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Planting a new Erigeron karvinskianus boarder

carolineruthuk19702carolineruthuk19702 Posts: 4
edited November 2023 in Plants
I’m reworking our garden and I want to have an Erigeron boarder to my lawn. I’m thinking it can withstand a bit of knocking about from the kids playing football 🤞🏼 It’s currently very wet where I live, would it be a good idea to hold off and plant new Erigeron in the spring? Or see seeds in early spring?

Can anyone recommend anything I can hold back the weeds with in the mean time? Green manure maybe?
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  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited November 2023
    @carolineruthuk19702 It won't survive in a wet soil. In years gone by in my old garden which was heavy clay it nearly disappeared all together. One small plant hung on close to a path. It is happy in the cracks in pavers or down the edges of steps. 
    You could increase your stock with seed not something I have done as it thrived in the pavers and path.
    There is a soft Lilac form about called E K Lavender Lady lovely with Nasella both are really for a dry soil and if not a pot in a gritty mix. 

    Not sure what you mean by hold back the weeds, if the ground hasn't been cleared for some time you will get a second or even third generation of weeds not a good starting point for new small plants. However you could consider making a start and clearing now unless the soil is waterlogged and you need to stand on it. This can damage the structure.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    what kind of soil do you have?
  • carolineruthuk19702carolineruthuk19702 Posts: 4
    Thanks for your insight GardenerSuze. I have had some success growing it elsewhere in my garden, so hopefully the soil is suitable. The ground has recently been cleared of paving so it’s bare earth at the moment. I thought maybe green manure might be more attractive than putting cardboard down to stop the weeds taking hold, and maybe it would help improve the soil a bit too?

    I have read about Erigeron not surviving wet winters so don’t want to buy new plants and watch them rot over the winter.   

    I’m a novice gardener, so just trying things out.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    If you soil is sandy and/or well drained erigeron should be fine. It's clay and doesn't drain well, the plants might struggle.  It might be worth trying one or two plants in the spring and see how they fare
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If you have the kind of soil that doesn't drain freely and stays damp in the winter, it wold probably be better to hold off planting new erigeron until spring. Do the ones you already have self-seed freely? If they come up like weeds, that's a good indication that the soil is what they really like. That's what they do here.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • carolineruthuk19702carolineruthuk19702 Posts: 4
    Thanks everyone. It grows all around the area. The ones I have were only planted earlier this year, they’ve grown well, but no seedlings I can see.

    I suspect the soil is clay deep down as I’m in London. But I’ve done a drain test, and even with all the rain we’re having it drained in 15 mins. 

    I’m going to be patient and wait to try a few plants in spring 🤞🏼.
  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    I’m on a clay soil that has been improved over the years with mulching. Erigeron grows very well and most survive winters. It is really easy to grow from seed. I started with one plant and now use it as a gap filler. 
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360
    I'm in London too and I wouldn't plant them now, simply because they don't really grow in the winter so will probably look a bit scraggy, and newly planted plants will be more susceptible to damage from the weather. As far as 'keeping the weeds down' is concerned, personally I would just remove weeds as they arrive, and weed it before planting in the spring. If you've got perennial weeds they'll grow through Erigeron or green manure anyway, so you need to remove them, and annual/ephemeral weeds are easy. 
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited November 2023
    @carolineruthuk19702 If yoy haven't cut them back they could have naturally seeded and you could have lots of them.
    @Plantminded has a lovely photo of them growing with Nasella. It has been posted on the forum hopefully they will see this and you can see the effect.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    edited November 2023
    GardenerSuze said:
    There is a soft Lilac form about called E K Lavender Lady lovely with Nasella both are really for a dry soil and if not a pot in a gritty mix. 






     https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&sca_esv=579408689&q=Nasella&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiGm9bpg6qCAxU1SUEAHezWCIAQ0pQJegQIDRAB&biw=1280&bih=595&dpr=1.5
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
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