Hi all, I got this Pultenaea weinderfori (Swamp bush pea) from a specialist indigenous plant nursery. I was not aware of its status until after i got the plant and I really wish to keep it alive. The whole purpose of planting indigenous is to help the environment.
Given this is such a niche plant, there is very little information online and I am struggling to find out why this is happening. It’s dropping leaves and the lower ones are pale. I live in Victoria.
by BorederAndBoreder
6 Comments
We don’t have it in Tassie by the looks but similar bushes. https://www.potn.com.au/plant_list_P.html
Says ours like will drained soil, says one of them is temperamental. Interesting this Victorian site says they are often associated with a particular type of gum tree https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/b8c9e5dd-67da-4abf-a753-6fe1ce111d67 & so I’d be thinking about how similar the soil & fungal (often the tree & plant roots are ‘talking’ to each other, exchanging minerals etc) conditions are at your place? What’s your soil like?
Also noticed the fairly fresh woodchips are pretty close to base & they can suck a bit of nitrogen out & might be excreting something it doesn’t like or be keeping moisture around its base causing some rotting…..so I’d pull the woodchips back a bit.
When did you plant it? Could be a bit of transplant shock?
Clear the area around the base.
Never mulch right up to the base of the trunk/plant, you always want to leave it open around there. Pull the mulch back about 10cm and leave that area exposed otherwise you can cause trunk/stem rot, etc.
Perhaps contact the native plant nursery you bought it from for advice, if they propagated it (or can put you in contact with who did) they would be the ideal people to ask for advice and are usually very passionate about what they do and more than happy to help!
I’ve found many Pea genera in WA are prone to whitefly. I also don’t fertilise my Fabaceae endemics as we were taught that they can be sensitive to nutrient overload when young.
Leave it alone for someone wiser, you’re dealing with spikes.