What do I do wrong?

My heucheras look beautiful and full - for about 2-3 years. Then they look really ratty and like they have several almost unconnected plants. I've never had much success dividing them and having them look as good as they originally did. And ants set up housekeeping under my Mocha Mint and killed it.

Anyone have hints for keeping heucheras looking good year after year? I love the varying colours, but am beginning to think they are more work than they are worth.

Ann

Ann

Just wondering if the problem was this past winter. I know it was a difficult winter for us and you are a half a zone colder than we are. Do you mulch your heuchs in the winter?

I lost a couple this past year from heaving. I was upset, but it goes with the territory. Mine started out looking pretty dilapidated in early Spring, but they are starting to come back and all of the heuchs that made it are finally putting out new growth and little branches of flowers.

One other thing too - you say that after 2-3 years they look this way - how often do you divide them? Mine get divided frequently as it seems like the plant that everybody likes to trade.

Can you post some pictures?

I personally think it is the newer varieties - they just dont seem to be so hardy. I have some old Palace Purples and a Crimson Curl that is huge( need to split it into 3) but the new ones I am buying for the great colored foliage just dont get very big and I seem to lose 1-2 every year. This year it looks like a couple that are gone were just planted last year! One of the plant guys locally says they are fairly shallow rooted and dont last all that long here. I just bought 5 more - had an idea for a 'Food and Drink' heuchera bed - not sure it is really going to happen.

I'll have to take some pics, but I've never had very good success in dividing them so they don't get divided very often. They look as though they should be though.

Last year Pirl posted this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5AMzoOdnpE&NR=1,
it tells how to divide Heucheras. Hope this helps.
Debbie

Thanks for the tip. That particular video didn't deal with dividing them, but there was one really important item - lifting it every couple of years and ensuring it's planted deep enough. also the need for lots of drainage.

I DID find this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ihWPHLDMOg which deals more about dividing.

Great resource - YouTube. I use it for music all the time. Didn't think of looking for plant advice.

Ann

I've got issues with mine, too. The biggest problem ones I have are the Dolce Peach Melbas. I just can't find what makes them happy. I think more sun makes them happy, but even a few I have in good sun start to decline. The centers seem to grow very tall and then just look dead and dry at the bottom, which I don't really think is the same as heaving from cold, or anything. I did dig and rebury some so that the dead looking parts are under the soil now...I guess I'll see how they do. I've been wondering if I should cut them back or something? But that would mean basically cutting off the part that is growing, which scares me.

Then I've got other cultivars, like Guardian Angel, which seem to thrive with no extra attention. I don't get it.

My Peach Melba is the one in the far back that is to the right of the tree trunk. I put her in last Summer and have not had any problems with her. She is currently getting dappled sun which will turn into full shade as it grows closer to Summer.

Ok, I just watched those videos, and they were pretty interesting. When he divided those, he really mangled them pretty good! Wow, I would never have known to do that. What's weird is that my "leggy" ones were either already divided last year, or really only had a few eyes to begin with, and would not appear to need dividing. Seems like some of these really take a lot of effort to keep looking good.

Those video's were very helpful. I am going to try this and see what happens. Last year there was a heuchera swap...I am separating my plants now to get ready, in the hope that we have one again.

Hi Ann,

I think Carolyn22 may have hit the nail on the head re the weather this year. I've never yet seen the Heucheras look so near death as this spring. No losses, though, thank goodness. Since you are only an hour away, you likely experienced the same?

I'm no expert, though I can report my observations, eh? Not sure about the villosa's (Caramel, Mocha, et al) as they are new as of last year, but with others I've been able to propagate each new crown by just cutting and inserting in a dryish area. I've tried in my sandy nursery bed and they don't seem to like that, but this particular dryish area is ordinary garden soil, so I'm wondering if just being on the dry side is the key - at least for propagating.

I found it Interesting about the requirement for lifting and replanting deeper. This may be a key for my finicky 'Snow Angel'.

