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Gaura advice please

PurpleandpinksPurpleandpinks Posts: 78
in Plants
Hi all,

First year growing gaura last year and I'm unsure what I should be doing with it. At the moment it's just completely brown dry stems, can I cut it back? I've looked into other people's experiences and mine doesn't look at all like them. Are they dormant or dead? Any advice gratefully received.  Thank you. 
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Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I suspect if you look very closely at the base, or carefully poke around, you will see shoots appearing. It is possible that they have died, but l wouldn't give up yet.
    If you want to tidy them up, you could cut them down a bit, but l treat mine like penstemon and cut them back late March/early April. 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Mine look much the same, but there are lots of green shoots starting to appear from the base of the plant

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Balgay.HillBalgay.Hill Posts: 1,089
    I've just cut mine down to a few inches today.
    No sign of any new growth, but i've done this every year and it grows back well.
    Sunny Dundee
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Mine look the same and I'm waiting to see new shoots before cutting them back. We've had one or two frosts lately so it's still early days.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Gaura is always one of the last plants to let you know it is ok. Over time they can become woody and that is when they can give up over the winter.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    This is great to hear as mine also look like that. Never grown them before so was unsure how they would look in Feb. 
  • LunarSeaLunarSea Posts: 1,923
    This has prompted me to take a look at mine. I've got three plants in different beds. One a 'lindheimeri', the other two the smaller 'whirling butterflies'. From a distance they all look much the same as the OP's now but a couple of them have definite tiny green shoots at the base. 

    I think with this plant it's all down to drainage. I lost two plants last year in a bed that stays very wet for long periods over the winter. The plant in that bed currently (the only survivor from a group of three last winter) is currently showing no growth at the base but looks as though it might pull through. Either way I'll not plant any more Gaura in that bed.
    Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. 

    I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I can't get them to stay alive for any length of time here, even in a well drained bed. Too wet. Hey ho  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Just under the soil there will be tiny shoots growing on the woody stem. I wouldn't go searching as they are easy to damage .@VictorMeldrew I agree soggy feet is not good news for a Gaura.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872
    I have one in my allotment/garden and don't get to see the plants every day. Was there this afternoon and happened to notice the gaura as the stems that remained were white and it just lifted out of the ground with hardly any roots whatsoever so I don't think the conditions could have been right for it so won't bother with another one.
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