Where to put a teasel?

Ferdinand2000 · November 2020

I'm planning a teasel or somewhere in the garden, for birds, shape and perhaps a hall display to unravel visitors' jumpers.

Is there a good reason why I shouldn't put one with a height of say 2 - 2.2m just my side of the front 1.6m wall? The border already has a Red Robin (plated this year), a Pyracantha, and a Contorted Willow (last 2 put in 6-7 years ago), and a Dogwoody thing that has interesting stems and looks like a big reddy-black punk hairdo until I prune the stems as I think happens about now.

I am wondering if they will stand up to a little bit of wind, or do they blow over very easily?

Thanks for any comment.

Ferdinand

rachelQrtJHBjb · November 2020

Teasels (Dipsacus fullonum) are biennial, making the leaves in one season and flowering the following year. We have plenty here and they never reach the 2-2.2m height you suggest, more like 4ft. They self-seed and pop up in borders and areas of rough grass where the sward is not thick enough to prevent their germination.

They stand up to wind as they don't really have any leaves that catch the breeze and cause toppling.

You can buy seeds from Chiltern Seeds. Sowing them yourself will allow you to become familiar with the basal rosette of leaves the young plants form, meaning you will recognise them and not weed out in subsequent years. https://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_470_dipsacus_fullonum_seeds

Ferdinand2000 · November 2020

Thanks @rachelQrtJHBjb.

Does that mean if I keep half the seeds for a year, then plant them, I get 2 year-by-year alternating teasels?

B3 · November 2020

You don't need to save the seeds. The seedlings will pop up all over the place. You'll have to pull out the ones you don't want and leave the ones that happen in the right place.

rachelQrtJHBjb · November 2020

@B3 is spot on. To help you ID the seedlings look at this link, it shows the plant in all stages https://www.kingcounty.gov/services/environment/animals-and-plants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/common-teasel.aspx

Ferdinand2000 · November 2020

So I get to donate teasels to my Sycamore-pollarding next door but 3 who has donated me at least three dozen sycamores.

Hmmm

.

Dovefromabove · November 2020

Ours grow to a good 6-7 feet against a westfacing fence, shaded from the south by a big tree.

josusa47 · November 2020

I grew them a couple of years ago for the goldfinches, who studiously ignored them, so I haven't grown them since, just weeded out the hundreds of seedlings. I grew them against a west-facing fence; they reached for the light, leaned away from the fence, and when the flowers came, they became top-heavy and flopped right over. I had to tie them back to the fence. They grew taller than me, and I'm 5'3".

Ferdinand2000 · November 2020

Thanks @josusa47 .

I have a situation like @Dovefromabove's. I'm wondering if they can be right up against the front wall, or should be slightly further back up the side boundary. Will try, anyway.

I have had a lot of goldfinches the last few years - but not this year. That was the father of the thought.

Something is getting a bonus this week because I overdid some Giger and Lime bar base by mistake, so the boirdies are getting a dark brown mix of 3 packets of gingernuts impregnated with half a pound of butter.

Dovefromabove · November 2020

I’d give them a bit of space ... they can be impressive statuesque plants if allowed to spread their wings, or ‘branches’ 😊

Ferdinand2000 · November 2020

Rereading my title, I see that it could be an invitation to diversions from topic.

I know lots of places where I would like to put a teasel, but most of them are unmentionable.

Ooops.

Where to put a teasel?

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