Help, I've Fallen and I can't get up!

Hello Everyone, Dorothy here
Rosie was my dog --I am not missing Rosie O'Donnell

I am having a problem with a clump of Agastaches - blue fortune I think
Anyway, they have all fallen over. Any idea about how I could have prevented this? I bet they are 5 feet high (or should be). Also, once they are done blooming should I cut to the ground? I am afraid to get near them now the bees are so thick. But, maybe I could have done something when they were emerging to support them for later on. Any advice is gratefully accepted.

I could only dream of having agastahes that tall. Mine are all so young. I understand about the bee part. They scare the pants off me. Although this year I have been better and tried not to be so scared since they are there for a good reason and I did plant a lot of flowers so it is my fault they are there. But I sure would not want to go near a plant that was full of them. I know someone will come along to help. I just like to comment on people's posts. Good luck. By the way which type are they? I would like to know if bees prefer one kind or another.

Thanks

Leslie

It sounds like they got taller than they really ought to, could be that they were watered more than they really need (either by you or by the rain, either one could lead to that!), or got more fertilizer than they really need. When plants grow quickly, the growth tends to be somewhat weak and floppy, so it's very easy for it to either fall over on its own or if there's a rainstorm or something that can easily knock them over too. For this year, about all you can do is put some stakes in there and prop them up again, but for next year I would try to keep the growth a bit more compact by cutting back on the water or fertilizer or both. The other possibility if if you're growing them in an area that has too much shade, they might be growing leggy trying to find the sun, that sort of growth is weak and floppy too, they really want to be in full sun.

Hi Leslie
They are 'Blue Fortune" I think.

They were only planted last July and they grew from the ground only this season. So, I am not sure about the 'young' part. First time I planted these - just like the licorace scent. I think I should have stuck with those $2.50 geraniums. The scent (rose, vanilla, lemon/lime, etc.) are so great - all I do is walk past and the fragrance is released and they are only knee high and doing great. I like the agastache but all toppled over is not pretty. I think next time I will find short ones.
I looked these up and they are only supposed to grow to 3-4 feet max.. maybe I should check for radioactivity!!

Hi - No not a shade issue ..full sun in that spot, and they are full and thick and sturdy (even laying sideways!) And, it was the rain that got the great downward sprall started.

You may be right about the water - I put a large metal sculpture/stake in the ground and then had some work there done and the workmen moved it and when they put it into the ground again, they punctured the water pipe that supplied the fountainhead.....opps... the stream lost water by the gallons for quite a while... this was early summer late spring. Those agastaches are right on top. Good thinking!

Can you wrap a twine line around them and stake them up?

Joseph

Joseph,
I think I can somehow get in there and stake them up or something --but those bees............a real pause for thought there....... I was mainly wondering what went wrong (for next year's growing period) so I can avoid it. It just looks like such a mess. The plants are right behind the fountainhead -- so a real visible spot.

The bees are not active at night. Do you have a good flashlight to see what you're doing?

My Agastache plants also flop toward the side sometimes. I think it's their mechanism for dispersing seeds away from the mother plant.

Yes, I can do the flashlight at night.....it is near the water.....tho..
bees...vs ...mosquitos......bees......mosquitos......SNAKES?? bees...mos....

(smile) maybe sideways agastache not so bad...they still smell good....

My Blue Fortune does the same thing this time of year. I cut it back to about two feet or so- cut just above a pair of leaves- and you'll get reblooming in just a few weeks that will last into the fall.

I usually can't stand to do it all at once, all the flying stinging things are so happy with it, so I do it in stages over a couple weeks.

Jenny

Thank You Jenny
So glad to hear I can cut them back and still get new blooms and on shorter more attractive bases. I will try to get them cut back in stages.
Thanks for you input.

At first light, bees and wasps are at their most sluggish, the warmer it is the busier and more agresive they are, you can see 'em and the snakes ect. to tend to your plants then, I know a woman who pets her bumblebees early in the morning and wasps as well, she ain't right though, not even close.