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Moving a Penstemon (Electric Blue)

MeomyeMeomye Posts: 949
in Problem solving
My Penstemon Blue is beautiful and putting on its usual amazing show right now but unfortunately it is in the wrong place and I would like to move it at some point. I just wanted to know what is the best time to move it and what are the chances of survival? tia

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Cuttings are pretty easy. Take some as a back up.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 429
    B3 said:
    Cuttings are pretty easy. Take some as a back up.
    Wish I'd done that last year. Lost all my penstemon over the winter. Had hopes for one of them, had a couple of shoots then a late frost finished it off. 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I would wait until autumn when it's finished flowering, or next spring when it's just starting into growth. In the meantime, look for non-flowering shoots and if there are any, take cuttings as @B3 suggested.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • MeomyeMeomye Posts: 949
    Thanks @B3 and @JennyJ. @gjautos, they are actually my only surviving Penstemons, I too lost lots over the winter including one that was very hardy in previous winters.
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Yeah I lost a couple this year too.
    I didn't know there was electric blue ones though! I need some!! 
  • PoppypussPoppypuss Posts: 143
    The electric blue penstemons are def my favourite. They survived last winter, very healthy and bushy evergreen, when nearly all my other penstemons didn't make it or got really poorly and still struggling to recover. Fabulous colour, with pink tinges as the plants get older so if you want to keep them bright blue, as suggested just take lots of cuttings.
  • MeomyeMeomye Posts: 949
    @B3, @Poppypuss Any idea when and how to take cuttings from these please? Do I put them in water to root or straight in to a pot? tia
    @Slow-worm, they are very pretty, and are available at the moment, I saw some in the GC yesterday. They are not very tall but spread, mine are approx 60cm tall x 90 cm wide but I have had them some time.
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    @Meomye I passed a garden centre this morning, and nipped in on spec - they had hardly any penstemons, but they did have about 8 electric blue ones! I'm so chuffed (and easily pleased. 😄).
    Thanks for bringing these beauties to my attention, I don't know how they've evaded me all this time!
  • PoppypussPoppypuss Posts: 143
    @Meomye I took soft cuttings a couple of months ago and they rooted pretty quickly. You could still try now if you have non flowering stems? I've not tried in water but I don't see why not, just give it a go.
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