There are varied types of bottle brush buckeye plant. Read ahead to know more on how to care for it well.
The bottle brush buckeye is an evergreen shrub or a tree depending on the size that it grows to. It can take up to a height of 12 feet as well.
It blooms in both, the summer and the fall. In the summer, the bottlebrush buckeye shrub blooms into white cone-shaped flowers with several panicles and red anthers, whereas in the fall, yellow-colored flowers take over.
The lowest branches of the tree usually grow horizontal to the ground and are a sharp contrast to the ascending branches. In the sections that follow, we will look into the details of how to care for this tree and let it thrive in your gardens.
This shrub makes for an excellent choice for a garden, because of how beautiful it is to look at. Here are the steps involved in caring for it.
Soil
The bottle brush tree thrives well in sandy, acidic, and loamy soil or one that has high clay textures in it. There is a need to clear out the weeds and make an excellent drainage pathway so that there is no standing water in the way.
An addition of manure should be done to the site in which these shrubs will be grown so that there is enough fertilization taking place. Add about 4 inches of this manure. The buckeye is planted in beds that are dug to about 20 inches deep and have a width of 3 times the ball of the root. Make sure to keep adding manure so that the plants are well-nourished.
Growing Conditions
The tree requires partially-shaded conditions for optimum growth. Planting it under a taller tree so that it can get filtered sunlight is considered to be an ideal condition for the plants to grow in.
If it is planted in an area that is full of sunlight, then there are chances that the plant will suffer a burn or the roots and leaves will shrivel. Therefore, planting it under a tree allows for it enough root space and gives it room to spread as well.
Watering
The soil needs to be kept damp and moist at all times for the survival of this plant. Addition of mulch at the root of the plant is important to lock in the moisture. Check if the soil feels hard and dry and if it does, it means that the plant requires water.
In the first year, make sure that you're watering the plant once in a week and taking the water level to an inch every time. Continue with this schedule for 2 years but do not over water or it can cause the roots to rot.
Allow the soil some drying time in between watering. Make sure that you provide for deep watering rather than shallow watering because the water needs to go right in.
Fertilization
There is a need to add a fertilizer that has a low content of phosphorous in the spring and the fall. This will provide for additional nutrients to the roots which becomes necessary for the growth of the plant.
Along with all these steps, it is necessary that the bottle brush buckeye is pruned after it blooms. This allows for the dead leaves and other decaying parts to be cleared and thus allows the plant to get more space and quality to grow better and blossom better as well.
These were some of the factors that you should take into consideration when planting a bottle brush buckeye plant. If you administer the proper care, the plant will grow to make for an excellent specimen in your garden and you can enjoy the sight for years to come.