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perennials
kim scott3
Posts: 51
in Plants
Hiya can you please tell me why some of my perennials like lupins delphiniums anchosa's rudbekia & more not coming back I have to keep buying more each year, last year tried nematodes don't think as worked till plants come up this spring, is it weevals or what? Also I've had 2 peony's 3 yes I get foliage but no flowers there in pots should I put in ground?
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They may be being eaten by slugs so get yourself some wildlife friendly slug pellets and start scattering them at weekly intervals or after heavy rain from now until mid June. This should get the blighters as they emerge from hibernation or hatch from eggs and before they start to eat and breed.
Peonies are very fussy about planting depth. To deep and you bury the flowering point and too shallow leaves it exposed. Either way it won't flower. I would suggest planting them in the border anyway as their flowering period is short but their foliage can offset other plants to advantage.
Peonies hate to be moved and will sulk for several years. They will do much better planted in the ground rather than pots.
I am pretty sure your perrenials are being eaten by keel slugs. Tiny black ones which live just below soil level. Slug pellets put down from Xmas onwards will help. The most favourite food for keel slugs are delephiniums and lupins so your slug population must be very happy!
Thanks a lot all for all that advice I have used slug pellets couple of times but will use all time now like you said, & will do that with peony's, also another question I've had some foxtail Lilly's 3 years first yr just foliade so put in pot following year & same so have put back in ground bout step any advice please?
Thats where your'e going wrong Verdun, they are desert plants and should be left totally alone being baked by the sun. They don't like good soil or water.
Eremurus or foxtail lilies are slow to mature. Plant roots horizontal not too deep on a bed of grit for sharp drainage. Full sun and keep the slugs and snails from eating flowering shoots, sorry to tell you after so much trouble with other perennials but they can attack emerging shows and hide in the foliage.
OK thank you all
I am the biggest threat to everything in the garden as I am always moving or shifting plants.
Lupins should be the easiest out of all the perennials mentioned. They come back from root and self seed freely. They like full sun and well draining soil. Delphinium and Holyhock are also easy from bare roots though the latter tends to get rust for me.
Rudbeckia I struggle with. I have grown them from seed and I can see them come up the next year but they never seem to flower.
Kniphofia are a challenge for me. Apart from the evergreen Northiae mine seem to dieback and they are in a sunny south facing position with grit and protection. I have seen slugs attack the stalks have way up and me lose flowers that way
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