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Needing inspiration, please!

Tanty2Tanty2 Posts: 231
in Problem solving

Hi all - I had a problem this year with Heuchera Lime Marmalade getting a serious dose of rust.  Cutting them back and dosing them helped, but didn't eradicate the problem.  The diseased plants have now been disposed of.

Annoyingly, I'd already ordered more of the plant (they were absolutely thriving earlier in the year) and they've now been delivered.

I'm going to plant them in different sites, but am trying to think of a way to stop the plants getting mulchy underneath from sitting on wet ground.  I thought about paddlestones, but they're not quite big enough and I'd need too many, so I'm wondering if anyone has any genius idea of a wide flat thin stone (or alternative) I could put underneath the leaves of the plant.  Thank you!

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    What about gravel, pea shingle or slate chippings?


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Tanty2Tanty2 Posts: 231

    Hi Dove

    Thanks for the suggestions :)  I did think about those, but really want something bigger - easier to deal with if these Heuchera bite the dust and need disposed of, too!

  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530

    Could you improve the drainage in the spot you want to plant them in?  Maybe dig in some grit or sand?  If not would slate chippings under them do the trick?

  • Tanty2Tanty2 Posts: 231

    Hi - Most of them are going in a bed which is North facing (also West facing) but gets absolutely no direct sunlight - it doesn't help that this has been a really crappy summer for us, and the air hasn't exactly been warm so maybe that's part of it.  I can certainly dig in more grit, that's a great idea, but I'd still like to find at least a temporary barrier for over the winter at least to give them time to get established.  What about mulch mats, maybe?  The last ones I had didn't break down at all which was a problem at the time, but might be the answer now!

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889

    Vine weevil always got to mine. image

    I've given up trying to grow more.

    Devon.
  • Tanty2Tanty2 Posts: 231

    Oh - I've just found these online...either of you have any experience of using something like this?

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weed-stop-discs-strawberry-diameter/dp/B0033AYROO/ref=pd_sim_86_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SZB3YJWNDJS8MPFP0VJ6

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Some old slates is what you need. 

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Mine are now fine, having been very rusty the first year or two. Some of them are in east facing beds with very little light and very wet ground, some in north facing raised beds, again with very little light, but possibly marginally drier, some have more light and have gravel under them, etc etc - they're all growing exactly the same. They've certainly had just as much rain as the previous years, and the cold doesn't affect them adversely.  

    I think they're better once they're more established. There's no other reason for mine being better than before image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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