PENTSOMENS

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO PLEASE TO MAKE MY PLANTS BUSHIER AND GIVE PLENTY OF FLOWERS FOR THE SUMMER. DO I CUT THEM BACK...BUT WHEN???

 

i use miracle gro its great
well i think so,you dont say what kind of flowers you have Eileen,
welcome to GC hope you enjoy

 

Hi Eileen. I will be cutting mine back, but in the spring, along with all my other border plants. I feel that last years growth will give all my plants a bit of extra protection over the winter - but thats in Yorkshire.

Many Pentstemen are not entirely hardy (persistant is the word that is used), and this is caused more by winter wet than the cold itself. So good drainage will help. I love them, but I don't find them as robust and reliable as some other border plants, such as Helenium, Echinacea, Astilbe etc. The one always quoted to be the most robust is 'Garnet'.

If they are in the border, you shouldn't need to give them any special treatment, as long as your soil is in good shape. But if they are in a pot they must be fed. Like Kathy I use Miracle-grow (balanced feed) early on, and then Phostrogen (high in Potassium) when they are flowering.

 

Hi Eileen
Ive taken cuttings as a back up v the winter risk..(er its 11 deg today) and surrounded them wih horse poo. I will give it a major haircut in the spring. Worked last year

Good luck

 

hI, THANKS ALL FOR YOUR HELP..i WILL SIT TIGHT THEN AND NOT DO SO ANYTHING TO THEM JUST YET. i HAVE A BIG AREA OF THEM...ALL SIZES AND COLOURS AND THEY WERE SO GOOD LAST YEAR.CAN'T REMEMBER IF i HAVE GOT GARNET OR NOT PeterS.. i WILL CHECK AND IF NOT ADD IT TO THE "TO GET" LIST. Thanks once again all!!!

 

Eileen, turn your Caps Lock off. Your shouting at us.

 

:D :D :D


- and a warm welcome from me as well as the grins!

 

I haven't dealt with Penstemons until recently. Are they easy to divide or is it better to take cuttings? I put in a couple of plants last spring, and they are now quite large and bushy, so I thought I could do some propogating.

 

Cuttings are very easy, and I think this is the normal way. My book on propagation says August and September, but there is a specialist nursery close to me that does a lot and I think they take them about now or a bit later. Division isn't mentioned as a means of propagation.