Sandy

Ann - I've found too that some are just "problem children", just plain fussy little buggers. I've been struggling with Lime Rickey forever. I replanted some in a different location last fall and they started to thrive. Didn't look too bad coming out of winter but now again are just looking mediocre at best. Today I read they like full shade. So again I will relocate them. Sometimes I'm just ready to rip them out and pitch them but then my determination to find them a happy place prevails.

Also, I think it's common for the bottoms of them to look ratty after winter. I always trim them off and they seem to do better then - or at least they just look better anyhow! Eventually with all that trimming going on, they will need to be dug up and set further down into the soil.

I bought a bunch of the new villosa cultivars and they are doing unbelievably well here, I'm really thrilled with them!

I'm in agreement with Sandy, I've found they like drier soil conditions too.

Some of mine this year look better than ever. Go figure! I didn't previously know about needing to plant them deeper and I'll try that if it stops raining long enough to get into the garden at a time when I actually CAN get into the garden.

Viola, Excessive rain is one of the worst things for Heuchs. They prefer dry shade with good drainage. Excessive water rots them and their cousins. I lost several last spring and this spring to water logged soil. Try not to plant them along side plants that require frequent watering. And avoid planting in areas where water accumulates.

You know what? I have decided there is little to be gained form the 'knowledge base' on heuchera. I have read that they do not like much wetness or fertilizer, yet this year is wet and I have fertilized them (w/ Spray & Gorw mixed w/ Bill's Perfect Fertilizer) and they look better than ever!

I DO think that certain advice from the experts is pretty reliable: heuchera like airy soil, and they need to be 'lifted' every couple of years.

I believe the latter advice, about lifting, is the most difficult for most of us regular gardeners. We divide and move plants, to be sure, but how many plants do we simply 'lift' and replant in the same place?

So, my motto for heuchs is: "airy soil and lifting in a few years.'

That's the problem I guess. I have heavy soil and once planted I like to leave things where they are.

I was just lifting the leaves of Hollywood, which is looking great this year, even if I don't find that it flowers that spectacularly for me. The crowns/centers/whatever you call them have gotten SO tall. So I guess that's one (I have it in a group of three), that I really need to dig and rebury. I do resent having to do that, I admit.

And then there are those that heave and have to be reburied! LOL It all goes with the territory. How many other plant varieities give such nice 3 seasons of interest? I especially love their fall show.

rcn - LOL, that's a first I've heard having to lift them! Fortunately not any problems with moles here. We have shrews and chipmunks but the dogs keep them out of the yard, thankfully.

ViolaAnn - I'm dealing with heavy soil too in what have been my very first flower beds (1990). It's great for Turtlehead and Obedient plant but not much else. I can't tell you how many times I've pulled out all the plants, added compost and sphagnum peat and replanted. I just did that again in fall and the soil is still heavy. I'm pulling them out again (but I just planted heuchera in there temporarily anyhow) and this time am adding alot of perlite and more peat. Hopefully the perlite will help. I'm planning on letting it sit for about a month before I plant anything there to see how the soil is. But first I have to let it dry out, all this rain and cool weather's killing my plans! I PRAY this will be the last time pulling plants and fixing that soil. It's MADDENING!

Medinac, Have you tried mixing gypsum and something gritty in there like builder's sand or shale pellets?

stormy - No I haven't mixed gypsum or shale pellets but we had a brick patio installed and in doing so they got alot of large grained sand in the soil and that helped a bit in that small area but when it's wet it's just heavy sandy wet soil that remains wet awhile. Someone on the soil/compost forum recommended gypsum too. I've googled it and it would probably help too.... couldn't hurt. My soil is good, not clay, but just heavy. I can pick some up while getting the perlite. Do you know if you can broadcast this over mulch and water in? Otherwise I guess I could put some around the plants when I fertilize. I'm in the process of putting new mulch on the beds so if I have to apply it the next couple years, I guess that's what I'd have to do. Thanks for bringing gypsum to my attention again.

Medinac, yes, over the mulch is fine. Every year for 3 or 4 should do it. Same with the grit.

stormy - ok, thanks. Gonna try that too then. Hopefully this will be the last time digging up those beds!