I would like some advice on Gaura maintenance.
1. Last year I cut one of G. 'Whirling Butterflies' back to about six inches from the ground when the stems were crispy. This year, it took forever for the plant to green up and as yet, not bloomed. I thought I had killed it.
2. Last year I planted a couple Gauras (pink) around a Japanese Maple to compliment the pink/maroon in the Japanese Maple. The plants are getting too much shade and are flopping over. The stems are about 2' long.
So,
Is it "okay" to cut them back?
How much from the ground sh. I cut them?
The pink ones must be moved. They have a tap root.
Do you think I can move them or will they die? I am thinking about cutting a lot of the foliage off when I attempt to move them. Any advice would be helpful.
Gaura
We have a pink Guara and a white one. The pink one never gets cut down as it's in a garden that I do very little maintenance on. It's not that tall and the flower stems do mostly flop down but it still looks pretty where it's at. As for the white one, it gets cut down to the ground in the fall. This one is doing great and is much bigger than last year and has flowers over 3' tall. I did have to put a small cage around it so it wouldn't fall into the yard but the caging is green so you can't really see it. They both broke dormancy later than most of our perennials. You might move the pink one in a month or so, so it has a little time to establish itself before winter. I would not cut off too much foliage because it will need that to reestablish its root system. I would also use a root stimulator like Biotone to help minimize loss.
Thanks Sequoia for replying.
I am a little concerned about moving the plant since it has a big tap root. I am afraid I might kill it. I hope someone has experienced transplanting one.
My Gaura 'Whirling Butterflies' is an outstanding performer. I have never given it support. It blooms a very long time and so enjoy the sway in the wind.
Yeah they are pretty great. It looks like flowers floating in mid air. I saw a hummingbird hit ours in the garden last week. It was pretty sweet because I was in the garden at the time.
Sounds like a pretty picture!
Can anyone tell me where the seeds are located on a guara?
As each flower passes they will develop a (thinking, lol) a 3 or is it a 4 sided seed pod...Personally I'm having a hard time getting these to overwinter at my altitude (6800-6900ft) DARN!!!! I love how the fronds move in gentle breezes and miss them!
I would be happy to see mine , plain old bloom .. lol
Yeah I checked our Guara and there are little football shaped seed pods on the flower stem. It didn't appear that every flower develops a seed pod but the ones I saw on ours were spaced about 4 inches apart.
kantzklan: Just so you know, the Gaura 'Whirling Butterflies' is sterile. Other gauras are not sterile.
I have done some research on Gaura since I wrote this post. Since I started this post, I thought I would add the researched information.
1. It's risky to transplant this flower due to the tap root. It supposedly can be done. One site said to cut about six inches from the crown to sever the roots and to leave it for awhile like that, then move to plant.
2. They like Full Sun except in the furtherest southern zone--then a little shade.
3. One site said to prune After it starts to green up in the Spring, cut the dead part of the stems above where the green starts.
4. It has to have good drainage. One site even suggested putting a little grit in the planting hole.
Maybe some of this information will be helpful.
Sometimes it pays to be ignorant. I didn't know anything about a tap root, pulled mine all out of one area and transplanted to another and it took just fine. I don't know what kind I have so, I guess I'll have to check for seeds. Thanks for all of the research and answers.
Kantzklan, thanks for letting me know you moved yours with good results. That's the info I was looking for!
I moved one and it came back, also. It wasn't tremendously happy the next year, but now it's back to its usual self. I did try to get a lot of the taproot; maybe that helped.
Thanks momlady for sharing your experience moving this plant. Now, I have to find a place that's in the sun with good drainage to put these two plants.
Re-reading this post. I did not get to transplanting the Gaura this year. I sort of forgot about it until I saw it laying on the ground blooming. :( Plus, I couldn't figure out a new location so I just left it until I find a new home for it.
So, to those that have transplanted Gaura, how long is the tap root, and how deep did you go into the ground to dig up the plant?
I have never done it with this plant, but what if you take propagation cuttings and try relocating these to a more desirable spot? You will save the risk of losing your plant but gain a few more in the process?
I don't have much luck with Gaura -- I think my winter soil is too wet -- so take what I say with a grain of salt. But I have read recently that for plants that are marginally hardy or that have a tough time overwintering, it is best not to prune them in the fall. They need the foliage to help make it through the winter.
Living Rose and Happy m.
Today is Nov. 15th. Living Rose posted her comment on November 6 and happy on Nov. 15. Although I check my front page of Dave's Garden probably three times each day, this is the FIRST time Livng rose and happy macomb's posts show up on my front page to let me know someone has commented.
This is soo frustrating. It looks like I am not interested in commenting, and sometimes people offer seeds or plants and by the time it shows up on my front page--offerings are gone. Any suggestions?
Now, regarding the Gaura.
I get about 30 to 40 percent success with cuttings.
I have read Salvia and Nepeta are two others to wait until spring to cut back. Seems like a pattern here: those that are drought tolerant perhaps should be pruned back in the spring??
birder17, did this thread come up in your thread watcher? It should, since I am posting an update.
Yes, Terry.
I haven't had a problem with updated threads showing up on my thread-watcher. Of course, the fact that it is working for me doesn't mean it is working for birder.
Birder -- I'm glad to hear Gaura is successful from cuttings -- I'll try that in the spring.
My gaura ('Pink Lady') is in a full sun spot and although I wouldn't describe it as floppy it definitely spreads outward (pic below, behind the black eyed susan). I trimmed it back in early fall just because the stems were falling outward everywhere like a fountain. But I didn't trim it back far--just to make it more compact.
I hope it blooms against next year! Given what others are saying, I don't think I'll try to transplant it.
This message was edited Nov 17, 2013 8:59 AM
