Heuchera Thief

Well, I think I've got one. The info is a bit sketchy, I'm afraid.

One day I have a small purple Heuchera plant growing by my pond. The next day, I find half of my small Heuchera plant about 3 metres away from the pond, just lying on the lawn, like it's been snapped off. Could be the wind, I thought. Until the next day the other half of my heuchera that was still in the ground by the pond is completely gone. Just a small stump of stalk left where it was.

Our garden isn't easy to get into. There's concrete gravel board round two sides. The house takes up one side. So there's only one length of fence for something to get it. (That is actually the fence that is right next to the pond though.) It can't be slugs and snails because we've got tons in the garden and that plant has been fine in the ground for about 3 months now, nothing's touched it.

Any ideas? (I do realise there's not much to go on.)

Jo

 

Bless you.

 

Seriously though, like JWK recons, Pigeons or Pheasants most likely culprits.

 

Rabbits????

 

Heucheras also "heave" from the ground.

I had a couple do that. I just replanted them, making sure that they were well down.

 

Just looked up Mr. Google (God bless his soul! ) and "Heuchera heave" is a very common problem particularly in times of frost.

Here's one comment.

From perennialresource.com

" heucheras have a tendancy to heave out of the ground because of the freeze/thaw cycle. To combat heaving, add an extra layer of compost around the plant's roots in the fall. In the spring, if the plants have heaved at all, the new roots will grow into the fresh new layer of compost."

 

I think Vine Weevil eaten all the roots and with all the wind has blown it out of the soil , check were it was growing in the soil any little white grubs then you know

I am plagued with them ggggrrrrr

Spruce

 

Thanks for all the replies.

I can rule out frost and rabbits. The garden is quite sheltered and we've not had a ground frost in it yet. And there's no rabbits around here.

The pigeon I think I can rule out. We did have a wood pigeon visit the garden regularly up until a few weeks ago. I think he/she must have gone south for the winter, or the local fox has got it. :(

I cannot rule out vine weevil. The heuchera (bless me :D) was in a pot for about a year before I planted it out. Anything in a pot more than 5 minutes round here gets vine weevil in it. I'm forever replacing infested compost for new. Blinking things!

I thought once the plant was in the ground it was fairly immune to vine weevil because the roots could spread. As far as I remember when I planted it the roots were ok. Maybe the eggs were in them and when they all hatched it was too much for the plant.

Anyway, I think the mystery is solved.

Thanks, gang.

 

I agree, they do heave from the ground. Could be squirrels also, my impatients are dug up often.

But, a secret, I must share now, my poor husband plants Heuchera in open sun. So not to have arguement, when he is not looking I move them to shade. So he then says, wow must have died, I just say, oh, yes, so sad.
And he never notices the new ones in the shaded places.

 

And you look so innocent in your avatar!

 

LOL. After 22 years, you pick your battles. I am just saving a plant.

 

Vine weevils particularly love the multipurpose compost, nice and soft and easy to bury into.

I top my pots up with an inch of clayey subsoil ( kept specially for that purpose).Keeps the treetreetreetreetreetreetree out!

 

I use pea gravel , helps with the drainage and weeds and moss

Spruce

 

That's a good tip, scillonian. I'm not short of clay subsoil in this garden, I can tell you.

Thanks.