Unhappy eremerus

I have two eremerus, a cleopatra that I bought last year and a reuters hybrid that I got a month or so ago. Both are still in pots but should be planted out soon (doing a lot of garden work so nowhere suitable right now).

The cleopatra flowered nicely last year but hasn't put up a spike at all this year, and only one crown of leaves - another did sprout but died off at about an inch long. The reuters came with two crowns and two flower spikes, which started to open up last week but now look like this:



Any idea what is going on? Neither are too wet or too dry, and this started before they were where they are. They were on a picnic bench before so more airflow.

 

Never grown them, so only guessing.
But I dont think they are likely to enjoy being in pots.
As I remember, they have long spreading roots.

 

Hi Nikirushka,

You'll never grow an Eremurus in a pot, sorry.

They need plenty of room as the main tuberous roots grow like an octopuses tentacles, down and across. They should be planted about three inches deep on a slight mound in a free draining ( even slightly sandy ) soil.

 

I had a feeling that would be an issue. They were never meant to stay in there - last year I was supposed to have all my big garden stuff (new fences, fenced in dog yard etc) finished so they could grow in the ground. It didn't happen but it is happening right now, so they'll be in the ground within the next month at the most. My soil is sandy so very well-draining - well suited to them, it's just that things have taken far longer than I wanted to get the garden suitable for them.

 

I reckon you should be ok in the long run, I think you've just sacrificed this years flowers. Like any bulbous/tuberous plant they need the energy they get from the dying leaves to boost next years growth and you have plenty of leaves on there. Try giving them a feed as well.

Good luck, can't wait to see the pics next year