Aubrieta

I bought these aubrieta pots knowing that they weren't the best specimens. A couple of weeks on and they look like this. They are flowering well but there is still a lot of brown. Will this eventually grow out or is this how it's going to be? Will these plants survive long term? If I'm wasting my time I would rather start again.

G.

 

After flowering I'd plant them out and cut them back fairly hard.

 

No problems at all Gary....they do tend to do that after flowering. Cut back hard if you want a mound or cut back less hard if you want them to cascade a little more. Aubretia foliage “sulks” a little after flowering and after cutting back but new growth takes over from mid summer.
So, yes. They will be, and are, long term. No, you are not wasting your time. Avoid watering them too....they do best when on the dry side.
Far better in the ground rather than in pots too

 

Thanks for the info. I detailed my plans for them in the thread I called "Front yard tidy up". I have a place in the ground for them but I want them to beef up first. That way, they will be stronger plants and I will have had time to move other things around to accommodate them.

I take it then that I need to cut back after flowering. The new green foliage will grow through. By late summer/autumn I will have 3 strong healthy plants to plant out. Sound good to me.

G.

 

Adding to what's been suggested. I notice a fair amount of space in those pots quoting past experience, gently pressing the faded stems down onto the compost then adding fresh compost, thus covering the faded stems,the latter will often send out roots. This is a practice often used with many plants, including lavender.

 

Hi @Jack Sparrow , If I was you I would get them in the ground as soon as possible. They will flourish better and get established qùcker over the warmer Summer months.

Any plant of the size you have bought will grow much better in the open ground than in a plant pot. It's only worth keeping plants like this growing in pots if the pot size is under 3 inches.

Any straggly stems you can cut off after flowering. You can use the last inch or so ( along with the growing tip ) as cuttings, they will root within a couple of weeks, thus giving you more plants. As well as this if you lay the brown stems over the ground ( or make a little groove in the soil ) and put compost over them they will root and send up more growths and roots.

Also, you can save the seeds and sow them next Spring. They will give you more plants and more than likely in slightly different shades of purple, pink, rose, mauve and lavender.

 

Sounds good Gary...yes, cut back after flowering
Mike is correct....aubretia will root and spread if treated as he suggests

 

Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm ? ? ?

 

Oh, your keyboard is working well @KFF

From my own experience I think they would be better in the ground too. They will soon spread and hide the die back, or the stems can be cut off when they've established.

 

Sorry, I was just seeing if my posts were visible

Must just be that I'm being blanked out by a certain person from Cornwall I guess.

 

KFF matey, I have a keyboard the same as that. Believe I can type, I press all the keys but the letters often come out in the wrong order. Enjoy youre day.