Red hot pokers

What do you do with the 'pokers' when the flowers fade please?

Incidentally, my husband opened the curtains the other day to see all five pokers covered in sparrows - they obviously loved them! Sadly I missed the treat

Barbara

 

I just cut them off at ground level.

I've also noticed sparrows in the stalks below the flowers.

I wonder if they are drinking nectar from the flowers, no greenfly to be seen.

 

What type of soil do pokers like please?

 

I'm not sure but it needs to be well drained but also not too dry.

Full sun is best, but they are not fussy plants and come in various sizes and flowering times.

 

They seem to like moist beds.
These are a late flowering variety (September)

 

I was going to say, leave them for the sparrows! They really love them: I presume they are eating the seeds. When there are just bare stalks, cut them down and put them in the compost bin. I had absolutely rampant red hot pokers in a semi shaded area and not very well drained clay soil. Sometimes plants seem to tear up the rule book about the conditions they should like. They were also home to a huge colony of snails!

 

Red Hot Pokers can not be too fussy
I was not a gardener, and I was given one which was basically planted and left
I can not get rid of them, following year they had sprung up all over the place even in the stone chipped front
Pulled them all out dug the ground over and still they appear elsewhere around the house, even appeared at the back of the house now, wherever there is bare soil, even in the paving on the front street

Another plant that I quite like but everyone says is a weed, long slim leaves with flaming red/yellow flowers at the bottom, sprouting up everywhere, I have pulled a few up and they have bulbs about the size of a crocus

Jack McH

 

I just cut the flower stalks off low down and leave the leaves. Then in the spring I try and trim the plant back so it doesn't get too big! Mine is just flowering now. I think they're beautiful But they do provide nice damp housing for snails among the leaves!!!

 

Thanks Wolfie - I'll bear that in mind and have a good rummage in the leaves. Anyone spare a hedgehog???