Like almost every plant in the garden, the golden privet needs some attention so that it thrives. Skillful use of secateurs takes up most of the time. The rest of the care, on the other hand, is just a piece of cake, but has to be done at the right time.
How do I properly care for my golden privet?
Caring for the golden privet includes regular cutting, fertilizing and watering. First cut young plants back to 15 cm, carry out two maintenance cuts annually and fertilize with compost and horn shavings in spring. Ensure adequate watering and protect potted plants in winter.
Cutting
Care with pruning shears begins on the day of planting with the first cutting back of the young golden privet to around 15 cm. Thecutting is intended to encourage it to branch out new growth and thus give it a compact shape. As soon as it reaches 50 cm in height, maintenance cuts await it every year:
- a cut at the end of February/beginning of March
- second cut in summer after flowering
- remove dry, damaged, frozen and annoyingly growing branches
- shorten other branches all around to desired length
- cut a hedge narrower at the top than at the bottom
- this prevents baldness
Fertilize
The amount of cutting promotes plenty of new growth. In addition, the golden privet is a flowering tree on which even small black berries can ripen. In order to do this work, its roots must find enough nutrients in the soil.
- fertilize in March with a mixture of compost and horn shavings
- Use 3 kg of compost and 100 grams of horn shavings per square meter
- work only superficially to avoid damaging shallow roots
- Alternatively, use a commercially available long-term fertilizer (€12.00 on Amazon)
- dose according to manufacturer's instructions, if necessary fertilize several times a year
- last fertilizer application should be in mid-August at the latest
- Carbonate lime fertilizer has a growth-promoting effect
- but first measure the pH value
Tip
You can fertilize a solitary plant in a pot more effectively and conveniently with a commercially available liquid fertilizer, which you administer via the irrigation water.
Pouring
Golden privet likes moderately moist soil. If the soil is in danger of drying out, it needs to be watered. Even freshly planted and not yet fully rooted specimens still need support at the beginning.
- water as needed
- pay attention to the current weather
- water freshly planted golden privet more often
- Privets in pots also suffer from dryness more quickly
Wintering
Privets are hardy and can get through the winter just fine without our help. Golden privets that grow in pots do not require winter quarters but do require protection from the cold:
- Wrap the pot with fleece or bubble wrap
- place on Styrofoam or wooden block
- A sheltered location on a house wall is ideal
