How To Grow Plum Delight
Growing plum delight is easy if you know how to care for it. Plum delight, also known as Chinese fringe flower or purple delight, is an evergreen shrub recognizable by its burgundy foliage and extremely bright pink flowers. Plum delight thrives in United States zones 8 and 9, and can live in warmer parts of zone 7. It makes a great hedge or privacy barrier because it can grow up to ten feet high and it can spread out ten feet as well. This shrub is a good way to add visual interest in your yard because it blooms twice per year. You can expect to see bright pink blossoms once in the spring, than again in the fall. Some shrubs will intermittently bloom throughout the summer as well.
Pick out a young, healthy shrub from your local nursery after the danger of frost has past in the spring. Make sure to keep the roots moist. If they seem dried out, you may want to soak them in some tepid water. Choose a spot for your plum delight. Plum delight grows best in partly sunny areas of your garden with well drained soil. Do not forget that your plum delight could spread out ten feet. Take the plant's projected size into account when picking a place in your yard. Once you have the perfect spot, remove all of the weeds and grass in the area. Cover the soil with compost to add nutrients for your plant. Dig a hole twice as deep and twice as wide as your plant's root ball. Fill half of the hole back up with a mixture of half compost and half soil. Make a cone shape for your plant to sit atop. If your plant's roots are wrapped in synthetic fabric, remove the fabric now. If you can't remove the fabric, cut lots of long slashes into it so that your plant's roots can grow out. Place the plant on top of the cone in the hole. If the root ball was wrapped in natural burlap, until the burlap and peel it back from the root ball. Spread the burlap around the cone the root ball is sitting on and leave it in the hole to disintegrate. Slowly fill the hole back up with your half soil, half compost mix, being careful not to leave any air pockets. Plant the plum delight so that the root ball is just peeking above the surface of the soil when you finish. Mound some soil in a two inch high ridge around the root ball to trap water. Fill this basin with water and allow it to settle a few times. Cover the soil with a two inch thick layer of mulch to block weeds and retain water.
Keep your plum delight well watered until it is established in your garden, at least through the first season. Every spring before your new growth comes in, apply an all purpose, general fertilizer to the plant. After the plant's third year in your garden, you can cut back your watering schedule and water only during droughts. Plum delight thrives if you resist your temptation to prune, and will make a wonderful addition to your yard or garden.
