I have planted 4 sundance chosyia over the last few years. On a slope, full sun for most of the day (tho some later afternoon shade. Well drained, mulched, and with irrigation system. All of them experience serious die back over the winter and last year so severely that I replaced one. They look very unhappy and I'm about to give up on them. Wondering if you have thoughts?
Jackie Just a thought - Are the planting holes in the slope U or L shaped. Chosyia usually does very well here so the only thing I can think of is that the planting holes are not allowing water to drain out. The U shape will hold water where the L shape with the bottom of the L tilted a bit down will allow excess water to drain down the slope. Most plants hate wet feet. I'm in Ancaortes and we've had some pretty wet, crappy weather. What do you think? barb
I am not much help Jacquie, but my choisyas in Tsawwassen are desperately unhappy too. I have had the worst luck with the Sundance variety in particular. Which grieves me as it is so pretty and such a useful chartreuse colour in the garden scheme. My sense of the yards I have had and the choisyas that have prospered is that they like it rough...dry, not terribly fertile or loamy soil, and can take the sunlight. In my gorgeous new garden full of rich soil, they languish...they seem to hate wet feet particularly in winter. You might do well to dig in sand or poor soil around them, and cut back on watering. Some light protection in winter may help with the dieback and to keep their feet drier.
Thanks for your thoughts. Mine are on a slope, so drainage should be good, but both you and the other responder suggest they don't like wet feet...so i'll work on this. I did give them winter protection last year in the form of straw about the shrub, but I think that made the die back even worse, or perhpas it was colder. In any case, it is the sundance I'm talking about, so I'll give them one more year!
If the soil is heavy and damp the fact that the surface has a slope will not compensate sufficiently for any inadequacy there may be of the internal drainage. Choisya ternata is native to SW Mexico, if winter conditions are too stiff it does not hold up.
