How To Grow Photinia Red Robin?

Red Robin is a wonderful plant, that is enjoyed for its striking foliage when young, and which grows into a perfect screening plant when older.

But how to grow photinia red robin? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered with all the most important hints and tips for planting and growing this lovely evergreen!

How To Grow Photinia Red Robin

These beautiful plants are pretty easy to grow and care for, but like all plants they do have some preferred conditions:

It likes a full sun to partial shade position. Native to North America and Asia, this plant likes to be warm!
Air circulation is a must. Red robin won’t like to be sandwiched in between two walls; it needs to feel the breeze on its leaves to thrive.
Loose, well draining soil. No plant likes to be waterlogged, and this one is no exception – it will need to have soil that can easily drain the water away.
Avoid overwatering. This plant is relatively drought tolerant, and will cope better being too dry than too wet.
Prune it once or twice a year. Once established, Photinia can grow quite quickly, and a little haircut will keep them healthy, bushy – and stop them from taking over your garden!
Feed twice a year. Use a feed of fish, blood and bone meal to give your red robin the extra boost of nutrients.
Keep an eye out for leaf spot. This fungal condition can cause the leaves to drop, and in severe cases the health of the entire plant can be compromised.

This detailed article will tell you how to grow all types of Photinia, with a little feature of Red Robin!

How Quickly Does Photinia Red Robin Grow?

This plant is absolutely fantastic to use as a hedge or screening plant – it is fast growing, attractive, and very easy to care for.

With the right conditions, red robin can grow up to 30cm a year, making it great to plant in a place where you needs something quickly.

You can encourage it to grow as big as it can, by providing its favourite conditions and giving it a strategic pruning once a year.

They will not grow quite as big if they are not in the right conditions, but they are still a fast growing shrub that should be allowed space.

It is always wise to prune your photinia no matter how big it gets, as this will encourage new growth and those beautiful red shoots.

You can, of course, allow it to grow and spread as much as it likes – but watch out for it spreading too far and shading other plants.

How Do You Encourage Red Robin To Grow?

Once you’ve got your photinia in, you want it to be as healthy and beautiful as it can be, right? Obviously, the right conditions will give the best results.

Ensure that is has enough sunlight – at least 5-6 hours a day – but don’t panic as it will also grow in partial shade.

A photinia that doesn’t have air circulation will not thrive – ensure that the breeze can get between its leaves and that it is not squashed into corners.

Make sure that the soil is well-draining – if it is too heavy then the plant will struggle to grow.

You can add some fertiliser or manure to the soil – this will bring in some much-needed nutrients, and can also help the soil to drain better.

Pruning is one of the best ways to encourage growth – and, in this case, to produce beautiful red foliage.

Trim the plant from the top to encourage it to bush out to the side more, as this is an area that it naturally grows more slowly.

You can also deadhead the flowers when they are spent – this allows the plant to put more of its energies into growing new, healthy foliage.

What Month Do You Prune Red Robin?

All plants benefit from a little pruning once in a while – and in the case of red robin it might become necessary, as they are very good at growing!

It is always best to wait until the plant is more dormant before you do a prune – hacking it back at the height of the growing season will stunt it.

If you prune in early to mid June, just after the flowers are dying back, your plant will likely bounce back incredibly well.

Pruning is easy – simply take some sharp secateurs and snip the stems, making sure to do so just above a leaf node.

Alternatively, you can trim your red robin right back using a hedge trimmer if it has gone wild – it is very hardy and will simply regrow!

Make sure that you do prune it, however, as it can grow large and unruly, and pruning it is the best way to keep it in shape.

This video will show you the best and most effective way to prune red robin:

Does Photinia Lose Its Leaves In Winter?

There are actually quite a lot of different species in the genus Photinia, and, confusingly, some are evergreen and some aren’t.

All of the shrubs in this pretty family have attractive foliage, and all also produce flowers and fruits.

Photinia Red Robin is an evergreen shrub – it will keep its leaves all year round. These leaves start out red, then deepen to green as the year progresses.

Evergreens are fantastic as hedging and screening plants, as you will have that lovely foliage all year round, even when other things in your garden have died back.

A hedging plant that doesn’t lose its leaves is also great for wildlife – birds, bugs and even small mammals can find shelter and food, and can create a little more interest in your garden.