The most annoying plant award goes to......

........ Poncirus trifoliata

I bought this plant back in 2013.  It was a fine plant and I fell in love with it straight away.  It lovingly planted and I stood back to watch it grow.

Slugs had other ideas and ate it to within an inch of its life.  I am not a fan of slugs.

Fast forward a couple of years and I decided to dig the poor munched thing up and coddle it for a while in a pot.  It grew well and was soon looking garden-ready again.  This made me happy and I chose to use it to trial some slug prevention.  The slug prevention worked, but still the plant did not thrive.  Now it just sat there, glaring at me, clearly sulking.

So a few weeks ago my temper snapped and I dug it up again and potted it on into the greenhouse.
Again it sprang back into life.  This is clearly a really good plant as whilst it may sulk (as can I) it recovers rather fast (I do not).  Apparently this plant is often used as a rootstock for citrus plants, it certainly has vigour.

So, three years rather too late I decided to check what kind of conditions this plant likes, it is not thick Leicester clay that is for sure!  It likes well drained slightly limey soil. So my acidic soil is not going to help either.  Well that's a non-mystery solved then.  So for now it will live in a pot, it might be forever, time will tell.

As I thought about how irritating this plant was I realised that there is usually at least one plant irritating me at any set time.  It is not necessarily a weed, though quite often it is.  So I wonder if  there should be Irritating Plant of the Month day (IPotM), it feels like a meme I can identify with.  So - do you want to write a post about what plant is irritating you this month?  Any reason is perfectly acceptable.  Let's vent our feelings on the disappointing on the 23rd of every month.

Who will be first? Just write a post and add the link to the comments box (don't leave me hanging.....)  

Comments

  1. This is the same story as me with Clematis. I kept planting them and they would be about to flower, then die. Over and over. Finally I looked up conditions and like yours, it doesn't like Sheffield acid clay. I think I just assumed Clematis liked most soils, I don't know why. I guess we eventually learn, and for your plant, at least it might have a better chance in the greenhouse, hopefully sans slugs.

    I like the idea of Irritating Plant of the Month day (IPotM). In fact, you've inspired me to add my own contribution. http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2016/06/irritating-plant-of-month-day-ipotm.html :)

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  2. Good idea.Ask me when I'm not thinking referendum! XXxx

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  3. I think I bought mine at the same time. Mine hasn't grown. not even an inch. I'm just wondering if it is in fact still alive. just checking...

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    Replies
    1. I think they need cosseting - pot it up & see how it goes

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