Never grown penstemon before, so I chose Raven, which has the AGM. I therefore thought it would be easy to grow... all brown at the bottom... any ideas...? Tia. X
Recently someone posted a photo of a dahlia with an injured bottom like this penstemon. Could it be the effect of the heatwave (in fact, there must be some kind of empathy between my place in the southern half of the world and Britain, because our winter has begun with a rise in temperature of over 15 degrees!)?
I grow a lot of Penstemons,as it's a favourite of mine,and to be honest,I would think it's to do with the heat,as some of mine are looking like that.Not so much the narrow leafed variety,but they are hardier anyway.
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
I've got some tall Phlox that looks the same - I think it likely, as DW says that it's down to the heatwave. Even plants that are well watered are drooping as the strong sun is on them all day. I've got lots of penstemon and about 6 Raven - they're all ok, as they're in a part of the garden that's easier to water.
If you've already drenched it and that's had no effect, you could cut it all back to about 6" - you should be able to get some cuttings from the trimmings - and keep the plant watered. Once established they're very tough
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Mine are like that, I’ve come to the conclusion this year that I must just enjoy what I have and don’t look at the bad bits, I always start penstemon cuttings in a glass of water, they root quickly, then keep protected in the cold GH over winter and plant out next Spring.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Thanks for your answers... I have been watering them every evening, but maybe it's the constant sun all day that is just so draining. Whereabouts are you @DimWit? I've never tried taking cuttings (any tips, including maybe pics, would be helpful, @Lyn), but will endeavour to do so. Haven't really got place for a greenhouse, but am thinking of investing in a cold frame, so I could pop them in there.
There some info here from the RHS how to take cuttings. I find that Raven is one of the easiest - Which is why I've got quite a few of them - as have my neighbours
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
You can even do Irishmen's cuttings on some penstemon. If you look right down at the bottom of a stem, you can sometimes see the start of tiny roots, like little white bumps along the stem. If you do, you can cut the whole stem off right at the base and get at least 2 cuttings, one from the base and 1 from the tip, as usual.
They even root if a stem falls over and lies along the ground!
My penstemons look like that because I was so fearful of cutting them back in the autumn and losing them over the winter, and then I left it too late to cut them back in the spring and they had sprung! All the new growth is green and lush, last years growth is brown and horrible. Could you have done the same????
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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Even plants that are well watered are drooping as the strong sun is on them all day.
I've got lots of penstemon and about 6 Raven - they're all ok, as they're in a part of the garden that's easier to water.
If you've already drenched it and that's had no effect, you could cut it all back to about 6" - you should be able to get some cuttings from the trimmings - and keep the plant watered.
Once established they're very tough
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I find that Raven is one of the easiest - Which is why I've got quite a few of them - as have my neighbours
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.