Photinia

Light and exposure

Photinia likes full sun to partial shade. It’s in full sun that the young shoots develop their most intense red; in shade the plant grows just as well, but the new leaves stay duller, more brick than scarlet.

It copes well with wind and salt spray, which makes it a solid choice for a screening hedge along a terrace or a road. Still, avoid spots that stay permanently damp and enclosed: stagnant air around the foliage encourages leaf disease.

Watering

Once established, photinia gets by on Belgian rainfall alone and barely needs watering, except during a prolonged summer drought. The first year after planting is the critical period: water generously once or twice a week while the roots spread out.

In a pot or a freshly planted young hedge, keep an eye out especially during hot, dry summers, which are becoming more common here. Watering at the base rather than over the foliage also helps keep entomosporium leaf spot in check, since it takes hold more readily on leaves that stay wet.

Soil and repotting

Photinia isn’t fussy about soil type as long as it drains well. It grows just as happily in the heavier clay soils around Herve as in lighter ground, but it hates sitting in water over winter, which rots the roots.

A slightly acid to neutral soil suits it best. On very chalky ground, chlorosis can show up: the young leaves turn yellow between veins that stay green, a sign that iron is becoming hard for the plant to take up.

Temperature and humidity

Photinia is hardy in our climate and copes without trouble with winters in the Herve region, down to around minus 15 to minus 18 degrees once well established. Young plants in their first or second year are worth mulching at the base to get them through their first winters comfortably.

The real risk isn’t winter but spring: a late frost in late April or May can scorch the fresh red shoots, which brown and shrivel within hours. That’s exactly why it pays not to prune too early: an early prune triggers new growth that then walks straight into the last frosts.

Pruning and upkeep

Photinia is pruned two to three times a year, typically in April, June and August, so the hedge keeps flushing with fresh red shoots. Every prune sets off a new wave of scarlet young leaves: that’s precisely the effect you’re after.

For a hedge, keep a planting distance of 80 to 100 centimetres between plants so it closes up without choking or rotting at the core. Avoid pruning late in the season or as winter approaches: the resulting growth wouldn’t have time to harden off before the cold sets in.

Pests and diseases

The most common disease on photinia is entomosporium leaf spot, caused by the fungus Entomosporium mespili. It shows up as small reddish purple spots on the leaves that spread, sometimes develop a hole in the middle, and eventually cause the affected foliage to drop. It’s strongly encouraged by moisture sitting on the leaves and by rainy summers.

To keep it under control, rake up and dispose of fallen leaves rather than leaving them at the base of the hedge, give the planting room to breathe by respecting planting distances, and always water at the base without wetting the foliage. Like other members of the rose family, photinia can also be hit by fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), and suffers from iron chlorosis on overly chalky soil.

Propagation

Photinia is easily propagated from semi-ripe cuttings, taken in late summer between July and September, from this year’s growth that has firmed up a little at the base but is still supple at the tip. Take cuttings 10 to 15 centimetres long, strip the lower leaves and set them in a mix of potting compost and sand.

Rooting under a plastic bag or in a mini propagator speeds things up noticeably, usually taking six to eight weeks. It’s the simplest way to duplicate an existing hedge for free, or to replace a plant that has died within an established row.

Month-by-month care calendar

Green Hub tips

• Prune photinia two to three times a year, in April, June and August: that’s what keeps bringing on the young red shoots that make it so appealing.
• Never bring the spring prune forward too early. A May frost can scorch fresh young shoots within hours of them appearing.
• Rake up and bin the spotted leaves that fall at the base of the hedge: it’s the single most effective move against entomosporium leaf spot, photinia’s number one disease.
• For a truly intense red, plant photinia in full sun: in shade, the young shoots stay duller, almost brick coloured.