We've had a busy few weeks on the nursery and in the gardens recently, with many people visiting to see the glowing autumn colours.The weather has been fairly quiet, with no major gales or winds in our area and therefore quite a few of the trees here are still giving a good autumn display.
In particular one of our favourite trees, a Liquidambar styraciflua 'Festival' (Sweet Gum) planted by the main car park, is still looking stunning at the moment.The leaves of this unusual, handsome tree are bright green in spring and summer, turning to a nearly translucent, ruby red in late September and staying on the branches for several weeks (unless we have persistent windy weather).
The soil in the arboretum generally has a pH of around 6.8 to 7.0 and with Liquidambar trees it is worth bearing in mind the following before planting them:
The autumn colour of Liquidambar will vary according to weather and in particular the pH of your soil. The best, most vivid autumn colours will occur in lime-free or acid soils. A liberal annual application of flowers of sulphur around the base of a Liquidambar, at a rate of up to 2 oz. per square yard on neutral or slightly alkaline soils will slowly lower the pH and intensify the autumn colour!
The fantastic red leaf colour, especially on a clear, sunny autumn day makes this a sought after garden tree!
Further information about growing this sweet gum can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Liquidambar styraciflua 'Festival'
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