend a mixture of shrubs and herbaceous plants/ornamental grasses, a selection of which I am listing below;We recommend planting Photinia Red Robin in a single row between 60cm/2ft apart and 90cm/3ft apart: When the Photinia Red Robin is young, regular watering is completely fine; however, once the plant is established and reaches maturity, it will not need much water at all. In fact, Photinia Red Robin struggles in waterlogged soil. We recommend applying mulch to the top layer of soil around the established Photinia Red Robin plant – this will hold water for considerably longer, so there is less need to water frequently. Pruning Replenish the mulch and consider fertilising with an organic fertiliser each spring and autumn for the first couple of years. The red robin plant belongs to the Rosaceae family, and Genus Photinia. Characteristics Of The Plant

It has since become by far the most popular of all Photinias grown in gardens. Why Grow Photinia ‘Red Robin’? In a year, Red Robin can grow up to 30cm (1ft), so keep it under control and encourage bright young leaves by cutting stems down by 15cm (6in), just above the outward-facing buds.

How To Care For The Red Robin Plant

The cuttings should be approximately 10cm long, taken from a stem that is approximately 1cm in diameter. Cut just below a leaf node and remove the lower leaves from the cutting. Place them immediately into a plastic bag to avoid them losing water until they are ready for planting. As expected, you need to place the red robin plant in the hole, making sure it's filled with soil, a similar depth as the pot it originally came in. Add the soil around the roots, gently firm the soil down around the edges and water well! It’s best if you move the plant and replace it with something that can cope better. Take cuttings first, we have a part about propagation in this guide.